On February 24, 2023 at 11:30 a.m., Twin Peaks fans gathered from around the world at the Welcome to Twin Peaks sign spot location to hear a reading of an official Twin Peaks Day proclamation. It was a moment in time that I never thought I’d see nearly 30 years ago when I first fell in love with David Lynch and Mark Frost’s wonderful and strange show.
WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS
Special Agent Dale Cooper’s arrival in Twin Peaks is one of the greatest entrances for a television show. His arrival jump starts an investigation into Laura Palmer’s murder that leads to even more mysteries about this quiet town. The Welcome to Twin Peaks Sign spot is found along Reinig Road in Snoqualmie, Washington.
After a brief welcome party for The Real Twin Peaks 2023 event at Snoqualmie Valley Eagles, a number of fans traveled out to Reinig Road to watch a special reading of the official Twin Peaks Day proclamation.
PROCLAMATIONS
Kelly Coughlin, Executive Director of the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce, joined City Council member Mary Miller who read one of three official Twin Peaks Day proclamations at the sign spot.
This proclamation moment would not have happened without the help of long-time Twin Peaks fan and local resident Karl Reinsch. He first approached the towns of North Bend and Snoqualmie in 2018 about celebrating Twin Peaks Day. It’s become a tradition in Snoqualmie Valley and even expanded to include this year’s Real Twin Peaks event in partnership between the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce and North Bend Downtown Foundation.
Karl presented these proclamations at the city council meetings where they were adopted by members and made official records.
For the first time this year, the city of Carnation, Washington also declared February 24 as Twin Peaks Day.
The coolest part about Carnation joining the festivities is that it in part due to Twin Peaks Blog and the former film location website that inspired me, InTwinPeaks.com.
Karl shared a link to an article about the Twin Peaks Town Hall scene from the pilot episode that was shot in Carnation. The Mayor agreed and the city even posted a snippet from that article on their Facebook page. I didn’t know about this fun fact until Karl told me during my visit to the Real Twin Peaks.
PHOTOS AT THE SIGN SPOT
It was delightful to hear City Councilwoman Miller (no relation) read the proclamation at this iconic film location.
After the proclamation reading, fans gathered for a giant group shot. Next year, I will bring my tripod and flash as the sun definitely cast harsh shadows. More on that in a moment.
Fans also quickly posed for photos with the recreated “Welcome to Twin Peaks” sign.
I was happy to grab quick photos with my fellow Twin Peaks fan Aaron Cohen and fellow Twin Peaks Blog author Vinnie Guidera. I first met up with both of them in September 2019 during my trip to Snoqualmie Valley after a 23-year hiatus.
ANNOUNCING TWIN PEAKS DAY
The City of Snoqualmie Government used their Facebook day to official announce Twin Peaks Day. A posting on February 13 mentioned Mayor Ross would read the proclamation at a City Council meeting.
The returned on February 24 with a reminder about Twin Peaks Day.
The graphic is similar to a newly installed mural by Sarah Hughes (@APinchDifferent) which was installed on the side of a shop named Carousel in downtown Snoqualmie.
IN THE NEWS
On February 24, the City of North Bend Government issued a press release about Twin Peaks Day.
The release contained images from the Welcome to Twin Peaks sign spot proclamation gathering.
The City of North Bend Government posted about Twin Peaks day on February 25 with a link to an article on ValleyRecord.com.
CHANGES AT THE SIGN SPOT
By now, you’ve probably noticed that Reinig Road looks quite different. This change was a result of erosion control work to ensure the road didn’t wash away with rising waters.
Here is how the spot appeared in the Pilot Episode of Twin Peaks.
This shot is from my visit in January 2020, the last time I was in Snoqualmie Valley before the world changed.
You can see the utility poles were relocated to the opposite side of the street. At least Mount Si hasn’t changed which makes it easier to find this exact spot.
All said, it was a fun moment in time being on Reinig Road with fellow fans who love this show as much as I do.
