The first activity of Real Twin Peaks 2025 honored the memory and legacy of David Lynch. On Feb. 21 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., nearly 200 fans from around the world gathered at the “Twin Peaks Town Hall” located in the Snoqualmie Valley Eagle #3529 in downtown Snoqualmie to share what David meant to them, how he influenced them, and how he was a beacon of light in this world.
VIDEO OF THE DAVID LYNCH MEMORIAL AT SNOQUALMIE VALLEY EAGLES
Here is a video of the hour-long memorial for David Lynch without the 10-minute-meditation session.
ORIGINS OF THE MEMORIAL AT REAL TWIN PEAKS
Following David Lynch’s passing on January 15, 2025, Real Twin Peaks event co-organizer Mary Hütter and author and co-editor of “Wrapped in Plastic” John Thorne first suggested a memorial around January 21. This was first free activity of the weekend where people could share feelings and stories about David.
A spontaneous memorial had already grown outside Twede’s Cafe in nearby North Bend, Washington. Fans of his work left flowers, tributes and bottles of Coca-Cola in his memory hours after his death was announced. Mary had considered creating a similar space inside Sno-Valley Eagles for the tribute on Feb. 21.
By January 30, Mary designed a memorial event poster and created a timeline of speakers and performances for the moment.
The photo of David was taken by Derek Hudson on May 2, 2005 during a photoshoot in Paris, France. Mr. Hudson had photographed David several times during his career (you can see some of those images on his Instagram account – @DerekHudsonPhoto).
On January 31, Mary had contacted the Transcendental Meditation (TM) organization who loved the idea of this memorial. Plans evolved to now include a 10-minute meditation session by Annie Skipper, Director of the Bellevue TM Center. Long-time fans and two special musical performances were finalized by Feb. 21. Mary shared the order of speakers just before doors opened to fans waiting outside Sno-Valley Eagles.
GATHERING AT TWIN PEAKS TOWN HALL
Sno-Valley Eagles in downtown Snoqualmie has served as a central meeting place for previous Real Twin Peaks events. Mary designed a temporary banner for the building marquee resembling a town hall sign created for the show.
Around 8:30 a.m., doors opened to guests gathered outside the building. A chalkboard with David’s iconic salutation – “Blue skies and golden sunshine all along the way” – stood outside the main doors.
Attendees were asked to sign in upon entering the former car dealership-turned-Eagles headquarters in Snoqualmie.
Miniature versions of the event poster were placed throughout the room as a nice keepsake for attendees.
It was incredible to see so many people gathered on a Friday morning at the end of February to honor David’s legacy. People drove in from Seattle and Portland or traveled far from the East Coast of the United States. Other guests were from countries like Finland, Scotland, England and Belgium.
On stage, a small side table with two cookies, a bottle of Coca-Cola and a coffee mug reminiscent of the mugs from the Double R Diner in Twin Peaks was placed next to an empty chair. This was a nod to David’s viral video clip saying how much he enjoyed “two cookies and a Coke.”
Elsewhere inside Eagles, fans sat at the counter created for the Hap’s Diner scene in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The counter and booths were saved by Anita Dunning-Rehn who would later speak twice during the morning memorial.
TRANSCENDENTAL MEDIATION MOMENT
With “The Voice of Love” floating in the air, Mary welcomed all attendees as the program began shortly after 9:00 a.m.
“I’d like to welcome everyone here and thank you all for joining us for a memorial for David,” said Mary while bathed under the red glow of a light illuminating the stage. “If you’re here it’s because David Keith Lynch touched your life in some way, whether you were close personal friends, collaborators, work pals, family, or you really just admire him as a fan. He touched you in your life in a way that brought you here to honor him today.”
Coming together to honor David was Mary’s way of helping others heal following his passing in mid-January.
After Mary’s introduction, Annie Skipper led the packed room in a 10-minute meditation session. Skipper has practiced Transcendental Meditation, or TM, since 1971 and knew David Lynch. She is currently the Director for the Bellevue TM Center and was one of the earliest practitioners in the Pacific Northwest according to a 2017 interview in The Seattle Times.
Since David practiced TM twice a day since July 1, 1973, this was a wonderful way to begin the memorial. Annie invited everyone to just sit quietly for 10 minutes, even if they didn’t practice TM. The sound of silence filled the room with an occasional squeaking sound as more people arrived through the front door. I was moved by how quiet nearly 200 people remained for the entire 10 minutes.
SHARING MEMORIES OF DAVID LYNCH
Following the 10-minute meditation moment, John Thorne took the stage. He was the co-editor of 1990s fanzine “Wrapped in Plastic” and author of “Ominous Whoosh: A Wandering Mind Returns to Twin Peaks” and “Devious Dreams: Reimagining David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.”
John recounted recent tales of the various film screenings of David Lynch’s works following his passing. He remarked how important it was to share that experience together and was impressed with the number of people in attendance for the memorial. Thorne has been visiting Snoqualmie Valley, Washington for more than 30 years and felt this was a great place to be for this moment.
“I think this is really one of the great places to be together right now to remember David Lynch,” said Thorne. “A lot of artists have impacted me in my life – musicians, singers, actors. But no artist has literally changed the course of my life like David Lynch. I wouldn’t be standing here now if it weren’t for him.”
I followed John which is an incredibly humbling experience since I’ve admired his work for more than three decades. I spoke briefly about acceptance and how the Twin Peaks and David Lynch community is filled with people who accept me for me. David fostered this idea by rarely commenting on meanings behind his works – he wanted people to form their own opinions. He encourage conversation by creating spaces where people could debate meaning and find common ground. I closed by encouraging everyone to make a new friend during the Real Twin Peaks weekend event.
Long-time fan Anita Dunning-Rehn then read a short passage from one of David’s favorite books, Robert Henri’s “The Art Spirit” first published in 1923.
The unofficial “Mayor of Twin Peaks,” Karl Reinsch read two items. Since 2018, he has drafted the official Twin Peaks Day proclamations for the towns of Snoqualmie Valley. Wearing a Georgia Coffee company shirt (a nod to the Japanese coffee which had Twin Peaks-themed commercials in the early 1990s), Karl explained how he added a reference to David Lynch’s simple bio that he used for years – “Whereas David Keith Lynch, director and Eagle Scout, born in Missoula, Montana…” – the four proclamations this year.
Karl then read a passage from Mark Frost’s “The Final Dossier” which was a letter left by Margaret Lanterman, the Log Lady, for Deputy Hawk the day before she passed. It was a heartfelt passage about looking for the light in the darkest of times.
Director and actor Richard Green then took the stage to play two songs. Green played The Magician in Lynch’s 2001 film, Mulholland Drive and served as director for I Know Catherine which would have a sneak preview on Sunday, Feb. 23 at the North Bend Theatre during the event. He explained how he was introduced to David more than 50 years ago by the late Donna Dubain, founder of the Groundlings Theatre, who passed on Dec. 7, 2024. Richard played a song he wrote for Dubain followed by a song he wrote for the new his new documentary about Catherine Coulson.
Up next, fellow Twin Peak Blog author and Twin Peaks prop collector, Vinnie Guidera, took the stage. Vinnie read something he wrote shortly after David’s passing which recalled his adventure to Snoqualmie Valley in September 2015 to watch Twin Peaks The Return being filmed.
Vinnie’s speech included memories of a photo he took of David Lynch standing at the corner of Bendigo Boulevard and North Bend Way in North Bend, WA in September 2015. This was the last night of filming at Twede’s Cafe, home of the Double R Diner. Vinnie and fellow fans approached David to express thanks for his work. Vinnie doesn’t remember breathing during this special encounter. By the next day, the crew had moved on to another location but his photo captures the master enjoying a quite moment between takes.
Entering the last half of the program, long-time fan, director and screenwriter, Josh Eisenstadt, took the stage. Well known for his incredible Twin Peaks trivia, Josh shared his encounters with David Lynch.
“I figure 90-percent of the people I know in my life, in some way, shape or form, I wouldn’t have known [without David Lynch],” explained Josh.
He continued by sharing how David was a one-of-a-kind person and an authentic artist, and by watching his work, he realized that one could do anything desired while remaining true to oneself.
Josh closed with a story about how David would ask him Twin Peaks trivia questions to which he later found out was because David knew it was something Josh enjoyed. What a special man!
Anita returned to the stage to share something she wrote about David Lynch.
“David Lynch gave us countless, extraordinary and timeless gifts,” said Anita. “His legacy in the world of art and spirituality will continue to be priceless and limitless but we are all gathered here this morning to celebrate David Lynch giving us, what is to me, the most important gift – each other.”
Mary also returned to the stage to complete the guest speaker portion of the program.
“David Lynch has always been a part of the ether, even when he was here with us,” reminisced Mary. “A part of him was here [gestures above her head]. So I feel like he is still here with us.
REBEKAH DEL RIO PERFORMS
Mary then introduced “La Llorona de Los Angeles,” Rebekah Del Rio, who appeared as the Club Silencio singer in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. The audience gasped as she removed her face covering.
Suddenly, her beautiful a cappella Spanish version of Roy Orbison’s “Crying,” known as “Llorando” echoed through the building. Tears streamed down my face and the face of many others in the room, honoring the man who brought so much joy to people through his artistic visions.
“This is so beautiful, all of us together,” exclaimed Del Rio after her song ended. “Every word that was said this morning is exactly what I’ve been feeling.”
Del Rio then sang an a cappella version of “No Stars” which she performed in Twin Peaks Part 12. Before she began singing, she quoted words said by the late Catherine Coulson who played The Log Lady in the third season – “Electricity is humming. You hear it in the mountains and rivers. You see it dance among the seas and stars and glowing around the moon. But in these days, the glow is dying. What will be in the darkness that remains?”
She then closed the program with an original song she wrote about the many ways to say “I Love You” in languages heard around the world.
On that Friday morning in the small town of Snoqualmie, hearts were full of love, for each other and for the man who brought us all together – David Lynch.
