Top stars from General Hospital will gather in Memphis, Tennessee, over the weekend of October 31 for the sixth annual GH fan celebration at Elvis Presley‘s Graceland — and you can join them!
The star-studded roster includes Braedyn Bruner (Emma Scorpio-Drake), Rory Gibson (Michael Corinthos), Van Hansis (Lucas Jones), Tanisha Harper (Jordan Ashford), Lynn Herring (Lucy Coe), Josh Kelly (Cody Bell), Giovanni Mazza (Giovanni “Gio” Palmieri), Katelyn MacMullen (Willow Tait), Chris McKenna (Jack Brennan), Ryan Paevey (Nathan West), Kelly Thiebaud (Britt Westbourne), Donnell Turner (Curtis Ashford), and Laura Wright (Carly Spencer). Over the course of the weekend, they’ll mingle with fans, answer questions, take photos, and enjoy themed events celebrating the long-running ABC soap.
“It’s always a fun weekend,” enthuses Laura Wright, who has participated every year since the inception. “The first night is a Halloween costume party, and like the fans always dress up in something fun. One year, someone was the moss in Carly’s kitchen, which was so funny, and then a little boy dressed up as Sonny [Corinthos, Maurice Benard] in a suit. There was a Lila [Quartermaine] and an Edward [Quartermaine], and people come as doctors. It’s just a festive way to kick off the weekend.”
Following Friday’s costume party, the weekend continues with a full slate of fan-focused activities. “On Saturday and Sunday, both days are loaded with panels where we interview each other, and the fans get to ask us tons of questions, and there’s autograph signing and picture taking,” Wright details. “And then Saturday night is the Nurses’ Ball, where fans come dressed up in beautiful dresses or gowns, and a few of the actors entertain and break out their talents on stage, and that’s super fun as well. Watching Gio with the violin is unbelievable. And Josh Kelly is always super fun to have around. So those are always just a good time. And then Sunday, it’s more of the same, with panels, question and answer, autograph signing, picture taking, and then they end it with a karaoke night.”
Beyond the packed schedule, the setting itself adds a special magic to the experience. “Well, it’s Graceland,” Wright points out. “There’s not a lot around the area, so you’re either in the Guest House Hotel, where all the events are, and the Graceland mansion is right there. There are a few different restaurants and bars in the hotel, and because it’s Friday through Sunday, it’s all contained, and I just think it makes it very intimate and cozy for the fans. There’s really no one else there but the fans, and the hotel is packed and sold out usually, and I think it’s so fun for the fans to be with each other as well. It allows people to fan out and feel totally comfortable with it.”
The weekend also offers a rare opportunity for the actors to connect outside of the studio. “It’s always fun to travel with the cast,” Wright shares. “All the cast stays on the same floor, so people coming and going and seeing each other is always a great time. There are parts of people’s personalities that you don’t know until you’re traveling outside of the studio, so that’s always fun. But it’s also work. You want to make sure that the fans are getting everything that they paid for. You want to make sure that they’re entertained, that they got to ask their questions, that they got the person’s autograph that they want and that they’re getting their money’s worth.”
Want a chance to win tickets to the events and a complimentary hotel stay? All you have to do is enter below! The package includes:
Charlie’s Pub Package for 2 people (Valued at $1,400)
- Autographs and Individual photos with all the cast members
- Balcony tickets to all six panels
- Admission to the Saturday night Nurses Ball
- Admission to the Haunted Star Karaoke Party
- Late Night General Hospital Screenings
- Elvis Experience Tour
- Weekend access to Elvis Presley’s Memphis Entertainment and Exhibit Complex
- Free Shuttle Transportation from the Guest House at Graceland to all Non-Hotel Event Locations
Hotel Stay (Valued at $1,165.84)
- One room from Thursday (arrival day) through Monday (checkout)
Flight to Memphis (Valued up to $600)
- Flight reimbursement for up to $600 in airfare for winner and guest
For more information about the schedule of events, go to Graceland.com.