CoupevilleThings to Do on Whidbey October 16, 2023

Practical Magic

“The small town scenes were filmed in downtown Coupeville, Washington, a Victorian-era seaside port town located on the south side of Penn’s Cove on Whidbey Island.” – IMDB

But you knew that, right?

For being so big and loud, Hollywood’s visits to Whidbey are usually quiet and out of the way. Practical Magic went all out. Twenty-five years ago the film crews and the stars swept in, painted Coupeville white, and played pretend that it was a quaint seaside town – in New England. That’s Hollywood. It’s about time for another visit.

Let’s get the name-dropping out of the way:

Sandra Bullock, Nichole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, and some guys. Stars for sure, but pardon locals who also want to spot familiar stores and streets, parks and views. 

Local Destinations:

Front Street dominates. The Wharf is in the background. Stores were temporarily redecorated. Much of it was different, but not out of place. Seafood, a farmers’ market, herbs and potions – though they played a different role. Very familiar.

As much as we may feel that they could’ve filmed the entire movie here, they also used places like the San Juans. The stellar house would be a natural tourist site, but it was a prop, torn down after they were done. Has anyone tried to rebuild it? 

It is a comedy and a romance. It is also a fantasy, or at least has fantastic magic. It is also a thriller, just in time for Halloween. 

You might have to watch it more than once:

Once for the story, once for the setting, and then maybe again. Some people make this a part of their Fall ritual movie night. By the way, the food and drink choices that pair with it are brownies and chocolate cake for breakfast and margaritas at midnight. (Jimmy Buffett fans may also appreciate the latter.)

Filmed on Whidbey:

Practical Magic is part of a long list of movies filmed here.

Some familiar names:

  • Free Willy 2
  • Snow Falling on Cedars
  • The Ring
  • Double Jeopardy
  • The War of the Roses
  • Oh yeah, and Top Gun: Maverick.

Smaller creations are made here, too:

Deception Pass Bridge and the hairpin turn at Ebey’s Landing frequently show up in ads. The ferries are iconic enough to be a proxy for all of Puget Sound. 

The perfect location for filming:

While some visitors and locals can complain about overcast skies and dull weather, someone filming a scene can appreciate a lack of shadows. It is easier to stitch retakes into the rest of the film when something filmed in sunshine then has to match something filmed in the shade. Dull weather means less worry about wind and rain – at least compared to a lot of other regions. Not too hot or too cold, usually. We’ve also got talented people living here, great backdrops, and pleasant places for the stars and the crew to stay in.

It may be a twenty-five year old movie, but it skips technology (hey, they got magic!) and Coupeville is charming. Don’t be surprised that October may have a few more tourists visiting. There are some great costume opportunities. Let’s just hope the weather treats us all well.

 

“But there are some things I know for certain: always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can.” – Sally Ownes, source:IMDB

And, 

“There’s a little witch in all of us.” – Aunt Jet Ownens, source: IMDB

 

 

Links:

IMDB Commentary

IMDB Filming Locations 

 

Things to Do on Whidbey September 14, 2021

Must Watch Movies and Shows Filmed on Whidbey

 

Agent FeaturedEventsThings to Do on WhidbeyUncategorized May 4, 2021

Celebrating Star Wars Day

You might be asking yourself; how does one celebrate May 4th, aka Star Wars Day?

The simple, bare minimum approach to Star Wars Day, would be to wear a shirt you bought off Amazon and call it good. But if you want to embrace true nerd status here are some ideas to get you started.

“Secret” Starbuck Drinks

Star Wars Coffee Drinks

While rocking your favorite Star Wars shirt, start the day with a trip to Starbuck and order one of the following Frappuccino’s from their “Secret Menu”.  The Dark Side Frappuccino, Green Master Frappuccino (inspired by Yoda, or The Child), or the Storm Trooper Frappuccino. (These were discovered online at Starbuckssecretmenu.net)

 

Comic Store Adventure

Star Wars Comic Store

With Coffee in hand, a visit to the local comic book store is highly recommended. Here on Whidbey Island, that store is The Book Rack. There you will find books for all ages in your household. From Little Golden Books for kids all the way to a large assortment of full-length Star Wars novels written by various authors.

 

Baby Yoda Cookies

Baby Yoda Cookies

Speaking of kids, If your love to bake with yours. An easy treat to make is Baby Yoda cookies!

Got an angel cookie cutter

I know what you’re saying, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this”. But hear me out.

Roll out your favorite sugar cookie dough and then using a Christmas angle cutter, cut yourself out some angles. Trim a little dough off from the angel head and bake like normal. Using green icing, make the top half of the cookie green. The wings are the perfect Yoda ears! Use a black fine tip icing tube for eyes and details. Finish off the lower half with brown for the Jedi cloak.

Don’t forget to share a pic of your finished work!

 

Lightsaber Pretzels

Lightsaber Pretzels

If baking isn’t for you or you can’t find your angel cookie cutter, then here is another idea for you.

Using white melting chocolate and blue, green, and/or red food coloring. Melt the chocolate and add food color to it accordingly. Then dip pretzel rods in the colored chocolate leaving just a handle length at the end of the pretzel. And there you have it! Delicious and less deadly lightsabers. These make the perfect snack for a movie Marathon.

 

Star Wars Marathon

Star Wars Marathon

This brings us to the best tradition of all for Star Wars day. It’s time to binge-watch all your favorite movies! You can start with the classics, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and finish off with Return of the Jedi (Ewoks are a must on Star Wars Day). Or, dive in deep and watch them all in chronological order. With May the 4th falling on a Tuesday this year, it might be harder to accomplish. But it would be an epic way to celebrate the best non-federal holiday ever (let’s be real though, it should seriously be added to our list of Federal holidays so we can devote the day properly to all things Star Wars). If you are able to binge-watch, here is the list of how to watch the Star Wars movies in chronological order:

 

So, what do you say? Throw on some Star Wars jammies, snap a selfie with your pretzel rods or Yoda cookies, and enjoy some time in a Galaxy far far away…..

Rachel Bennett

 

 

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