Oh, the memories
In addition to the big moments of "The Office" Wrap party festivities - like Steve Carell crashing the Farewell Celebration at PNC Field and actors jumping onto the stage at Courthouse Square to show off their musical stylings - fans of the Scranton-set television show had plenty of opportunities to make memories.
Allie Caudill, 22, was so happy she cried when she met Phyllis Smith at the VIP event Friday. She and her sister, Elizabeth Caudill, 17, made the trip from Cincinnati for Elizabeth's birthday.
VIP ticket holders got one share of stock in Dunder Mifflin, a bobble head doll, Scrantonopoly, a T-shirt and office supplies.
A few cast and crew members stopped by Backyard Ale House late Friday night, where they served drinks and mingled with fans. They included actors Brian Baumgartner, Oscar Nunez, Kate Flannery, Andy Buckley and Jenna Fischer, plus executive producer Greg Daniels.
Ms. Fischer drove from New York City to Scranton late Friday night. She donned a University of Scranton sweatshirt at Backyard Ale House, which she said she found in her hotel room on arrival.
At Saturday's first event, the Bloggers' Breakfast, "Office" producer Steve Burgess presented a special Dundie - an award given to Dunder Mifflin employees on "The Office" - to Jennie Tan, who runs the popular "Office" fan site OfficeTally.
"It was the excitement she created on the website that got NBC to take notice of the show," said wrap party co-coordinator Timothy L. Holmes, regional director of marketing and events for Times-Shamrock Communications, a wrap party partner.
Ms. Tan is visiting Scranton for the third time.
"I've loved each trip that I've come here," Ms. Tan said. Her favorite local place mentioned on the show? Lake Scranton.
"It's much prettier than how it was depicted on the show," she said with a laugh to the crowd.
Katie Drewes hails from Canada, but she might be on her way to honorary Scrantonian status if this keeps up. This weekend marked her fourth visit to the Electric City.
The Milton, Ontario, resident first came for "The Office" Fan Tours. She also visited the show's set in California. 2008.
"I'm just excited to see them all together and thanking their fans," Ms. Drewes said before the Bloggers Breakfast. "Maybe this will bring me some closure."
"Office" co-executive producer Allison Silverman, who participated in Saturday's Behind the Scenes Q&A, has a Scranton connection. She's good friends with Scranton-born actress Amy Wilson, known for her one-woman shows, "Mother Load" and "My Roots are Showing."
Ellie Kemper's sister, Carrie, an "Office" writer, and her parents, David and Dotty, joined her in the car during the parade Saturday. Carrie also participated in the morning Behind-the-Scenes panel and recently acted on the show as Jan's assistant.
When Rainn Wilson took the microphone onstage at the festival, he spoke a few of his lines from the episode "Dwight's Speech," when his character unknowingly recites a speech Mussolini originally gave.
An Andy Buckley signature was the latest addition to an Office book made by Philip Loscombe, 28, Wilkes-Barre. It's a compilation of photos and articles about his friends and him passing out Dunder Mifflin Parade Day 2007 T-shirts.
The wedding reception for Hilary Woodruff, 25, and John Dellapenta, 26, both of Gaithersburg, Md. watched the "Office" parade from the steps of Elm Park United Methodist Church. They exchanged vows about an hour before the first convertible drove by the church, where the bride's father is pastor. The newlyweds were surprised when Andy Buckley ran off the route to pose for a photo.
Besides Steve Carell showing up and shocking everyone, Saturday night's Farewell Celebration had a number of funny moments, from Craig Robinson serenading the crowd Dunder Mifflin-style to Rainn Wilson running around the field and hugging the odd fan to Brian Baumgartner tossing a baseball into the crowd.
When "Office" executive producer Greg Daniels was asked by an audience member who the best and worse Dunder Mifflin employees were, he responded, "They were all a dream to work with. ... Except the ones who aren't here."
Paul Lieberstein said he never participated in a parade before Saturday but quickly corrected himself, pointing out that he had been in a marching band as a kid. When he and his castmates performed some songs onstage after the parade, he sat in with the band on drums.
As he did during the 2007 "The Office" Convention, local funeral director Frank Regan placed a sign outside his Linden Street funeral home - conveniently situated along Saturday's parade route - that promoted his business as the 2007 Dundie Award winner for Best Corpse House. For this occasion, he had an additional sign that was designed like a tombstone and read: In Loving Memory - The Office, 2005-13: Gone, But Always in Our Hearts ... And Syndication.