Fangelas Flock to Cabot Cove: The Murder She Wrote Festival

Growing up in the 80s, we had one television and limited channels so it makes sense that my mom heavily influenced what we watched. She was always very understanding about my Saturday Morning Cartoon routine but when it came to evening shows, she was in control of the remote. When Sunday night came around, I always knew we would be watching Murder, She Wrote. At first, I didn’t want to watch the show but by the time the theme music ended, I was consistently curious about how Jessica Fletcher, former school teacher turned mystery novelist, was going to solve this week’s real murder. Was it appropriate for a ten year old to be watching a show about solving murders? Maybe not, but I wasn’t thinking of any of this until I came across a series of TikTok videos this weekend featuring a group of people dressed as Lansbury’s character Jessica Fletcher jogging through the scenic California coastline for fun.

Photo Credit: Anne Semans

After the initial confusion, I started to wonder: What is happening here? Is cosplay from the 80’s being taken to a new aerobic level? After tracking down some details, I discovered these videos were taken at a ‘Jessica Jog” which was part of a Murder She Wrote Festival that took place May 1-3rd in Mendocino, California. The festival is hosted as a fundraiser for and by the Kelley House Museum, a non-profit organization that has for the last 50 years has worked to collect, preserve, protect and share the rich history of the Mendocino Coast.

But wait, wasn’t Murder, She Wrote famously set in Cabot Cove, Maine? Well, yes, BUT that was a fictional place and the filming of the exterior shots of the series was done in Mendocino. In fact, when Angela Lansbury died in 2022, flowers and remembrances were sent to the house where her fictional character lived. The idea for the festival came after hosting a tribute reception where locals and fans gathered to share their memories of Lansbury. According to Anne Semans, Executive Director of the Kelley House Museum, the genuine enthusiasm and curiosity of the Murder, She Wrote fan community organically encouraged the idea of putting a festival for fans together as a fundraiser for the museum. “The level of care and energy that she (Lansbury) put into everything she did [in her life] is incredible. Everyone said she was very kind, professional and generous and the Kelley House is part of that orbit,” says Semans. “The pandemic hit our non-profit and our community very hard. This fundraiser event is almost as if Angela is looking out for us from the afterlife; her energy is still present.”

Photo Credit: Holly Madrigal

Tickets for the 2026 event went on sale in October 2025 and all 220 were sold out in one day, with an additional 150 on a waiting list. Mendocino is a village of about 1,000 residents and is 4 hours away from the nearest commercial airport. Yet the fans, “Fangelas” or “Angela Fanberries”, are a dedicated group. This year’s attendees came from places far and wide not just within the United States but from Australia, Italy and Ireland. Besides the “Jessica Jog”, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a full weekend of experiences including a themed scavenger hunt, themed cocktails (the Lemon Drop Dead and Cabot Cove Cosmo, among others), walking tours of filming locations, author and actor talks and signings, the Cabot Cove Ball and costume contest, trivia contests and a “Solve–Along–A–Murder–She–Wrote” Interactive Screening with Tim Benzie.

This intimate fan experience is the ideal way to celebrate the Murder, She Wrote fandom while preserving and honoring the history of both a real and fictional community. Semans said in the three years the festival has existed there have been many moments of sincere fan connection. “When I was leaving the last event [of the day], there were some attendees heading out at the same time. I asked ‘Are you going home now?’ and they said, ‘No, we met some friends and we’re going to Dick’s Place (the only place in town that stays open late). They were Reddit friends that met in person for the first time at the festival,” says Semans. “There’s nostalgia but also safety and comfort in the show for people.” I agree with Semans’ perspective - looking back at my own interactions with Murder She Wrote I realize three things: (1) Murder, She Wrote is tame in comparison to today’s murder mystery options; (2) watching the show with my mom and trying to solve the mystery before Jessica did was actually fun and (3) Angela Lansbury was an icon that we should never forget. Luckily this festival makes it possible for all Fangelas to authentically connect with each other at a one of a kind experience.