BLAIRSTOWN - Hundreds of “Friday the 13th” franchise film faithfuls flocked to downtown Blairstown on Friday the 13th itself for the ribbon cutting to the new Friday the 13th Museum, which opened in Blairstown, the township where the first of the famous slasher films was made four decades ago.

Ari Lehman who played Jason Voorhees - the film series’ villian - when he was in his teens, cut the ribbon to officially open the museum, along with C.J. Graham who played Jason in “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” and Jason Brooks, who played Jason in the Friday the 13th fan-funded film “Vengeance.” Graham also stars in “Vengeance”, playing Jason’s father, Elias Voorhees.

“On the 40th anniversary of the filming, it’s incredible to see fans still flocking to Blairstown to see the original film locations,” said Jeanette Iurato, one of the founders of the Blairstown Museum.

The Blairstown Museum across the street at 26 Main Street had previously housed a rotating Friday the 13th exhibit. The new Friday the 13th Museum at 27 Main St. is a dedicated museum that Iurato said is expected to grow in time with new items, but currently houses the museum’s collection of Friday the 13th film costumes and props, signed memorabilia and souvenirs for purchase. The new museum will be open every Friday and Saturday, with the ticket price set at $3 per person.

Enthusiastic fans waited after the ribbon was cut to tour the museum and meet the actors, who generously spent time mingling with the crowd for photos and conversation. In addition to Lehman, Graham and Brooks were Tom McLoughlin, who directed Graham in Part VI; and Brandon “Buggzy” Wilson, a playable character in “Friday the 13th: The Game,” who also has a starring role in “Vengeance.” “Vengeance” also celebrated its premiere across the street from the museum on Friday at Roy’s Hall, a Blairstown location seen in the original film’s opening scene.

Lehman said he enjoyed his experiences filming in the Blairstown area, especially the camaraderie and the creativity of the first film; and spent his time at Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in Hardwick during the majority of his time, renamed Camp Crystal Lake for the film. Lehman said the lessons he learned during the filming were ones he applied in life, specifically in his time as a bandleader for “First Jason,” a punk-metal band inspired by his experiences from the film where Lehman sings and plays a machete-shaped keytar.

“Every year I come back to Blairstown for Friday the 13th,” said Lehman.

For the others who are part of the franchise, it was their first visit to Blairstown. Graham, who kicked off his acting career in his role as Voorhees, said he is amazed with the fan following he sees as he travels worldwide, including to Comic Con in London, which he recently visited and over 100,000 attended.

“Jason is known worldwide,” Graham said. “It’s a very humbling experience and I’m very blessed.”

Graham’s wife Ruby, who also traveled with him, has a small role in “Vengeance”, playing a nurse. Like her husband, she enjoyed how Blairstown embraces the film and the town itself, having come from a small town herself in Northern California.

Having been a Friday the 13th fan since his teens, Brooks,of Seattle, described it an honor continuing the legacy.

“I’m overwhelmed my movie has lasted 33 years, it’s mind-boggling,” said McLoughlin.

“The energy here is really awesome,” said Wilson, whose family attended with him and enjoyed speaking with and meeting fans, many who were attired with Jason hockey masks and sporting Friday the 13th T-shirts.

Fan perspectives

The diverse fan base traveled to Blairstown for the special weekend events from across the country and even from out of the country. One of those fans was Stephane Gauvin of Gatineau in Canada’s Quebec Province. Gauvin, who sported a yellow Camp Crystal Lake shirt, said he was first introduced to the film franchise several decades ago at age 13. Gauvin, who was also a first-timer, was a fan chosen through a lottery to take a tour of Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco. John Carroll of Detroit was another fan and first-timer to Blairstown who met Gauvin at Thursday’s dinner.

Steven Bender of Minersville, Pa., comes back to Blairstown annually and for Friday the 13th celebrations, having been married in one of the Friday the 13th wedding ceremonies, with “Jason” walking his wife down the aisle. Abigail Christman, 13, was one of the youngest fans there from Newtripole, Pa., with her mother, Elizabeth, a longtime fan. Abigail Christman had just celebrated her birthday on Thursday; and the three Jason stars serenaded her and shared birthday cupcakes. Jeneen West was another Pennsylvania fan from Stroudsburg, who was engaged in Blairstown and sold prop Jason masks that she has become known for making.

One local fan was Matthew Keller of Blairstown who calls himself “Jersey Jason” and said he first started walking around the township wearing the Jason mask. He volunteered his time on Friday in a blue jumpsuit wearing his hockey mask and wielding a costume bloodied knife.

Marge Vazquez, another Blairstown Museum volunteer, said she was working in a camp in Frelinghuysen when the first Friday the 13th was released and was absolutely terrified at that time. She has resided in Blairstown for 30 years and praised Jeanette Iurato for her focus on developing the museum.

“She (Iurato) does so much aamazing work and everything she does comes from her heart,” said Vazquez. “She cares so much for everybody and the town. Friday the 13th is our claim to fame (in Blairstown) and she’s made it so positive.”

Jennifer Jean Miller can also be reached by phone at: 973-383-1230; and on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/JMillerNJH.