Kerry Bush parked a chair at the doorway to the Shannon Theatre at 3:45 p.m. She arrived first in line for the 12:01 a.m. showing of "The Hunger Games."

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"I've read through the entire series. It's not as developed as Harry Potter, but it probably would be if there were more books in the series," said Bush, an obviously avid Hunger Games fan.

There were lots more fans like Kerry standing, sitting and reclining in line. Some arrived at 4, some at 5, some at 6 p.m. and later. They spread out from the theatre, north across the alley at Et Cetera to the coffee shop corner at Main and Cherry, and along the coffee shop Cherry Street wall, about four parking spots from Main. Those at the end of the line arrived at about 10 p.m.

Fortunately it was 71 degrees in downtown Bluffton, according to Citizens National Bank clock - a rare high for a late March evening in Ohio. The warm temperature added to the festive atmosphere of the evening.

Sarah Diller came all the way from Wichita, Kansas, where she is in graduate school, to pay $3 for a movie that might cost $10 or more in Kansas.

Some in line were still reading the book, hoping to finish before the movie began. Some were in parked cars with people holding their places in line.

As Peter Suter of the Shannon Theatre gazed down the line waiting for the 11 p.m. ticket sales to begin, he admitted that he'd be happy to do this every night of the year.

A group of Bluffton High School students, including Hannah Chappell-Dick, her sister Sarah, and friends McKenna Reneker, Justin Weaver and Rachel Yoder, said that this was "the event of the year" in Bluffton.

For those awaiting the clock to strike 12:01 a.m. it truly was.