Hundreds of devotees traveled from around the country over the weekend to bid farewell to "Guiding Light," a soap opera that spanned seven decades, three generations and two mediums as it evolved from a brief radio spot into a complex television drama.

Local followers forsook the Steelers, checking the score of the simultaneous football game by phone, while far-flung fans drove for hours to reach the crowded halls of the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Pittsburgh International Airport.

There, about 800 people re-enacted favorite scenes to ardent applause and waited in line for autographs, thrilled to finally meet the characters who wove a thread through their lives and, in some cases, were the namesakes for their children.

Several of the show's actors attended, including the much-adored Kim Zimmer, who played Reva Shayne, and Robert Newman, who played Joshua Lewis.

The two characters' tumultuous romance and series-finale reunion defined the show for many fans.

"The Josh and Reva, 'love always' story touches everybody," said Denise Ventura, 58, of West Mifflin.

Waiting to meet Ms. Zimmer and Mr. Newman were 60-year-old Anna Marie Skovran of Lawrenceville, the grandmother of a young Reva, and 49-year-old Nancy Coon of Oil City, who said she named her son after Josh.

Fans from more than 30 states registered for the weekend events online, paying $75 to attend one session and $140 to attend two.

The Pittsburgh stop was the start to a three-city tour that will continue to Atlanta on Nov. 7 and Las Vegas on Dec. 5.

To those who had followed "Guiding Light" for years until it left the air in mid-September, meeting the cast felt like coming home.

"I grew up knowing them," said Ms. Ventura.

"It's almost like you felt they were family," said Mary Caskey, 43, of Meadville.

"We discuss it like it literally is our family," said Carol Pollock, 65, of Penn Hills.

Many people said they had watched the show since they were teenagers, or longer.

Ms. Pollock remembered listening to the show on the radio, and later watching it on "a very small black-and-white TV." She would come home from school for lunch to follow "Guiding Light" -- when it was just 15 minutes long -- then hurry back to class.

Carrying a black and gold purse, Ms. Pollock clutched a Terrible Towel and noted that her husband was taping the game for her to watch when she got home.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," she said, of the "Guiding Light" tour.

In line in front of her were Lisa Defranco, 32, of Clarion, and her grandmother Connie Edinger, 77.

Ms. Defranco said 27 years of watching the show had made her feel closer to her grandmother, who had watched "Guiding Light" for about 50 years.

"I remember Bert, way back when," said Ms. Edinger, referring to a longtime character who died on the show in the 1980s.

Several fans said the departure of "Guiding Light" left a hole in their day.

"My family knew not to call me from 3 to 4 [p.m.]," said Cynthia Lehnortt, 48, of Oil City; she refused to answer her phone when "Guiding Light" was on television.

Ms. Caskey said the show was a time-worn habit, her "escape for the day."

"I don't know what I'm going to do now," said Jamie Oelschlager, 31, of West Mifflin. "I grew up with this show."

Faith Fenk, of Duquesne, who was celebrating her 40th birthday at the event, said she thought the last episode was an amazing ending.

She taped it, she said, so when she missed "Guiding Light," she would be able to watch it again.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.