โ€œBaltimore โ€” get to @TowsonU dressed as a creative character from any book, like the Cat in the Hat. Just donโ€™t dress up as me. Ready?โ€ talk show host Ellen DeGeneres tweeted Wednesday afternoon; shortly thereafter โ€” and despite the rain โ€” around a thousand students and Ellen fans alike gathered on campus dressed as Pippi Longstocking and other literary luminaries.

DeGeneres has seized on new media to extend the reach of her show, and to help stage zany events around the country. The showโ€™s producers have staged massive dance-offs and other flash-mob events. And while the host herself wasnโ€™t there in the flesh, she did make an appearance via satellite. She hosted a contest, greeted her fans, and โ€” presumably โ€” was charming and funny.

Why Baltimore? Apparently, weโ€™re one of the showโ€™s biggest marketsโ€ฆ and a producer is from here. Check out the cheering crowd of fans here.