It’s almost time for the best holiday of the year: May the 4th.
Yesterday, Disney kicked off its annual May the 4th celebrations with Imperial March, an event dedicated to all things on the Dark Side of the Force. The month-and-a-half of Star Wars festivities aptly launched with a takeover of the Empire State Building. From now until April 29, Star Wars fans will be able to check out Star Wars consumer products on display throughout the building, pose with a life-size Darth Vader Funko Pop!, see life-size LEGO versions of iconic Star Wars villains, and more.
Hasbro and Amazon have also set up shop at the Empire State Building until tomorrow, March 23, with an activation on the first floor featuring photo ops with costumed characters and photo backdrops inspired by iconic scenes in the movies. Kids will also be able to check out the latest Star Wars The Black Series helmets and FX Elite or Kyber Core Lightsabers.
New York isn’t the only place getting some Star Wars excitement in the coming months. Disney announced the Season of the Force experience at Disneyland, which will run from April 5-June 2 and feature Hyperspace Mountain and special galactic fireworks shows. Fans will also be able to grab Star Wars-themed food and drinks and merchandise like the Salvaged Stormtrooper Helmet Bucket, which can have popcorn, french fries, or other goodies.
Disney also announced dates for Star Wars Celebration 2025, which will be in Japan from April 18-20 next year. Tickets for Star Wars Celebration 2025 will go on sale May 2 at 7 p.m. ET.
If you don’t live in one of the areas with upcoming Star Wars events, you don’t have to be left out of the fun. Disney is partnering up with AMC Theatres to launch an epic movie marathon featuring all nine Skywalker Saga movies.
According to amctheatres.com, this screening will be 24 hours long and features The Phantom Menace, Attack on the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and Rise of Skywalker in chronological order. This Herculean feat of cinema may take up all of your family’s time on May the 4th, but it is so worth it to see all of kids’ favorite Star Wars characters on the big screen. If you get tickets to the screening, you will also get a special limited-edition poster.
If a 24-hour movie marathon is too much of a commitment, kids can watch The Phantom Menace in theaters May 3-5 in celebration of the movie’s 25th anniversary! Movie-goers will also get an exclusive look at The Acolyte, the upcoming Disney+ series that takes place more than 100 years before The Phantom Menace.
Whether kids are dragging you to the Empire State Building or the movie theater, the next month and a half are exciting times for Star Wars fans of all ages!
