Celebrating STAR WARS

After an amazing week in Chicago I'm finally home in England. In the near future I'll definitely do a write up about the incredible time I had in the Windy City, but as I recover from jetlag and catch up on all the panels I missed on The Star Wars Show Live stream, I just wanted to say I hope you all had an amazing Celebration. Whether you were in Chicago or there in spirit watching the live streams at home, it was an incredible time to be a Star Wars fan. And next year will be even better because Celebration is returning to Anaheim! Galaxy's Edge!! Batuu here we come! Hope to see you there!

It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since I started this blog . Whilst I'm sure there will be more news and updates coming out in the final few days before Celebration this blog is now as complete as I can make it before the show. Tomorrow morning I'm packing the car and heading down to London before flying out to Chicago on Tuesday! The main guide is pretty much complete. Here's all the info on lotteries (which you still have a day to enter) and Lightspeed reservations and store passes. Plus Guests , Exclusives (and Pin Trading), the Art Show . You can download a full panel schedule here (I'm sure more fan photos will be added/updated in these final days so make sure to check out the SWC Meets, Photo Ops & Events Facebook page for updates). Whilst I don't expect to have time to update the blog whilst in Chicago, I will be active on Twitter @CelebratingSW and will try to tweet out any news/updates along with ...

Have you got what it takes to be the best bounty hunter at Star Wars Celebration? The popular Bounty Hunt game returns to Celebration with three hunts taking place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Complete in teams of 2-4 people to solve clues, crack codes, and find your elusive prey as quickly as possible. The hunts take place at 15:00-17:00 on Friday and Saturday, and 13:00-15:00 on Sunday (which will be an easier, child focused hunt). You can sign up to join the hunt now, or sign up on the day. You can read all the details right here.

There's two very special baseball games taking place during Celebration Chicago! The day before the event, Chewbacca himself, Joonas  Suotamo, will be throwing the first pitch for the Cubs vs Pirates game at Wrigley Fields Super excited (and nervous) to announce I’ll be throwing the 1st pitch at the Cubs game vs Pirates on the 10th of April at the #wrigleyfield 🙌⚾️ Rawwwrrgh https://t.co/z46oLbN9CN — Joonas Suotamo (@JoonasSuotamo) 6 April 2019 Then, Monday April 15th is Star Wars Night! As the White Sox battle the Royals, Star Wars fans can buy tickets that include a special Chewbacca bobblehead that will only be available at the game!

The app is live! Take your first step into a larger world. The Celebration app is more essential than ever this year as you will need it to make panel reservations (for the Galaxy and Twin Suns Stages), get Lightspeed Lane passes for the show store, and even pre-order store merchandise to pick up and collect at your convenience. No more Celebration Store queue!! In addition to this you can also add any lottery wins (panel and exclusives), photo ops, and autographs to the app for your convenience. So download the app now, link up and activate your badge (essential for using all of the above features), and stage connected all weekend courtesy of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge!

Looking for love in a galaxy far, far away? You have come to the right place! Nerd Nite will be hosting special Star Wars Celebration Speed Dating sessions throughout the five day event. The Sessions will be held in Room W187C and consist of fifteen 3 minute dates. Previous Celebration Speed Dates have led to friendship, love, and even marriage so you might arrive at Celebration single and leave saying "I love you / I know"! You can sign up to take part over at the official site . Please note participants must be over 18 and there is a cost of $5.00 to take part.

Movie screenings have been announced for Celebration Chicago! Taking place over four days (no screenings on Saturday) all ten Star Wars movies will be screened at the connected Marriott Marquis hotel. The full schedule is; Thursday Solo 13:00-15:15 Rogue One 15:25-17:30 Friday A New Hope 12:00-14:40 The Empire Strikes Back 14:30-16:40 Return of the Jedi 16:50-19:00 Sunday The Force Awakens 12:00-14:20 The Last Jedi 14:30-16:50 The Phantom Menace 17:00-19:10 Monday Attack of the Clones 12:00-14:25 Revenge of the Sith 14:35-16:55 The screenings are free to anyone with a Celebration badge on a first-come, first served basis. It's not been announced if they will be clearing the screening room between movies but with a only a 10 minute turn around time between movies I'd guessing not. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I'm thrilled that they're doing screenings, watching the films with a room full of fans is an in...

If you're a fan of The Freemaker Adventures or All-Stars then make sure you head over to the Lego booth at 14:00 on Saturday where you'll be able to pick up this fantastic free poster! Bette yet, the creative team of Bill Motz and Bob Roth will be there to sign it for you following their Lego Animation panel! If you love LEGO Star Wars then this is something you won't want to miss.

The guest list may be complete but Topps aren't stopping there! In addition to the incredible 60 guests that will be meeting fans during Celebration, Topps are bringing autographs from some of the saga's biggest names to Chicago. Announced by Darth Von Ohlen on Twitter , Topps will have autographs from Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Donnie Yen, and more available at their booth (4139) during the show. And they'll have a Celebration exclusive print signed by none other than Ewan McGregor! If you're an autograph fan this will be a perfect opportunity to add some big names to your collection so don't miss out!

This week Del Rey revealed their full schedule of booth signings and all of the panels they will be taking part in at Celebration Chicago next week! You can find the full schedule below. In addition to the From A Certain Point of View signing, Ahsoka and Queen's Shadow author E. K. Johnston will be signing at the Anderson's booth on Thursday (18:00-20:00). This signing will require a purchase to take part. The exclusive cover of Queen's Shadow will be available at the booth. On Friday she will be signing at the Her Universe booth (14:00-16:00) and off site at Anderson's La Gange (19:00-21:00). And on Sunday will be at the Pride Squadron booth (1346). Please note that signings at the Del Rey booth are free and authors are happy to sign any of their works that you bring. The one exception to this is the From A Certain Point of View signing where, due to the number of authors involved, they will only be signing that novel. Signings at the Ande...

Ashley Eckstein is bringing her fan favourite Her Universe to Celebration once more, this time with a new collection entitled "Sisters of the Force". Unveiling the new collection at StarWars.com , Ashley breaks down the line and talks about the inspirations behind each piece so make sure you check it out. The collection will be on sale first at Star Wars Celebration Chicago next week. The full collection has been added to the exclusives page , and you can see highlights from it below; Have to say, I love the Lake Retreat dress and the Sabine jacket! Her Universe and the "Sisters of the Force" collection can be found at booth 2723.

The official site today revealed a look at their 30 favourite items heading to the Celebration Store in Chicago next week. The new reveals cover everything from t-shirts to coasters and have all been added to the exclusives page right here . But it gets better! Today's episode of The Star Wars Show revealed quick glimpses at even more exclusives AND the news that you will be able to pre-order your Celebration Store merch IN ADVANCE for you to pick up in Chicago. The instructions for how to do this haven't been revealed just yet (they'll no doubt be revealed when that new app that's been popping up on Google Play is finalised and ready to go). In the mean time here's a few of my favourite reveals from today; And let's not forget the Celebration exclusive editions of Star Wars Insider #189 , featuring two incredible covers by Karen Hallion. It's not confirmed where these will be sold yet, but the show store seems the most likely place. UPD...

The Battle of The Bean is coming! The Chicago Bean, or Cloud Gate as it's officially called, is set to be the site of the ultimate battle between the light and the dark sides of the Force. Fans will gather from 20:30, choosing their side ahead of an epic duel at 21:00. The sight of clashing sabers is expected to look spectacular against The Bean's reflective surface. Even if you don't want to duel, make sure you pop along to see what promises to be the largest saber duel yet. Here's a quick look back at when Jedi and Sith clashed at the first Celebration London in 2007;