All you need to know about the 'Star Wars Celebration' in Chicago
As we awaited the official trailer for the upcoming 'Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker' at the Star Wars Celebration that's going on at the McCormick Place in Chicago between April 12 and 15, here's a bit of detail about what the festival is all about and its schedule.
The Star Wars Celebration is a fan gathering to celebrate the Star Wars franchise and welcomes fans of all ages to be part. The celebration revels in the excitement of new movies, television shows, books and comics while also commemorating the vast history of the Star Wars universe.
The first celebration was held at the Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Colorado in 1999. The last one was held at the Orange County Convention Center in Florida in 2017 that also featured the trailer and the title of the second installment of the Star Wars trilogy, 'Star Wars: Return of the Last Jedi.'
For those of you who want to catch the action live, StarWars.com and the “Star Wars” YouTube channel will live-stream the panels at the event, which kicks off with a discussion on “Star Wars: Episode IX” with director J.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, along with some surprise guests.
In addition, the celebration will also offer some insight into 'The Mandalorian,' the upcoming TV show on Disney +, the new streaming service set to go live on November 12, 2019, along with the next season of the animated series, 'Clone Wars.'
For those who want to know what's on the docket, below is the schedule:
Friday, April 12
11:00AM – 12:00PM: Star Wars: Episode IX
1:15 PM – 2:30 PM: Star Wars Collectibles Update with Lucasfilm’s Brian Merten
1:30-2:30pm: 20 years of the LEGO Star Wars Story – A Retrospective and Forward Look
1:30PM – 2:30PM: Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
3:00PM – 4:00PM: Star Wars Hasbro
3:30pm-4:30pm: The Music of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace with David Collins
4:00PM – 5:00PM: The Creatures, Droids & Aliens of Star Wars
4:45PM – 5:45PM: Lucasfilm Publishing Panel
5:30-6:30pm: ILM Presents: Making Solo
6:30PM – 7:30PM: I’ll Take Droids for $500, Obi-Wan: An Intergalactic Game Show
Saturday, April 13
10:45AM – 11:45PM: Droids and Animatronic Creatures of Star Wars
11:00AM – 12:00PM: Bringing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to Life at Disney Parks
11:00AM – 12:00PM: Inside Fantasy Flight Games
12:45PM – 1:45PM: Star Wars Rebels Remembered
12:45PM – 1:45PM: Del Rey Behind the Scenes
1:30PM – 2:30PM: The Galaxy-Wide Premiere of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
2:30PM – 3:30PM: Marvel Comics Presents: Star Wars
3:30PM – 4:30PM: Star Wars Cosplay Competition
4:00PM – 5:00PM: Sisters of the Force, A Celebration of Women and Star Wars
4:15PM – 5:15PM: Step Into Our Star Wars Stories: ILMxLAB
5:30PM – 6:30PM: A Star Wars Let’s Play
5:45PM – 6:45PM: Star Wars: The Force of Funko
Sunday, April 14
11:00AM – 12:00PM: The Mandalorian
1:00PM – 2:00PM: Behind the Scenes of the Cantina
1:15PM – 2:15PM: Doug Chiang: The Evolution of Star Wars Design – Designing Episode I
1:30PM – 2:30PM: In Conversation with Alan Tudyk
3:15PM – 4:15PM: ILM Model Shop: Building a Galaxy
3:30PM – 4:30PM: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Sneak Peek
5:30PM – 6:30PM: Into the Archives
Monday, April 15
10:30AM – 11:30AM: Lucasfilm Publishing: Writers Roundtable
11:00AM – 12:00PM: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 20th Anniversary Celebration
12:15PM – 1:15PM: Star Wars Celebration Tattoo Competition
1:30PM – 2:30PM: Short Stories with Warwick Davis
1:30PM – 2:50PM: Star Wars Resistance Season Two Sneak Peek
2:00PM – 3:00PM: Check the Celebration Show App for Updates!
3:30PM – 4:30PM: Celebration Chicago Closing Ceremony
3:45PM – 4:45PM: IDW Publishing: The Adventures Continue!
