Celebration!

This post was originally posted on CraftHackers.com:

It is Star Wars Celebration this weekend!! Well, for those of us in Europe and those who care to make the trip to London, that is. This is normally a crafty blog, but today its going to be a trip through nostalgia lane.

If you don't know Star Wars Celebration, it began on a slightly rainy weekend at the end of April in 1999. I remember, because I was there. I was in college in Nebraska at the time, and myself and a group of fellow Star Wars fanatics drove the 6 hours to Denver, camped on a friend’s parent’s floor, ate too much fried food, and ruined one of my favourite pairs of shoes in the mud. It was one of my favorite weekends.
Because, yes, I am a big kid on a bouncy castle excited about this

Because, yes, I am a big kid-on-a-bouncy-castle excited about this
Celebration was made for the fans, and as a fan I could not have asked for anything better. It was at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, Colorado which reminded me of nothing more than a large high school gymnasium, probably because I barely got in past the panels going on in the marquees outside.

Back then it was small. Panels were maybe 100 people in a room, and even then it wasn’t always full. I watched Anthony Daniels become C3PO without the costume, Ray Parks do some phenomenal stunt work, and then drooled over every last one of Padme’s costumes. Skipped out on Aerosmith tickets to watch it all some more.

At this point, we had no idea what would be in the movie, but I loved every minute of it. In ways I miss the allure of not having everything mentioned, everything spoiled before we get to release. I haven’t quite gotten the bug to hear creators speak about everything in as vague ways as possible, nor do I need 5 trailers to keep me interested.

This weekend though, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the Rogue One costumes. It was what I loved most about Celebration in 1999, and I’m looking forward to it again. These kinds of exhibitions are gold mines for those of us who love to create costumes, and I am so happy that more and more exhibitions of this kind are happening. You just can’t really get a good sense of some of the delicacies of these costumes with what gets seen on screen.

The detailing done in costume shops across the globe produces some amazing pieces of absolute art. Museums are starting to cop on to this and there are some that specifically have been bringing costume exhibitions in, but fabrics can be difficult to preserve for posterity and there is always that worry that something will damage it. So if you ever have a chance to see one of these exhibitions, I highly recommend it.

The modern con scene has grown somewhat since 1999. This year’s Celebration is going to be nothing like what I experienced in Denver except for two things. Firstly, everyone there will love Star Wars. There is something about being surrounded by people who adore the same fandom you do. It infects the air, and becomes a sea of in-jokes, fun, and the occasional squabble over canon. But generally, single fandom groups tend to have an excitement about them that can’t be matched by big everything-under-the-sun cons. Secondly, it is going to be a weekend full of fun. Lightsabers everywhere, Stormtroopers ahoy. I’m looking forward to it already.

If you’re going to Celebration with me, have a wonderful time. If you’re not, tickets are out for next year’s already!
~ eliste

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