But people in Dallas-Fort Worth haven't forgotten about the sci-fi franchise that paved the way for summer blockbusters like Guardians, and which will get a new film come Christmas. Do your part as a film fan and celebrate May the Fourth with one of these local Star Wars events.
Downtown Carrollton Celebration
Downtown Carrollton
6 p.m. Thursday
Free
Come on, you can think of a better way to celebrate a Star Wars holiday than by sitting at home in your BB-8 bean bag chair and watching The Force Awakens on Blu-Ray. Put on some pants that don't look like they are part of a pajama ensemble, go outside and be with other people. The city of Carrollton is sponsoring a Star Wars day celebration on their downtown square, complete with all sorts of family-friendly Star Wars activities like costume contests, games and face painting. Aspiring Jedis can also build their own custom lightsabers without going through any kind of background check or waiting period (U-S-A! U-S-A!). The entire evening is capped off with an outdoor screening of The Force Awakens. Admission is free.
Star Wars: Rogue One Night
Painting with a Twist
819 W. Arapaho Road, Richardson
7-9 p.m. Thursday
$35
Do you have the artistic skill of a cargo net full of bricks plummeting to the pavement? Do you at least wish those metaphorical bricks were multicolored so you could claim some kind of accidental inspiration from Jackson Pollock? If you fit in either of those categories and love Star Wars: Rogue One, you can kill two
Geeks Who Drink's Star Wars Quiz
4315 Bryan St.; 110 W. Mulberry St., Denton
8 p.m. Thursday
Free
Are you the kind of fan who obsessively studies every frame of all the Star Wars movies, including the ones that are so bad that they've been known to give some fans retinal cancer? Assemble a team and test your knowledge of George Lucas' reason for living with a pub trivia challenge at one of two locations on May 4 (or both if you've built your own hyperdrive). Both are free to join.
May the 4th Be With You Pub Crawl
Twilite Lounge
2640 Elm St.
8:30 p.m. Thursday
Free
Maybe you're tired of watching the same movies on Star Wars day. Perhaps you just want to hit the bars with fellow fans until you're drunk enough to argue with another human being about whether or not Han Solo could have actually made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs. Some local fans have organized a special pub crawl in Deep Ellum on May the Fourth starting at Deep Ellum's beloved Twilite Lounge and ending at Wit's End when the bartender yells
Jedi Academy
Farmers Branch Manske Library
13613 Webb Chapel Road, Farmers Branch
4 p.m. Thursday
Free
If you've got a young apprentice in your house and you've gone through more fragile home fixtures than a Target before the start of a new college semester, then take him or her to this training academy for future Jedi. The Farmers Branch Manske Library will hold a special clinic for pint-sized Padawans on May 4, featuring tips on building your own lightsabers, special training games that will teach young Jedi how to harness their awesome Force powers and even a clinic on the philosophy of the Jedi movement. It's also free to attend and participate, so there's no need to melt some poor librarian's mind with your mental Force persuasion, which probably goes against the Jedi Code anyway.
Star Wars Weekend
Order 66 Toys
111 S. Chestnut St., McKinney
Thursday-Sunday
The McKinney toy store dedicated to all things Star Wars just can't let a day like May 4 go by without some kind of special celebration. That's why they've extended the celebration to the entire weekend, starting on Thursday, May 4, and running all the way until Sunday, May 7. Order 66 Toys will stage a series of special deals and events at the store for the entire four-day celebration and will also host actor and puppeteer Mike Quinn, best known for starring in Return of the Jedi as Nien Nunb, Lando Calrissian's wingman. Visit the store's official Facebook page for a schedule of events and store hours.
