After a three-year hiatus, Return of the Garrison is back at the National Space Centre as they host a charity weekend celebrating all things Star Wars.
Blast a Rebel, join the Lightsaber Academy, Meet the Droids and much much more. Return of the Garrison has been run at the Space Centre since 2005, where the event saw over 3,000 fans and families revel in the Force-filled fun for a single day.
In 2006 the event grew to a two-day festival, with special guests Dave Prowse (Darth Vader), Kenny Baker (R2-D2) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) from the original movies join visitors from across the UK and Europe.
This year the weekend is focused on the planets from the movies and those that we can see in the night sky here on Earth.
Visitors can sit back in the UK’s largest planetarium to see planet tours, take part in special guest Q&A sessions, and even discover how the Force could fix the world!
The Centre will also be filled with legions of Stormtroopers, Droids, Rebels and Jedi, as the team are joined by official costuming groups to raise money for Little People UK, the charity Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok) is patron for.
Warwick will also be joining the characters participating in the event, as he drops in to chat with visitors and sign autographs on Saturday 17 September.Joining Warwick will be a whole host of the team from Coalville based Palitoy, who were responsible for creating some of the most iconic Star Wars toys from our childhood.Malika Andress, spokesperson for the National Space Centre, said; “It is great to tell a Leicestershire story for such a world famous and iconic franchise. I saw the first Star Wars film when I was 5 years old, and it captured my imagination, I truly believed in the Force. I see children coming along to Return of the Garrison and I see that wonderment in the next generation, introduced to them by equally excited and enthusiastic parents and grandparents. Star Wars is there for children, families and adults, the icing on the cake is that on this occasion we are using the power of the Dark Side to raise money for charity, just don’t tell Darth Vader!”
Attendees can also meet Star Wars artists and designers who were responsible for Porgs and BB-8, among many other creations. There is an opportunity to help build a huge diorama, make planet jewellery, learn to wield a lightsaber, see replica sets, sit on a speeder bike, and find the droids they were looking for.
This event isn’t included in Space Centre annual passes and tickets are essential for entry. Find more info on the following link and select “Book Now” at the top of the page for tickets – https://spacecentre.co.uk/event/return-of-the-garrison/ (select 17th or 18th September).