“Star Wars” Movie Night: May the 4th Be With You

The force will be with Hernando County residents this weekend as the City of Brooksville Parks and Recreation presents what is being promoted as ‘an intergalactic adventure.’ The May the Fourth Be With You “Star Wars” movie night will happen at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, at Tom Varn Park, 301 Darby Ln., Brooksville.

This showing of “Star Wars: Episode VII–The Force Awakens” is a free event to attend and is planned in celebration of the annual “Star Wars” Day, a national holiday first celebrated in 2011. This holiday honors the universally beloved “Star Wars” franchise created by director George Lucas, which debuted in 1977 and includes nine major motion pictures, comic books, novels, video games, TV shows and cartoons.

“We’re so excited about the first May the Fourth celebration at Tom Varn Park,” said Jordan Metzel, recreation and community programs manager of the City of Brooksville Parks and Recreation. “We hope to make this a yearly event.”

Metzel feels that the family-friendly “Star Wars” franchise is timeless and unifying in its appeal. “People of all ages enjoy ‘Star Wars,’ and the franchise has continued for so many years that every generation has its ‘Star Wars’ movies,” she said. “It means so much to many people, and we’re pleased to offer this celebration.”

“Star Wars: Episode VII–The Force Awakens” was nominated for five Oscars and was the winner of the 2016 Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film and the MTV Movie Award for Movie of the Year.

“Although I would have loved to get the rights to show the original ‘Star Wars,’ I feel that ‘Episode VII–The Force Awakens’ is a great entry in the series,” said Metzel.

As they enjoy this signature “Star Wars” flick, guests will be encouraged to embrace and reveal their inner Jedi.

“We encourage fans to cosplay, dressing as their favorite Star Wars characters and bringing their own Star Wars model spaceships and other merchandise,” said Metzel.

Whether it’s a Millennium Falcon replica or a DIY X-Wing, action figures, costumes or toy lightsabers, guests are encouraged to put forth their best display of Star Wars merch at the May the Fourth Be With You event. When one curious reporter asked if she could rock some vintage Princess Leia doughnut hair at the occasion, she was assured that she could.

Call the City of Brooksville Park and Recreation at (352) 540-3830 or [email protected] to RSVP for this one-of-a-kind celebration. May the fourth be with you!