To celebrate 20 years of fans gathering to celebrate the saga, StarWars.com is pleased to announce a special display coming to Star Wars Celebration Chicago!
Rancho Obi-Wan, home of the Guinness World Record largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia, will have its biggest booth yet during this year’s event, with a showcase that acts as a historical time capsule for Celebrations through the years. “We’ll be marking 20 years of Celebration itself with a look at the past 12 events to show how the motto ‘By the fans, for the fans’ has stood the test of time,” says Steve Sansweet, Rancho chairman.
From humble beginnings in Denver, Colorado in 1999 to today, each Celebration has included unique badge art and other offerings, says Sansweet. “I love the badges because there were different artists and different styles,” he adds. “The badge sets have become very collectible, but they also tell something about the style of art at the time.”
The display will also include a section dedicated to fan-made pins, patches, and other swag that’s been traded and gifted over the years, an essential part of the camaraderie at each Celebration. “That’s always been a highlight for me,” Sansweet says.
Another part of the Rancho exhibit will look at fandom from a female perspective, while a third section pays homage to the saga’s many iconic characters who exist behind a mask or helmet. The Helmets of the Saga display include some that look like they just came from battle, artist interpretations of Vader’s unmistakable helmet, artistic recreations of stormtrooper buckets, and even a screen-used prop — Darth Vader’s mask and helmet from Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars Celebration Chicago will take place April 11-15 at McCormick Place. Visit StarWarsCelebration.com for tickets and more info!
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