If you're looking to finally get that Rebel Alliance insignia tattoo, find that special someone who knows all the words to "Yub Nub," and/or see a Navajo-language version of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, well, you're in luck. Star Wars Celebration 2015 in Anaheim (April 16-19) will feature an official Star Wars Tattoo Pavilion, speed dating, and a screening of the first Star Wars film dubbed in Navajo. Check out the full details below!
Get your ink on in the Star Wars Tattoo Pavilion at Celebration
At the Star Wars Tattoo pavilion at Celebration Anaheim, some of the best tattoo artists in the world will perform their craft live at the show, all weekend long. Sign up in advance for an appointment with the artists, or stop by the pavilion to book your time for the ultimate Star Wars souvenir! Whether you already have a Star Wars tattoo, or get a new one at the show, you can sign up for the Star Wars Celebration Tattoo Competition, scheduled for Sunday, April 19.
Body art enthusiasts and Star Wars fans will find the long-anticipated sequel to The Force in The Flesh book by Shane Turgeon in the Celebration Tattoo Pavilion, as well as limited-edition Star Wars Ink Fusion tattoo T-shirts. There will be free giveaway items every day of the show, as well as surprise special guests.
To reserve a tattoo appointment at Celebration in advance of the show, look for the list of artists to be posted soon on www.starwarscelebration.com. Many will have links to their websites, where you will be able to book an appointment.
Tattooed fans interested in participating in the Star Wars Tattoo Competition at Celebration must pre-register for the event at the Force in the Flesh booth in the Tattoo Pavilion during Celebration Exhibit Hall hours. Registrants may enter in one of five categories: small/medium color, large color, small/medium black and grey, large black and grey and tattoo of the weekend! A panel of special celebrity judges will be on hand to determine the best and present the winners with exclusive awards created especially for this event.
The Star Wars Tattoo Pavilion at Celebration is organized and hosted by Marc Draven and Shane Turgeon. Draven is a professional tattoo artist from Florida, who has been tattooing for more than 20 years. Ten years ago he created Ink Fusion, where the “worlds of tattooing and pop culture collide.”
Turgeon is a business owner, event promoter, writer, appraiser, and collector of tattoos, toys, and art. Contrary to popular belief, he is not a tattoo artist. Turgeon is based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he owns Shades of Grey, a tattoo, toy, and comic book shop and where he co-founded and operates the Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo. In 2007 Shane published The Force in the Flesh, a coffee table book dedicated to Star Wars tattoos. Turgeon organized the very first Star Wars tattoo show at Star Wars Celebration III in 2005, and has been a vital part of the fan experience at Celebrations ever since. He will once again be producing the Star Wars Tattoo Competition on Sunday.
Nerd Nite Speed Dating: Star Wars Celebration Edition
The smart-yet-fun folks of Nerd Nite are bringing Speed Dating back to Star Wars Celebration! Register online for one of our special Celebration sessions of 20 three-minute dates. You’ll no longer have to look for love in a galaxy far far away. Choose from one of five hetero speed dating sessions or one for LGBT. If the Rebels can blow up the Death Star in eleven minutes, let’s see if you can make a love connection in only three.
There’s a history of successful Speed Dating at Star Wars Celebrations, with long-term couples, engagements and marriages now among the alumni. Sign up and see what might be in store for you.
Celebration Speed Dating Schedule, Room 212B (subject to change):
- Thursday, April 16: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Hetero)
- Friday, April 17: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Hetero)
- Friday, April 17: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Hetero)
- Saturday, April 18: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Hetero)
- Saturday, April 18: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (LGBT)
- Saturday, April 18: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Hetero)
The fine print: Advanced online registration is required (walk-ups will be based on availability). Costumes welcome. Must be 18 years of age or older.
Rare Navajo Screening of Star Wars: A New Hope at Celebration
Star Wars: A New Hope was the first mainstream movie to be dubbed into the Navajo language, and fans at Celebration can see a behind-the-scenes documentary on how that came to be, created especially for the event.
Following the never-before-seen documentary footage, and a Q&A session with key players from the Navajo Nation and the film industry, Star Wars: A New Hope will be screened in the Navajo dub -- a treat for Star Wars movie fans, and fans of languages, and of course for anyone who speaks Navajo!
Presenting the documentary and available to answer questions before the screening will be Manuelito Wheeler, Shana Priesz, and Michael Kohn.
Stay tuned to StarWars.com for more on Star Wars Celebration 2015!
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