I am not a part of the tribe.
I have worked on every Star Wars Celebration since Celebration II, but no matter, I am not a member of the elite echelon of fans who traveled to Star Wars Celebration I in Colorado back in 1999. Not able to claim I had anything to do with the show at all, I do not possess even a nostalgic attendance badge.
At that time, before starting at Lucasfilm in 2001, I lived in rural Alaska, in a town with no roads into it from the outside world, and certainly no movie theater. As spring of 1999 drew near, budget dictated I choose between traveling to Las Vegas to meet my dear friends the Star Ladies and see Episode I with them, or traveling to Denver to attend the newly-minted Celebration festival.
I chose my girlfriends and the movie screenings — the trip was memorable and great fun — but subsequently I missed what has since been affectionately nicknamed the Woodstock of the Star Wars world.
It Never Rains But It Pours…
“It’s almost time for Episode I The Phantom Menace. Let’s throw a little party for Star Wars fans.”
One can imagine the words uttered in the halls of Lucasfilm, and in the corridors of the Official Star Wars Fan Club, then run by Dan Madsen of Colorado. Madsen wanted to bring fans together to celebrate the coming release of Episode I, and anticipation for the movie was at a fever pitch.
The movie might have been the most anticipated release of that time, but no one knew how many fans would travel to the Rocky Mountains in the western United States to celebrate together for three days. The Fan Club and Lucasfilm selected the Wings Over the Rockies Museum outside Denver, which featured old airplane hangars and lots of space.
What they believed would be lots of space…
It’s unknown for certain how many fans were there for those three days in May, but what is certain is that the number far exceeded expectations.
What also exceeded expectations, even more than the number of fans, was the deluge of rain.
Photo by Rhonda Brown
The long, damp line winds through the parking lot at Celebration I. (Jon Leopold)
Some called them the 50-Year Rains. Showers soaked the long lines of fans waiting to get in to the attractions. Rain dripped through the old hangers onto the exhibits and art displays, and licensees and artists alike scrambled to protect their wares. Fans shivered outside in the mud. It is reported that food, shelter, and port-a-potties were in short supply.
But the fans loved it.
“The convention set up was a little different since it was outdoors in tents,” says Rhonda Brown. “It had more of a State Fair-type feel to it but we adapted and found our way around. Although the weather during the convention was terribly dreary, cold and wet, the enthusiasm of everyone at the convention was far from it.
“It was especially fun to see Jake Lloyd playing with LEGO Star Wars toys,” Brown continues. “Jake was not yet as recognizable since the film hadn’t been released yet so my friend and I would chuckle when we saw him moving through the crowds. Jake would then walk up to someone with a Darth Vader shirt on and say ‘Darth Vader is cool.’”
'One of my favorite memories from Star Wars Celebration I was seeing all of the different fans in costume,' recalls Brown. 'Although I am a member of the 501st Legion now, I hadn't heard of them back then.' (Photo by Rhonda Brown)
Years later, in the ranks of fans who travel to all the Celebrations worldwide, those who were at Celebration I share a special camaraderie, and carry their shared experience with a sense of pride. Other fans look up to them, and maybe secretly wish they could say that they were at Celebration I in the mud that May.
“Sure, there may have been long lines and bad weather, but that didn’t keep us from having a wonderful time,” concludes Brown. “We met a ton of new friends in those long lines. I haven’t missed a Star Wars Celebration since then and I don’t plan on ever missing one. It is truly one of the best fan experiences around.”
Tags: Celebration I, Denver, star wars
Thank you for bringing back some great memories, Mary. Even though I was only 10 years old at the time, my memories of Celebration I are some of the best Star Wars memories that I have. Although the venues of subsequent Celebrations have improved, the celebrity guest lists have grown, and attendance has exploded, I still consider Celebration I my favorite Celebration.
Great post Mary! I’m in the same boat as you, I missed CI because of a choir concert my senior year of college. I’ve been to all of the U.S. celebrations starting with CII and have had an amazing time meeting other fans from around the world. I’ve heard many fans talk about the first celebration and while it did sound grueling it also was a real bonding experience (yes, I’m one of those people that secretly wishes they were there). Keep up the great work.
Can’t wait for CVII!
Hi Mary,
I had the pleasure of meeting you in Toronto in 2011 with my R2. You provided some batteries when R2 was drained.
I wasn’t able to be at C1 either but let me say that I’m certain you ‘get’ Star Wars and you understand the fans. For that, you have been and always will be ‘Part of the Tribe’. If that seems Star Trekish, it’s definitely coincidental.
Gary.
I was there and had an awesome time!
We reall should’ve gotten achievement badges each time we succeeded in making it through a line to get into something. You had to really work to figure out where you went to do which things.
And I have never before in my life gotten so wet in the rain that I was soaked literally to the skin.
But it was SO worth it! I’d never been around such a large group of fellow fans all in one place. You always had someone to talk to about something. You got to see the celebrities and, in some cases, interact with them.
It was an awesome party! (But I’m still looking for someone to issue a medal for surviving it.)
I read an article about Celebration I in Entertainment Weekly, put it down and said to my family “We are going there if they ever do this again!” Celebration II was on the weekend of my son’s First Communion and I was his Religious Education Teacher. But we have been to every Celebration in the U.S. since! WE love them!
STAR WARS IS FOREVER
cant wait till next years
The real star wars convention is where it first started… Comic Con!
That was indeed a wet one. I was there with my two daughters. The funniest incident I can recall was the morning the three of us shared a limo with Ray Park. The day before, we had been seated up with the VIPs close to the stage when Ray came out in full Darth Maul regalia to be introduced to the crowd for the first time. VERY powerful, music, martial arts, the piercing look and all. My youngest aged eight turned to me and said with a dash of real fear, “Daddy, this is very scarry.” Well, next morn we are there chatting with Ray (this time as Ray Park) at the hotel standing around waiting for the limo, and I start saying to the girls, “Hey, isn’t Ray a nice young man?” They had no clue who he was. After the third or fourth time, one of them comes back with the old “Dad, why are you being such a jerk?” line. When I finally told them who he played, they were completely baffled. Ray smiled, continued chatting them up and very coolly shook their hands. Epic!
I have the dubious honor of hearing Anthony Daniels go on a cursing rant because fans were having to stand out in the rain waiting on space in the tents. Since it’s been so long, I’ll share this little dark secret. The event was offering t shirts and lanyards to volunteers which had the logo on the front and the word “STAFF” on the back. We grabbed the gear and although we did help out, more often than not, we used our ill gotten garb to procure first seating in the show tents where the stars of the movies were being interviewed. We had a great time and I still have the lanyard badges that we swapped and traded for over the weekend. On the last day, I bumped into Anthony Daniels and just so happened to have my SW Encyclopedia in hand…across the picture for the C-3P0 entry, Mr. Daniels signed my book. The commemorative poster from the event is now hanging in my man cave.