Kids dressed up as Star Wars characters show a parent the true power of the Force Saturday afternoon at the Manhattan Public Library. The library hosted “Star Wars Reads Day.” (Staff photos by Brady Bauman)
Star Wars fanatics of all ages participated in the Manhattan Library’s “Star Wars Reads Day” early Saturday afternoon.
Fans of the films dressed as their favorite characters and participated in crafts and activities including Star Wars Trivia, a Yoda ears creation station, and selfie photo booths with costumed characters. And a Yoda impersonation contest, there was.
Other events included a Star Wars Spoofs screening showing various parody productions of the films and towards the end of the afternoon, there was a screening of the movie itself.
Matthew Scholten poses with an R2-D2-dressed Star Wars fan Saturday afternoon at the Manhattan Public Library. Scholten was dressed as an Imperial Scout Trooper and is a member of the 501st Legion, an organization of Star Wars fans who dress up for charity events and raise money for children’s hospitals. Scholten is also a soldier stationed at Fort Riley.
Manhattan Public Library Assistant Director John Pecoraro said there’s still plenty of buzz about the franchise every since it began in 1977. And with the latest installment of the series hitting the theaters this December, there’s even greater thirst for that galaxy far, far away.
“We thought really needed to do it this year with the new movie coming,” he said. “We thought it would be pretty popular.”
Pecoraro said it’s the third year the library has participated in “Star Wars Reads Day” and that it’s a good way for kids to get excited about reading.
“The idea is to encourage kids and families to read together while enjoying Star Wars,” he said. “And there’s so much printed material of Star Wars it’s amazing. There is plenty of books and graphic novels. You name it, we’ve got it.”
Star Wars Reads Day was started in 2012 by Lucasfilm and its publishing partners as a way to highlight the vast number of books written about Star Wars, its characters, and its universe.
Last year, there were over 2,000 schools, bookstores, and libraries that marked the day with read-a-thons, movie showings, and creative activities that feature the beloved sci-fi series and its characters.
Crafts, they are constructing. Kids put together Yoda ears Saturday afternoon at the Manhattan Public Library for “Star Wars Reads Day.”
