Though the official start of summer is still seems a few weeks off, the Battery Park City Authority kicked off the start of its summer programming last week with a free screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Rockefeller Park.
More than 500 Star Wars enthusiasts gathered in the park as dusk approached on Thursday, May 4, wielding lightsabers and clad in Star Wars gear from head to toe — with everyone from Boba Fett to Kylo Ren to young Jedi Apprentices joining in on the fun.
The event began just after 8pm with an introduction from BPCA President and Chief Operating Officer Shari Hyman, who celebrated the start of BPC’s Summer Parks Programming season and thanked the organizers of the event.
Then, just before the movie began, guests were treated to a surprise performance by the Empire Saber Guild, a volunteer organization specializing in lightsaber stage choreography. The performers put on a full show, telling the tale of a Jedi apprentice that turned to the dark side — with no shortage of lightsaber battle scenes. The glowing red, green and blue sabers lit up Rockefeller Park, and even some young Jedi in the audience showed off their moves.
The Force was strong with the Empire Saber Guild
After the performance, the movie began as a stunning firework display illuminated the sky from across the water in Jersey City — truly a movie with a stunning view.
This screening of Star Wars is just the first of many fun, family-friendly, free events to hit Battery Park City Parks this summer. To see a full list of the events to come, check out Battery Park City Parks’ Summer Programming calendar.
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