Saturday 31st January saw the return of a relatively new event here in the UK – Festival of the Force. I’d never attended one of these before, and with a rare free Saturday in the calendar, I decided it was time to head over.
The event was held at Newark Showground meaning that there was ample parking which is always a stress saver. The first thing I noted was the number of families who were there which is always fantastic to see. Younglings were dressed up and some brilliant cosplayers were making their way to the entrance.
It didn’t take long at all to get into the event and once in, we were greeted with a Star Wars feast.
The team have clearly taken the time to try and cover all aspects of fandom and the different interests that people may hold. On the right as you walked in was the stage area where Star Wars alumni would be interviewed (by Fantha Tracks’ Mark Newbold no less*). Having panels and talks is a significant move for any event and a most welcome one. It means we, as an audience, get see some of our favourite stars and behind-the-scenes persons speak about the thing we love most but also, and crucially, allows punters to plan ahead and take a seat and take a load off. Conventions can be tiring work so knowing there’s a place to rest those weary feet and be entertained at the same time…priceless!
In terms of the guests who were signing and talking, the team had done a good job to cover all areas of the saga. Jack Klaff and Garrick Hagon were on hand from A New Hope, Jamie Glover from various video games was there and from Andor was Robert Emms. As always, these autographs were well and priced meaning that fans of all ages could get that special memento that they were after.
There was a good amount of stalls on offer too with a mixture of vintage, modern and hand-made collectables. It was busy at the event and the stalls were popular but once I was in I was able to find a couple of great bargains. The find of the day for me was a Gentle Giant The Empire Strikes Back Luke Bespin bust for £30. £30! I couldn’t believe it. You’ll be right when thinking that I snapped that one straight up! There was also a lovely couple selling a lot of Star Wars books and, thanks to them, I was able to go in and backfill some of the novels I’ve been missing from my collection.
There were some brilliant displays and props on show for lovely photo opportunities. Stuff like this is not only brilliant for the kids but for the big kids too. Who doesn’t get excited when seeing a life-size Snowspeeder or droids that we can interact with. It brings the child out in all of us and the world is better place for it.
There was also a lightsaber school on offer for the younglings which is brilliant to see as it gets a new generation’s passion ignited as we move into a new era of Star Wars.
There were many happy faces throughout the day and I can only see this event going from strength to strength. They have all the right ingredients and, most of all, they have a lot on offer for the best aspect of Star Wars fandom – the families!
*Stay tuned to Fantha Tracks Radio as all panels are coming to Making Tracks soon.
