How Denver Became the Center of the Star Wars Universe

In May 1999, anticipation for Star Wars: Episode I bordered on hysteria. After 16 years, the galaxy was expanding again, and the countdown to the long-awaited return of Jedi Knights and Sith Lords had begun. “It was probably the most important time in Star Wars history,” says Dan Madsen, founder of the official Star Wars Fan Club. “For one weekend, Denver was the center of the Star Wars universe.”

Thanks in large part to the Aurora native’s influence, the Mile High City hosted the first Star Wars Celebration at the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum that month. A 100-year rainstorm turned the venue into a muddy proving ground, but more than 30,000 fans showed up anyway, sloshing between tents at what prequel co-producer Rick McCallum later dubbed “the Star Wars Woodstock.” George Lucas offered a welcome address (by video), C-3PO’s Anthony Daniels emceed in a protocol-droid-gold jacket, and a jabbering R2-D2 buzzed around for photo ops. An X-wing like the one Luke Skywalker piloted against the Death Star stood on display. Most tantalizing of all: Attendees were the first fans to get a glimpse of footage from The Phantom Menace.

The Star Wars Celebration has since migrated to bigger stages such as Chicago and London, often aligning with new releases and milestone anniversaries. The next gathering, slated for 2027 in Los Angeles, will mark 50 years for the franchise. Which raises a question for Colorado’s Jedi faithful: In an off-year, how do you properly observe Star Wars Day? Around Denver, the Force still finds a way.

1. See Return of the Jedi with the Colorado Symphony.

• Where: Boettcher Concert Hall
• When: May 22–24, 2026

Watch Luke Skywalker work through his newfound daddy issues on the big screen while the Colorado Symphony performs John Williams’ score for Return of the Jedi live. (Prefer Yoda schooling a young Skywalker? The Empire Strikes Back and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic take over Colorado Springs’ Pikes Peak Center on May 8 and 9.)

2. Experience Space Odyssey at Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

• Where: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
• When: Anytime

Curious what riding in the front seat of Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon feels like? Get a taste when you wander the museum’s Sensory Spacewalk, where 11,000 “stars” usher you into its Space Odyssey exhibit.

3. See an X-wing at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum.

• Where: Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
• When: Anytime

The ’99 celebration’s three-quarter-scale X-wing remains at the museum, on loan from Lucasfilm. Look for R2-D2 in the cockpit and the autographs of Han Solo’s Harrison Ford and dozens of other cast and crew members scrawled on the starfighter’s fuselage.

4. Explore Star Wars memorabilia at History Colorado Center.

• Where: History Colorado Center
• When: May 1–31, 2026

In its heyday between 1987 and 2000, Madsen’s Star Wars Fan Club moved roughly $20 million in merch annually—much of it stored in six warehouses east of Denver. Among its bestsellers were lip-balm-size action figures like the Chewbacca that, in honor of May the Fourth, the museum will include in its Zoom In exhibition, a collection of artifacts that capture Colorado’s history.

5. Celebrate Star Wars Night at a Colorado Rockies game.

• Where: Coors Field
• When: August 22, 2026

The Rockies get a boost from the Force during the team’s 12th annual Star Wars Night, when attendees can join a pregame parade on the field. Dress in costume and you might be the lucky fan picked to fire the first pitch.

Read More: How These Coloradans Brought the Star Wars Universe a Little Closer to Home