New Hope has the Star Wars Day celebrations you’re looking for

Master Yoda once said, “Do or do not, there is no try,” so when I decided to cover Star Wars Day weekend this year in New Hope — the Bucks County borough that shares its name with a Star Wars film — I knew I had to do it in costume.

I didn’t think my Princess Leia sweatshirt with buns on either side of the hood would cut it, so I spent $40 on a simple version of Leia’s white robe costume from Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. Don’t ask about the buns, I tried, but I couldn’t figure out what Jedi mind tricks hair and makeup used to keep those babies on Carrie Fisher’s head.

My husband, who’s also a big Star Wars fan, came with me, but I couldn’t convince him to dress up. He did agree to wear a backpack he got for Christmas one year that’s a plushie of Darth Vader, but he refused to wear it in front on his chest like it was a BabyBjörn (boo!).

New Hope’s Star Wars celebration — which takes place around the weekend closest to Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you) — is still in its early phases. It started in 2023, when members of the Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce made the brilliant connection between their town’s name and the film franchise.

“It was definitely sparked by the name. The town’s named New Hope, the first movie is A New Hope, and we thought we should do something with it and Star Wars Day,” said chamber president Michael Sklar.

The town’s celebration, which ran from Friday to Monday this year, is still pretty homespun. There’s special Star Wars-themed menu items at various restaurants, businesses offer discounts and small freebies to those in costume or those who say “May the force be with you,” and for two hours on Sunday, Stormtroopers with the Garrison Carida contingent of the 501st Legion, a Star Wars costuming organization sanctioned by Lucasfilm, descended upon New Hope like it was Tatooine.

I timed our visit to coincide with the Stormtroopers’ appearance, thinking that’s when most fans would be in town, but as we drove through New Hope on our way to park, I started to get Admiral Ackbar “It’s a trap!”-level nervous because I didn’t see anyone else in costume.

At this point, though, I was committed.

As we neared closer, I started to see fellow members of the Rebel Alliance, but also the evil forces with the Galactic Empire. The Corey family of Mount Ephraim was the rare group that included both. Mom Melissa was Princess Leia, dad Andrew was Darth Vader, Isaiah, 6, was the Mandalorian, and 3-year-old Kara was the cutest “Baby Yoda.”

“These were our Halloween costumes,” Melissa Corey told me.

As we spoke, one of the Stormtroopers with the Garrison Carida came up and put bunny ears behind his boss, like he was looking for a force choke.

Who were these Stormtroopers and what was their mission today? I decided to ask a group — who all identified themselves by a series of letters and numbers.

“We’re looking for a particular princess,” TK15028 told me.

I looked down at my outfit.

“Hopefully her name is Padmé,” I said, unintentionally throwing my mother under the AT-AT.

Seeking protection, I approached 8-year-old Jakson Billy of Washington Township, who was dressed as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (like Cassian Andor, I have friends everywhere). He was armed with a light saber and sported a Padawan braid. Billy told me he loves Obi-Wan because “he does do awesome stuff.”

And as for Star Wars Day in New Hope, “It’s pretty cool,” Billy declared.

New Hope itself is pretty cool, with its artsy vibe, wonderful array of quirky shops, and its placement along the banks of the Delaware River. Two years ago, Travel + Leisure named it one of the 10 best small towns in the country. At that time, I described New Hope as reaching levels of adorableness typically only obtained by puppies frolicking in a field of flowers or a baby playing in a basket of clean laundry.

I loved popping into New Hope’s shops seeking the special Star Wars Day weekend discounts and gifts. At Goody Bag and Basket Co., they were offering 50% off Star Wars Pez dispensers, so I got a Grogu one and my husband got two of Boba Fett (one to open, and one to save that will hopefully fuel our retirement one day).

At 4 the Love of Thingz, owner Tracy Dobson was giving away little light sabers to kids and packs of Star Wars stickers to everyone, some of which contained a special secret sticker that won you a free hat. I was tempted by the Dark Side to buy one of the new “Darth Vladar” Flyers shirts she had in stock, but as a member of the Resistance, I held back.

“This is such a great town and doing things like this makes it fun for the whole family,” Dobson said.

By noon, Main Street was bustling with people and pups in Star Wars costumes. I saw a tiny dog named Romeo dressed as Yoda and a big one named Wedge dressed as a TIE fighter. I met people who came from right over the bridge in New Jersey and those who drove hours from the Poconos to be there in costume.

I asked Erik Leone of East Stroudsburg — a member of the Saber Guild Telos Temple, a saber choreography group based in Emmaus — what he thought Star Wars brings to people and why it brought us all together that day.

“It brings us a chance to believe in a mythos again,” he said. “I think that fills a hole for some people.”

For me, just like being a Philly sports fan, being a Star Wars fan makes me feel like a part of something bigger than myself. We tend to be nerdy, yes, but we also tend to be dreamers who hope for a better world — and a little bit of magic — while being acutely aware that no place is without its dark side.

Before leaving, my husband and I grabbed lunch at the Greenhouse, where I ordered the Grogu martini, a green drink with lime wedges on either side of the glass to resemble Grogu’s ears and a toothpick with two blueberries balanced atop to resemble his eyes. I also ordered the Grogu deviled eggs, which came with a snap pea underneath the filling (for ears) and two capers on top for eyes.

Overall, it was a wonderful day and I hope to see the celebration grow in the future. It could use a main event, like a costume parade or a light saber battle on the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge, but even without that, it’s a reminder of the power stories have to bring people together.

As we were walking back to our car, a father dressed in an orange Skywalker jersey holding a little girl came up and told me his daughter wanted to meet Princess Leia. I was touched but also unprepared. I’ve never cosplayed before and didn’t know what to do. I just tried to make the little girl feel special, like she made me feel in that moment. I’d like to think it’s what Carrie Fisher would have wanted me to do.