Page 52 - Star Wars Insider #188

SURVIVINGCELEBRATION
food, museums and entertainment,”
Franklin says. “So if you have set
aside some days to explore, either
before or after Celebration, be sure
you’re prepared!”
Judge me by my size,
do you?
Although Franklin’s job is to make
sure the entire Celebration show
goes without a hitch, some of her
favorite parts are the quieter, fan-
produced segments. “The smaller
stages, the interactive areas, and the
costume, or simply marvel
experiences hosted by fans can be
the most special and memorable
events of the weekend,” she says.
“Look for activities where you can
get involved—there are lots of
them: The Bounty Hunt, Droid
Races, Diorama Building, classes
“The fans are why Star Wars
is what it is today, and no
matter how much I know
that going in, I always leave
surprised in some way. I’ve
made so many friends
at Celebration.”
Andi Gutierrez
Whether you come in
at costumers’ ingenuity,
Celebration is the perfect
place to get a taste of
Star Wars cosplay.
in the Star Wars University, trivia
competitions, and live game shows.
The list is endless, and they refl ect
Lucasfilm’s care that Celebration
is created by fans, for fans. It’s an
authentic festival the community
can enjoy together.”
Despite her role as the woman
behind the curtain, the fans still
manage to surprise Franklin. “One
of my very favorite fan-run activities
is the ‘Running of the Hoods,’”
she says of a tradition to celebrate
the Cloud City character who
spends just a few brief moments
sprinting across screen in Star
Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
(1980). “You never know when it
will happen, because they keep it a
secret, but suddenly one day during
Celebration, dozens and dozens
of orange-clad, ice cream maker-
carrying Willrow Hood cosplayers
will come running past,” Franklin
says. “The Hoods photobomb, chant
‘Ice Cream,’ and celebrate a spirit of
inclusiveness.” One year, Franklin
even got in on the fun. “They gave
me a mustache and allowed me
to run with them for a little bit at
Celebration Anaheim in 2015. That
remains one of the highlights of my
Celebration career,” she says.
Andi Gutierrez experienced her
first Celebration from the stage at
The Star Wars Show LIVE! the same
year. “I was terrified,” she says. “I
had never done any live hosting
before, so I was convinced I was
going to crash and burn and be a
total wreck. But, once I got there, it
was a totally different experience.”
The show was still new, so Gutierrez
spent her free time walking the
floor and experiencing the event
as a regular fan. “I had honestly
gone into it thinking that it wasn’t
possible for me to love Star Wars
more than I did, but I left with so
much more than I ever imagined.
Each Celebration since has been
like recharging my battery; any
frustrations or gripes just get put
aside because you’re there with
thousands of other people with the
same purpose, and it’s so special.”
These days, long stretches of
livestreaming mean Gutierrez
doesn’t get to sit in the audience
for most of the panels and events,
but luckily the show comes to her,
making for special surprise moments
and unscripted interactions. “Most
of my favorite moments from the
stage are when I know something
before the crowd does, and we
finally get to let them in on it.
Seeing people love Star Wars is the
best part of my job,” she shares.
At Celebration London, The Star
Wars Show team schemed to
surprise Gutierrez with her all-time
favorite Celebration moment—an
unexpected interview with Carrie