Force is strong at area Star Wars premiere

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- At a movie theater far, far… okay, Hamburg isn’t that far but people traveled great lengths to celebrate the latest in the Star Wars series.

Folks only expecting to see the film, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” got a little more when they arrived at Regal Cinemas in Hamburg, Thursday evening. An area chapter of an international group of fans took over the outside of the theater, offering fans an experience to get up-close and personal with them, in costume.

For one young jedi, the experience was a first. “Kind of scary but really, really neat,” he describes.

And for those take the “dark side”, once you got to know them, they really weren’t “dark” at all. The group, called the 501st Legion, stretches multiple continents. Closer to home, the Mid-South Garrison represents those costume-clad fans in Kentucky and Tennessee. Even closer to home, The Blue Sun Squad rounds up fans in Central Kentucky for events like these.

“We were at that age, it was exciting for us to see the guys in suits and think, that’s what I want to do,” says one squad member. “It takes a lot of time and money and effort to put these costumes together so we really like to get together when we can and just be around like-minded people and have fun and be kids for awhile.”

For more information on the 501st Legion, click here. The Blue Sun Squad also has a website. You can check it out at www.bluesunsquad.com.