Parents and their little Padawans are preparing for the seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, with increasing excitement. But what’s a good Jedi to do with all that waiting time? Happily, from chocolate Death Stars to movie marathons to lightsaber lessons, there’s lots going on in Los Angeles to keep little Lukes and Leias occupied until December 18.
photo: courtesy of Faith and Flower Los Angeles
Force Friendly Desserts at Faith and Flower
Who knew the Dark side could be so delicious? The chefs, and Star Wars megafans, at Faith and Flower created an off the menu dessert tray full of Star Wars related treats including a chocolate Death Star bon bon, and frozen block of chocolate carbonite, a white chocolate miniature Millennium Falcon, and more. Parents take caution; the absinthe light saber lollipop is for you alone (but it almost makes the pre-quels watchable!). These treats are available dine in or to go.
Faith and Flower
705 W 9th St.
Downtown LA
Online: faithandflowerla.com
photo: Jamie B. via yelp
Lego Store at the Glendale Galleria
Of course you could drive two hours plus down to Legoland, but closer to home, The Lego Store at the Glendale Galleria is also prepping for the big day. Check out the huge display of all the Lego Star Wars sets including the new (and hard to find,ahem, Santa) Force Awakens sets. But you won’t have to buy anything to partake in the fun. Star Wars theme window displays are going up as you read this, and building demos are in the works for every weekend leading up to the premiere. A quick call to the store on a Friday afternoon will let you know what sets are being demoed and at what time.
2130 Glendale Galleria
Glendale
Online: stores.lego.com
photo: Courtesy of SwordPlay LA
SwordPlay LA Fencing Academy
Do you have a light saber obsessed kiddo on your hands? Enroll them in Sword Play LA’s Jedi Academy where they will learn the basics of fencing along with the art and science of becoming a true Jedi. Prediction: Kids are going to go gaga for new bad guy Kilo Ren’s three-pronged light saber, which should make these classes even more popular. Classes and time vary. And it’s not too soon to start thinking about winter vacation—they have a week long Jedi Camp that is sure to fill up fast.
Sword Play LA
Locations in Burbank and Granada Hills
Online: swordplayla.com
photo: Rui Pereria via flickr
Rebel, Droid and Sith Prints at Grauman’s
Harrison Ford has come a long way since his blaster toting days in the original Star Wars movies. But he’s back and better than ever, reprising his role as the one and only Han Solo. Take the kiddos to check out Han’s footprints at Grauman’s. And don’t forget C3PO and R2D2; their droid prints are there, too. Looming just a few “feet” away are Darth Vader’s boot prints– always keeping a watchful eye on those Rebels. Keep your eyes peeled for Vader, Ren and Storm Troopers, who like to patrol the Walk of Stars, taking pictures with tourists (and local kids who can’t resist).
TCL Chinese Theaters
6925 Hollywood Blvd.HollywoodOnline: tclchinesetheatres.com
photo: Leah Singer
Disneyland—Season of the Force
Season of the Force is the new Star Wars themed interactive experience that promises to keep young Jedi’s entertained until Disneyland’s future Star Wars land opens. Check out the Jedi Training academy show, the new HyperSpace Mountain, Star Tours and the interactive Star Wars launch bay. You can truly get your Star Wars on, right down to choosing your lunch from the Dark or Light Side menus. And don’t forget the BB8 sipper cup! We got every detail on the best ways to go with kids in our inside scoop, which you can read right here.
photo: Mooshu via flickr
Pre-Order Your Tickets at Historic El Captian Theatre
Seeing The Force Awakens is of course the big event, but combine it with a live Light Saber show and a peek at original costumes and props from the movie and you’ve got yourself an out of this galaxy experience. From storm trooper costumes to a working BB8, you’ll feel like you’ve walked right into the movie. And you can pick your seats online, so you can skip out to the potty with the little ones without having to climb over anyone. It’s totally going to happen at least once, since the movie runs for 2 hours and 16 minutes.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the El Captian Theater
December 18 – February 7
6838 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood
Online: ElCapitanTheatre.com
photo: Meghan Rose
A Star Wars Galactic Experience at LA Live
The weekend before the movie opens, you can use the Force to battle your opponents, build a TIE Fighter with LEGO Master Builders, journey through Star Wars history, and much more. Get your young Jedi or mini-Sith Lord dressed up and head over to this celebration of galactic proportions.
December 12 & 13 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
LA Live
800 W. Olympic Blvd.
Downtown
Online: lalive.com
AMC Theater Star Wars Marathon
AMC theaters are running a Star Wars Marathon starting with Episode 1 and ending with a screening of The Force Awakens. Now, we’re talking about 15 solid hours of movies and breaks, so it’s best for the older kids. Although it is possible with younger ones, that’s a lot of screen time and you might want to do the viewing in shifts. Mom and Padawan number 1 go to one show, Dad and Padawan 2 go to the next, and then you can compare favorite parts when you take a break to get ready for the new one. It’s definitely worth if you don’t know your light saber from your land cruiser, and need to get up to speed on all things Jedi.
Locations, showtimes and information online at amctheaters.com
Star Wars fans big and small—what did we miss? Tell us how you’ll be spending your time between now and the premiere of The Force Awakens in the comments below.
—Christina Fiedler
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