Plans for Joliet’s annual Star Wars Day announced

Star Wars Day is June 7, and the Joliet Public Library has announced plans that include 20 merchandise vendors.

The popular and free event will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Slammers Stadium, moved from its usual location outside the library because of downtown construction.

It will still start with the usual parade of Star Wars-costumed characters near the stadium, located on the east edge of downtown at 1 Mayor Art Schultz Drive.

An added touch this year will be Star Wars Night, a promotion hosted by the Slammers for its 6:05 p.m. baseball game the same day.

In addition to merchants, the event will include five Star Wars artists and authors, six food vendors, and six kids’ games.

“This year’s event will bring everything fans have come to love, including over 100 costumed characters, games, photo ops, Artist Alley, Star Wars™ merchandise vendors and food trucks,“ the library said in a news release.

Star Wars artists and authors coming this year are Joe Galvan, Sean Luke, Steve Palenica, Mike Babinski and James Tampa.

This will be the 14th Star Wars Day in Joliet.

Details including vendors, artists, authors and games can be found on the library website at, jolietlibrary.org/star-wars-day.

The parade will start outside the stadium at Jefferson Street and Power Alley, then continue onto Clinton Street before ending outside the stadium’s Entrance Gate 3.

A map of the parade route can be found on the library website, which is jolietlibrary.org.

The website also provides a guide to free parking, which will include Joliet Central High School lots, commuter lots and the downtown parking decks.

The library noted that Star Wars Day is made possible by support from the city of Joliet, Joliet Township government, Friends of the Joliet Public Library, Joliet City Center Partnership, Heritage Corridor Destinations, Old National Bank, D’Arcy Buick GMC and Shales McNutt Construction.