Humboldt, Del Norte counties host Forest Moon Festival to mark 40th anniversary of ‘Return of the Jedi’

Four decades after they were used in the 1983 blockbuster “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” the forests of Humboldt and Del Norte counties will once again play host to storm troopers, Ewoks and Jedis during the inaugural Forest Moon Festival, June 2-3.

Organized by the Humboldt Del Norte Film Commission, the event marks the 40th anniversary of the third film in the “Star Wars” franchise, which prominently featured the region’s redwoods as the forest moon of Endor, the final battleground between the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire.

The commission is planning on a multicounty event featuring screenings of the film and other to-be-announced activities along with Lucasfilm-approved costumers, it said on its website this week.

The idea of the festival dates back a decade, according to the commission.

“We were trying to expand our film tourism strategy since film tourism can boost local economies more than actual filming at times," film commissioner Cassandra Hesseltine wrote in a statement.

The commission began planning the festival in 2019, but was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, organizers are ready to welcome attendees to the area, and are accepting submissions from local businesses interested in participating in pop-up events.

For more information on the event, including a map and schedule of events to be released later, go to forestmoonfestival.org.