Today is May 4th, and the Force is still strong across the District!
Darth Vader Grotesque At Washington National Cathedral
The most iconic Star Wars artifact in DC sits hidden in plain sight at the Washington National Cathedral (map location). Sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter and carver Patrick J. Plunkett added a Darth Vader grotesque to the northwest tower in the 1980s, designed to deflect rainwater rather than drain it. Bring binoculars because Lord Vader is perched high overhead. While craning your neck, also locate the Cathedral’s Space Window, which contains a 7.18-gram piece of lunar rock from the Apollo 11 mission!
Star Wars Treasures At The Smithsonian
Across the Mall, two Smithsonian institutions house screen-used props worth a pilgrimage. The National Air and Space Museum displays the full-sized T-70 X-Wing Starfighter flown by Poe Dameron in The Rise of Skywalker, suspended outside the Albert Einstein Planetarium. Meanwhile, the National Museum of American History showcases the actual C-3PO and R2-D2 costumes inside its Entertainment Nation exhibit, complete with authentic scuffs and filming-day duct tape. Out in Chantilly, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center houses a Boeing CV2 Cargo Air Vehicle mounted with X-wing body shells.
Sith Happens Pop-Up At Lola’s On Barracks Row
Although the Barracks Row Star Wars Weekend festivities have wrapped, the hospitality side keeps going! Lola’s A Neighborhood Bar is running its “Sith Happens” Star Wars pop-up through May 12th, with galactic cocktails, themed décor, photo ops, and DJ sets. Costumes are encouraged, and the vibe is 21+.
Star Wars Saga Screenings And Orioles Star Wars Night
The AFI Silver Theatre is running The Star Wars Saga through Thursday, May 7th, with The Empire Strikes Back at 1:30pm and Return of the Jedi at 4:00pm today. Missed the Nationals Star Wars game on May 2nd? The Baltimore Orioles host their Star Wars Night on May 29th at Camden Yards, just a MARC ride away.
The Washington Lobbyist celebrates the moments that make DC genuinely fun, from gargoyles to galaxies far, far away. Subscribe, share this guide, and tag us in your May the Fourth photos!
