Force Friday II: A Star Wars Fan’s Guide

Force Friday II is almost upon us!

What is it? A three day celebration of the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and the entire Star Wars universe, which includes a ton of new release toys, books, clothes, memorabilia, and more. What’s the II about? The first Force Friday took place in 2015 with the premiere of The Force Awakens.

When is it? Force Friday II begins on Friday, September 1 at 12:01 a.m. and lasts all weekend long.

Where are the deals? Online and in stores!

What businesses are participating? Hot Topic, Target, ThinkGeek, HerUniverse.com, Build-A-Bear, Best Buy, BoxLunch.com, Toys R Us, Walmart, Petco, Kohl’s, Hallmark Gold Crown, and many more! Find the complete list here.

And if you’re not doing a happy dance to the Cantina band in your head yet, this video will do the trick.

Thank you, Target, for encouraging us to “Bring Your Rey Game” (& for the awesome Sia soundtrack!).

And not that he was talking specifically about FF II, but Luke Skywalker says it best, “It’s so much bigger!”

Get your phone out, download the Star Wars app, and Find the Force with the Star Wars augmented reality treasure hunt. According to StarWars.com, “The pop-up AR treasure hunt aims to unite fans around the world in the battle against the dark side in a unique three-day event at over 20,000 retail locations across 30 countries.”

How does it work? After downloading the Star Wars app, visit a participating location (there are 20,000 worldwide, so there are bound to be a couple you can visit!), find the Star Wars poster or signage, and scan the Find the Force logo using your app. And then, just like a transporter in action (wait that’s the wrong Star-filled saga), an interactive character or object will appear in the room with you, right on your screen! Having trouble picturing it? Think of Pokémon GO. When you spot a Pokémon out in the wild, it appears on your screen, and if your camera is turned on, it shows your true surroundings with the Pokémon right there with you. So, once the Find the Force logo is scanned and activated, all that’s left is a photo or selfie to share with your friends (or just collect them for bragging rights). Stop by other participating locations to unlock new characters, or revisit the same location each day to access new characters daily.

Try out the app and scan the image below for a sneak peek.

Planning out your entire weekend? StarWars.com offers 8 tips to have a most impressive Force Friday II.

Spotlight on My Favorite Star Wars Fangirls

Love Star Wars and all things #GeekChic? I asked some of my fellow female Star Wars fans (& Instagram friends) how they plan to celebrate the galactic weekend. Make sure to check out their blogs and social accounts, and show them some love! You won’t be disappointed. Saying that they are awesome is an understatement.

Jenmarie

Blog: Anakin and His Angel
Podcast: Co-host of The Force Cult
Follow her on social: Facebook, Twitter (@acrossthestars), Instagram (@anakinandhisangel)

Looking for adorable Star Wars-inspired fashion? Look no further than Jenmarie of Anakin and His Angel. And for her, Force Friday II is a family affair! What is she most looking forward to on FF II? Find out below.

“This is the third year of celebrating the launch of new Star Wars merchandise for the next movie in a big way, and I love everything about it! Each year I get together with my mom and sister and we set out early in the morning to several stores, and we shop until at least the early afternoon. Of course we’re all dressed for the occasion which adds to the fun! I think that is what I’m most looking forward to – being with them and discovering all the new merchandise and exciting new displays. We’re all huge fans and collectors, so it’s a big deal for us. Lots of squealing, laughs, and photos are always involved! This time I will be vlogging as much as I can, so stay tuned for that!”

If you’re into #geekchic fashion, you must visit Jenmarie’s Instagram. Her Star Wars tie-ins for her wardrobe are amazing and effortless. She shares her SW fashion tips below:

“I think one of the easiest ways to incorporate Star Wars into your wardrobe is to pair those items with pieces that you already love and wear often. We have so many more options when it comes to Star Wars apparel these days which makes styling much easier. One of my favorites? Tucking a Star Wars t-shirt into a skirt. And for guys, I’ve been loving the Star Wars Nixon watches for a subtle vibe. You can wear them with anything and there are so many to choose from!”

Photos courtesy of @anakinandhisangel.

Nabi

Blog: One Tiny Dinosaur
Follow her on social: Facebook, Twitter (@nabzilla), Instagram (@onetinydinosaur)

Lover of video games, photography, and all things #geekchic, Nabi has an incredibly fun Instagram (@OneTinyDinosaur) and visual diary on her blog. And of course, one of her preferred fandoms is Star Wars, duh!

How is she planning to celebrate Force Friday II? Nabi will be heading to her favorite geek shop, Box Lunch, to score some Force Friday II deals, scope out the new SW toys (of course!), and check out the new apparel. From Darth Vader masks to galactic dresses, dressing up in Star Wars-style is a no brainer!

Photos courtesy of @OneTinyDinosaur.

Sarah

Contributor to: Eleven-Thirty Eight
Etsy shop: GalacticFlair
Follow her on social: Twitter (@sarahdemp), Instagram (@sarahdemp)

Creator of epic Star Wars pins, contributor to Star Wars blog Eleven-Thirty Eight, and inspiring Star Wars cosplay – Sarah does it all with epic Star Wars style! How will she be spending FF II?

“For Force Friday II, I’m most looking forward to getting the Leia book by Claudia Gray. Leia is one of my favorite characters and I’m so excited whenever I see more content about her. My friends and I are definitely planning to go to Target at midnight to get that book and the Phasma book by Delilah S. Dawson.”

Sarah often celebrates her love of SW with her amazing Star Wars cosplay.

“My favorite costume that I’ve put together was my battle handmaiden Padmé costume. Padmé is one of my top favorite characters of all time and I’ve always wanted to do one of her outfits, but I always thought her wardrobe was too complicated for my skill set. However I was determined to have a Padmé costume for Celebrate Orlando 2017 and worked my butt off to get her outfit ready for the convention. It was a true labor of love and one of my proudest accomplishments.” (Costume pictured below!)

Photos courtesy of @SarahDemp.

JustLikeGilmoreGirls

Follow them on social: Instagram (@justlikegilmoregirls)

This dynamic mother-daughter duo is just like the Gilmore Girls ! (Hence their Insta name.) In honor of Force Friday, they will be going full Lorelai-and-Rory mode and staying up late (hopefully with tons of junk food!) with a movie marathon – Star Wars saga, of course. And at midnight on Friday? They’ll be hitting refresh on the ThinkGeek and Disney Store websites to see what new merchandise is released!

Photos courtesy of @justlikegilmoregirls.

Michelle

Follow her on social: Instagram (@mlj3092)

Lover of flowers, pretty paper, cats, and of course, all things Star Wars. This Force Friday II, Michelle will be shaping young padawan minds in her 5th grade classroom. And after the workday is over, obviously a Star Wars movie marathon is in order!

Photos courtesy of @mlj3092.

From shopping to scavenger hunts, this weekend is sure to be filled with galactic surprises that everyone can enjoy. However you plan to celebrate, May the force Be With You!