Carrie Fisher: Hundreds of Star Wars Fans Gather for Lightsaber Vigils

At Disneyland’s Downtown Disney in Anaheim California as well as in Austin, Texas Wednesday night, Star Wars fans gathered to honor their fallen princess and general, Carrie Fisher. Fisher died Tuesday morning after a heart attack late last week, and fans of her portrayal of Princess Leia came together with lightsabers blazing for an impromptu vigil in the two cities.

Jeff Rowan organized the vigil in Anaheim on facebook, and had a couple hundred fans attend.

“I decided that I think we should be paying homage to her and a lightsaber vigil was very fitting – even though technically she never really even carried a lightsaber – but I thought that it was a very fitting way for us to say goodbye to her,” Rowan told CBS news in Los Angeles.

Alamo Drafthouse, a highend movie theater chain, organized the lightsaber vigil in Austin, TX, amongst other locations in Texas and has other events at locations around the country over the course of the next couple of weeks. They’re holding screenings in Virginia, Omaha, and several Texas locations. Details, from a press release:

— The Winchester Alamo Drafthouse (Winchester, VA) will hold a screening of When Harry Met Sally on 12/31 at 10pm, to coincide with the New Year, and a memorial event will be launched around that screening.

— The Drafthouse in Omaha, NE will be holding two In Memoriam screenings:

The Burbs (1/5 at 7:30PM CST) and When Harry Met Sally (1/6 at 7PM CST). Tickets to both of those screenings will be on sale soon.

— Additionally, our Park North (San Antonio), Laredo and Market Place (New Braunfels) locations will also be holding free memorial screenings of The Blues Brothers throughout the weekend. You can reserve your seat(s) with a $5 food and beverage voucher. These theaters will be accepting donations before and after the show to DBSA San Antonio, a non-profit support group for people with mood disorders, such as Bipolar Disorder and Depression (learn more about DBSA at www.dbsaalliance.org).

— Elsewhere in Texas: Houston’s Mason Park location will hold a lightsaber vigil at 6:45PM CST this Friday (12/30), while the Lubbock location will be holding their own lightsaber vigil on Friday, as well (7:00PM CST).

More images and videos from the vigils follow. Carrie Fisher will appear as General Leia once more in Star Wars: Episode VIII next year.

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