The time has come to begin planning for the Starlight Parade, one of Star Wars Oregon's biggest events of the year. We would love to have your help as a spotter. There are a few requirements...here's what you need to know before you sign up.
Starlight Parade Spotter Requirements:- All spotters must be at least 18 years old
- Sign ups are limited to 12 spotters at this time
- Parade length is about 2.25 miles and takes anywhere from 60-90 minutes to march. Please be prepared to march the entire distance
- Parade pace is 120 steps per minute. That's 2 steps per second. Be prepared for a rather brisk march at times! (Especially if we get stopped by the Max and have to make up space between us and the group in front of us.)
Other helpful things to know:- Get some good sleep the night before the parade, and don't overexert yourself the day of the parade.
- Pre-parade is a great time to mingle with other members! Show up early and make a day of it!
- Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water prior to the start of the event
- Plan to arrive at the staging area early. We'll provide some guidance about arrival times when we get closer. Streets get closed off, so you may want to plan multiple routes/parking areas as fallbacks if you can't reach your preferred spot. Consider ridesharing or mass transit.
- Be sure to eat a light meal prior to the start of the parade
- Don't forget to take a bio break prior to the start of the parade...there are no bathrooms on the parade route
- Be available to costumed SWO members to assist them as needed in getting suited up for the parade
- There will be a group photo prior to parade step off. We will need your assistance with crowd control
What to watch for during the parade:- Overheated SWO members: Especially those in armor. The parade is long and often HOT, and we rely on spotters to safely assist overheated troopers back to base when needed. They will know to find you also if they are having a problem
- Overzealous Star Wars fans: the Starlight Parade has very enthusiastic attendees. You will need to be on the lookout for fans forcing their way onto the parade route for a little extra interaction with our costumed members
- Pacing: When we step off on Burnside, it's literally a downhill tread for the first few hundred yards so that's a good time to get yourself comfortable pacing yourself. The parade officials will likely ask you to hurry the group up. Resist the urge to run to catch up to the group ahead of us. Our costumed members cannot move that fast!
- The live TV section is in the last half of the route. You'll notice extra lighting, and camera operators and/or news reporters may approach you as you're marching
- The parade does not end where we start. You will need to walk several blocks after the parade route ends to get back to our staging area. You can remove helmets and other costume pieces for that walk back
- Stay away from the crowds when marching. Parade organizers prohibit any direct contact between us and the crowd.
TIMINGNoon: Suggested arrival time if you want to get to the parking lot before they start closing roads.
1:00pm: Staging area roads closed (NW Burnside to Glisan and NW Broadway to 10th) - Depending on who and how you ask, the police officers might let you through even after roads are closed. If you’re traveling on Burnside to get to the staging area at this point, remember that you’ll need to be going westbound since you cannot turn left off Burnside into the staging area.
6:00pm: Parade route roads except Burnside closed (4th, Salmon, Broadway, Washington, 12th, Taylor)
7:00pm: Burnside closed
7:30pm: Everyone is in costume and ready in our staging area (This is so the parade staff can verify that we are present and accounted for)
7:45pm: Group photos in our staging area - Plan ahead to be ready on time! We want you in the pictures, but we don't want to make 50+ people stand in formation in costume waiting for you!
8:30pm: Parade scheduled to start
9:15pm: We start marching - This is an estimate only and may end up being earlier or later.
MAPSOfficial Starlight Parade Route Map:
Parking and Staging (UPDATED 5/19/17):
Notes:
- Our main parking area is noted towards the bottom right. There are entrances from Broadway and 8th. For navigation purposes, you can use this address: 122 NW 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
- There is an alternate parking lot on Glisan between 9th and Park that might also be an option. Note that we have not yet confirmed whether or not this is a public lot, so use at your own risk.
- We will hang out all afternoon in the park block directly west of our main parking lot.
- Our staging area is a few blocks north of our parking/hangout spot this year. Note that we still recommend parking in our usual spot since that will be closer at the end of the parade.
- Green stars on this map indicate public restrooms/port-a-potties.
Overview Map:
Spotter Uniform:Official Star Wars Oregon Spotter t-shirts can be purchased here:
http://www.cloudcitygarrison.com/forum/index.php?topic=10627.0We will have a limited number available for you to BORROW. You will need to be prepared to trade me your driver's license in exchange for borrowing a t-shirt, but don't worry! You'll get it back when you return your Spotter T-shirt.
SPOTTERS:
1. Melissa G.
2. Leslie New
3. Joe Stagliano
4. Tyler
5. Monica
6. Jessica
7. Brian D.
8. Lindsey Chen
9. Michael W.
10. Virgil
11. Adam
12. Rafael
* Carl and the water wagon
WAITLIST - We are limited this year to 12 spotters. If the list is full, we'll add you to the waitlist. You're welcome to attend the pre-parade picnic and stay to help folks get dressed, but only 12 spotters will be permitted to walk in the parade.
1. arctraw
