People all over the world celebrated May the 4th, aka Star Wars Day, by gathering, dressing up, and having impromptu lightsaber duels. Here are some photos from the various goings-on across the United States and beyond.

At Entertainment Weekly’s CapeTown Fest @ LA’s Egyptian Theater

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Orlando, FL.

DJ Lobot lays some phat beats. And guards Cloud City. He doesn’t get a day off.

West Sacramento “May the Fourth Be With You” Celebration

Folks in New Zealand get their Jedi on.

Boston Red Sox celebrate the Star Wars.

It looks like Vader is doing some pre-Course of the Force scouting. We’ll see you in Santa Monica!

Even the President of the United States likes Star Wars.

Continue the Star Wars spirit by registering for this year’s Course of the Force run benefiting Make-A-Wish. The relay goes from Marin County, CA, all the way down to San Diego during the week leading up to Comic-Con 2013. It’s for a good cause, and it’ll give you yet another excuse to wear your sneakers under your Jedi robes. Function AND comfort. Quarter-mile spaces are now available, so do not delay.

“May the 4th Be With You” is a pun that has spawned an entire movement. While it might sound like someone is making fun of a poor soul with a lisp, it’s actually the salutation for Star Wars fans everywhere to embrace their inner (or outer) Jedi and live it up Jabba Style. That ought to be a Psy song, right? Anyway, if you’re a fan of Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, Boba Fett, Mon Mothma, General Crix Madine, Momaw Nadon, Dexter Jettster, Th’at Uther-Guy, or even Darth Vader, you’ll certainly want to show it on Saturday. If someone asks if you’re a Vulcan, this is the one day you can pinch them really hard until they get a tiny welt.

This year, lots of things are happening across the whole United States that, if you’re near them, you may want to check out. Here are some of them now!

• Across the land, May the 4th is Free Comic Book Day, and to celebrate, Dark Horse Comics is giving away a special all-ages adventure starring Darth Vader and Boba Fett. What is is it about those Star Wars villains that makes them just as cool and popular as the heroes?
• Speaking of comics, Dark Horse Digital is offering two massive megabundles of comics for your tablet devices. For $30, there’s the kids’ package, featuring Star Wars Adventures and for $100, there’s a huge 125-comic megabundle that’ll keep you reading until next May the 4th.
• The website WeLoveFine has run a contest wherein artists can design different Star Wars-themed t-shirts to be judged by various people, including our own Chris Hardwick. Winners will be announced on the 4th and then you can buy to your heart’s content. The finalists are pretty cool, so you’ll want to see who takes home the top prize.
• In Toys “R” Us stores nationwide, from Noon-2pm, you could build a mini version of LEGO’s new Stealth Starfighter, flown by Jek-14 in Cartoon Network’s upcoming series The Yoda Chronicles. You may want to bring a child that is already yours so people won’t think you’re too weird, but it’s your trip.
• If you happen to be in Window Rock, AZ, and can speak fluent Navajo, you’ll want to head out to the auditions for the Navajo Nation Museum’s Navajo Dub of Star Wars. So, do your best Mark Hamill or James Earl Jones impersonation, coupled with your knowledge and comprehension of a Native American language.
• Residents of Roseville, MN, can take part in a massive Star Wars RPG experience. It runs all weekend and will feature competitions, developer presentations, and special guests. You too can live a while ago in a galaxy quite a ways away.
• People of Anaheim, CA, or just visitors to Disneyland, you can be treated to a signing and art show by ACME Archives artist Mike Kungl as he unveils some new Star Wars-themed art. This is at D Street in the Downtown Disney District of the Disneyland Resort. So many Ds!!!!! It goes from 1-6pm, so make the time in between rides on Star Tours.
• A little further away in Los Angeles, Entertainment Weekly’s CapeTown Film Festival will be honoring the 30th Anniversary of the release of Return of the Jedi with three screenings at the historic Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Blvd. There are set to be surprise guests and giveaways at each of the three showings, at 2pm, 6pm, and 10pm. From Jabba’s Palace to the Battle of Endor, see it all on one of L.A.’s biggest and best cinema screens.
• Up the coast to San Francisco (where I left my heart), at Haight Street’s legendary Super7 toy and collectible store, there will be a May the 4th extravaganza with guests, exclusive merchandise, exhibitions of rare items, and prizes, and security will be provided by the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers. From 11-7, so don’t sleep in too much, SF.
• In the Mile High City of Denver, CO, the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum will be hosting a daylong event with an actual X-Wing fighter provided by Lucasfilm, in which a few lucky patrons can win the chance to sit. (You will NOT be winning the X-Wing.) Pretend you’re Luke Skywalker or, more awesomely, Wedge Antilles, the real hero of the Rebellion. (Why am I starting that argument?) Kids can also go to Jedi Academy and Trooper Training School so they can decide which side to take.
• In Orlando, FL, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, patrons will get a special preview of the upcoming Star Wars Weekends entertainment scheduled for this summer, and will get the chance to ride Star Tours with costumed characters. Don’t think Chewie will fit, but maybe they have a special Wookiee chair. Exclusive merch, a dance party, and a fireworks show are also part of the equation.
• Not to be outdone, LEGOLAND in Winter Haven, FL, will be having a Yoda Building Contest in its Miniland area on Saturday and Sunday. This weekend will feature a model building experience and Star Wars-themed scavenger hunt in Miniland, a LEGO Star Wars Movie showing, and much more.
• Various sports teams will be having Star Wars-themed day at their respective stadiums. The Tampa Bay Storm (an Arena League football team) will be selling Star Wars packages that include prizes, the Philadelphia Union soccer team will have costumes and giveaways, the Real Salt Lake football club (aka soccer team) will have costumed characters around the stadium, and the first 500 people to the game of Virginia’s Norfolk Tides triple-A baseball team will get a free lightsaber.

And what the heck, a couple from other countries as well:

• In Canada, at Indigo and Chapters bookstores, DK Publishing will be having a celebration with prizes and costumed characters in several stores.
• And at LEGOLAND Windsor, which is in the United Kingdom, will be having character marches, lightsaber lessons, and building events from Saturday through Monday.

While you’re thinking about Star Wars, why not register for this year’s Course of the Force, the relay from Marin County, CA, all the way down to San Diego in the week leading up to Comic-Con? It’s all for Make-A-Wish and you’ll get to run alongside other nerds just like you.

That’s a whole lot of stuff going on, and we’re aware that most of this is happening on the coasts, but if there isn’t a Star Wars thing happening in your town, start one! Get some people together to watch the trilogies or marathon Clone Wars on your HDTV. Or just sit outside in a Jedi robe and dress your dog up like slave Leia. It’s a day for everybody. May the 4th be with us all!