Modesto council declares ‘May The Fourth Be With You Day’

The force was strong Tuesday evening at Tenth Street Place as the City Council proclaimed Wednesday as “May The Fourth Be With You Day” in honor of the “Star Wars” movie saga and its creator, Modesto native son George Lucas.

Fans have been celebrating May 4 for decades across the world – and probably in galaxies far, far away – but this is a first for Modesto.

Chris Murphy – founder and publisher of ModestoView and a tireless advocate of the city – said he asked city officials for the proclamation as part of the effort to tell a better story about Modesto, which often finds itself at or near the top of lists that cities do their best to avoid. Being dubbed “Car Theft Capital of the World” is not a good thing.

Murphy was dressed as Luke Skywalker as he received the proclamation from Mayor Ted Brandvold, surrounded by nearly a dozen people dressed as “Star Wars” characters.

“This is the time we celebrate who we are,” Murphy said. “This is our history. ... We are the home of George Lucas. This is his boyhood home.”

This story was originally published May 3, 2016 at 7:17 PM with the headline "Modesto council declares ‘May The Fourth Be With You Day’."