Community Corner

Yoda and Indiana Jones Statue Unveiling Set for Thursday

What do you think of the new San Anselmo park that was a gift from filmmaker George Lucas?

 Editor's note: The above video is a fundraising video made by supporters of the new park. 

Bronze statues of Indiana Jones and Yoda will be formally unveiled this Thursday in San Anselmo’s new downtown park, which was a gift from Star Wars creator and San Anselmo resident George Lucas. 

Nearly everything is in place at the new outdoor space, which was recently named Imagination Park after a park-naming contest ended in May.  

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There were 76 people who entered the naming contest, which had rules that the park name couldn’t have anything to do with Lucas or his characters. There were three people, David Donery, Bob Atwood and Lauren Matthys, who submitted the name “Imagination Park,” according to the Marin Independent Journal

The statue unveiling is set for 5 p.m. at the 8,700-square-foot park. Pictures on the park’s Facebook page show the statues are already in place and currently covered.

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Lucas donated the space to the San Ansemo Chamber of Commerce’s nonprofit foundation and paid for the park plans and demolition of the building formerly at the site, located at 535 San Anselmo Avenue. Now, it’ll be up to the community to pay for the creation and maintenance of the park. 

According to a June 16 report in the Marin Independent Journal, the San Anselmo Town Council approved the town donating $10,000 to the San Anselmo Community Foundation, which has raised roughly $105,000 of its $300,000 goal. 

The goal was to have the park completed in time for San Anselmo’s Art and Wine Festival, set for June 23 and 24.

Special events planned to celebrate the park opening include an Aug. 2 free “kids park inauguration” which will include face painting, balloons, popcorn and an opportunity for youth to personalize a “thank you” to Lucas. 

A variety of donation levels are still available for the park, ranging from making a general donation to claiming naming rights to benches, sides of the fountain, trees or other elements in the park. Visit sananselmopark.org for more information about making donations.

The San Anselmo Planning Commission unanimously approved on Jan. 9 the plans for the park after adding the requirement that dogs be kept on a leash. 

Have you watched the progress of the park? Tell us in the Comments! 


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