Park George Lucas Donated to San Anselmo Nearing Completion

Cement pathways and large trees are making it a lot easier to visualize a new 8,700-square-foot park that’s a gift from San Anselmo resident and Star Wars creator George Lucas.

Lucas donated the space to the San Ansemo Chamber of Commerce’s nonprofit foundation last year and paid for the park plans as well as the demolition of the building, but it’ll be up to the community to raise funds to pay for the construction and maintenance of the still unnamed park, which will include bronze statues of Indiana Jones and Yoda.

The park is slated to open on June 19, just in time for the annual San Anselmo Art and Wine Festival, San Anselmo Chamber CEO Connie Rodgers said. Rodgers said the park should look similar to original plans, but the Indiana Jones statue will be rotated to face San Anselmo Avenue, contrary to the park renderings. 

Rodgers said Tuesday that volunteers have already raised $81,000 in pledges and donations, but many more contributions are needed.

An underway park naming contest ends May 31. Participants can submit $25 and enter a park name suggestion, as long as it doesn’t involve Lucas or any Star Wars characters. 

The filmmaker requested the park not be directly named after him or involve the name of any Star Wars or Indiana Jones characters, Rodgers said. She said several contest entries had to be thrown out because they did not follow the guidelines, which encourage participants to focus on “imagination, inspiration and creativity” when crafting a name suggestion. 

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. 

“So often people forget to thank him,” Rodgers said.

Lucas’ contributions to the community has included paying for the under-grounding of power lines on Miracle Mile, near the San Rafael border, and reconstructing the building that houses Amazing Grace Music.

Also last summer, Lucas donated a Skywalker Ranch fire engine to the Muir Beach Volunteer Fire Department. 

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.

A new annual fundraiser and “dinner under the stars,” which will include a “taste of San Anselmo” provided by local restaurants, is set for Aug. 24. The event, to benefit the San Anselmo Community Foundation, will involve closing San Anselmo Avenue between Magnolia and Tunstead Avenue and will feature the Sir Francis Drake High School Jazz Band and Marin Baroque Orchestra. It will begin at 5:30 p.m. and ticket prices are to be determined.

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. 

Lucas is currently trying to create an art and cultural museum in the Presidio in San Francisco.