Families turn to the dark side at Father's Day event
![One of the happiest visitors, 90-year-old Audrey Leaver, of Brighton, posing for this photo for her great-grandson](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/legacy_oak_84463181.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![One of the happiest visitors, 90-year-old Audrey Leaver, of Brighton, posing for this photo for her great-grandson](/img/placeholder.png)
‘I am your Father’s Day’ attracted hundreds of Star Wars fans, as excited children and parents arrived hoping to meet the man himself, Darth Vader.
Storm Troopers, Shadow Stormtroopers and many other Star Wars characters joined him on the day, which was organised by Burgess Hill resident and internet sensation Alea Holland.
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Hide AdAlea, who has almost 40,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel ‘Ace Cosplay’, heads the group of Star Wars enthusiasts known as ‘The Imperial Outlanders’ and is already planning her next big event.
Customers to the garden centre were thrilled when the troop visited back in February 2016 during their craft weekend, and have been eagerly requesting their return ever since.
“This event was much bigger and better than the last one,” said Alea. “There were hundreds of children in their Star Wars costumes.
“The looks on their faces when they saw Vader appear was brilliant! I am so happy that everyone had so much having fun.
“The effort the customers and kids went to with their costumes was amazing,” she added.