SAN RAFAEL, CA – Two special appearances have been announced that will add even more magic to “Magical Marin,” the upcoming Marin County Fair held on June 30-July 4. Lorne Peterson, one of the founding members of Industrial Light & Magic, will make an appearance and talk about his new book Sculpting the Galaxy – Inside the Star Wars Model Shop, (Insight Editions) on Saturday, July 1 at 2 pm at the Creatures & Models exhibit. Hired by George Lucas to create the models for STAR WARS, Peterson will take visitors on a visual journey through the intricate process of crafting and sculpting the models from sketch to screen and the artistry behind the dazzling results. There will be prototypes of the book on display which has a scheduled release date of Fall 2006.

His new book - Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop - features more than 300 full-color photographs and illustrations from the Lucasfilm archives, models from all six films, interviews, images and text with concept sculptors, an overview of the ILM model shop from 1976 through today and numerous gatefolds of the most loved models.

ILM virtually redefined visual effects and blazed a trail into the digital realm. We can follow behind the camera and into the rarely seen workshops culminated with an amazing look at the creation of movie magic. Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Models Shop takes readers behind-the-scenes for the first in-depth look at these amazing models and the process behind their creation, punctuated by Lorne Peterson’s exuberance and dedication to craft

Jonathan Rinzler, another special effects maven will be on hand on Sunday, July 2, 2 pm at the Creatures & Models exhibit hall to sign copies of his new book, The Art and Making of Monster House. The book is the tie-in for Sony Pictures’ highly anticipated animated film MONSTER HOUSE, which will be released July 21. Mr. Rinzler will not make a presentation but will only be signing books.

Adding even more authenticity to the Creatures & Models exhibit hall will be daily appearances of the 501st Legion’s Golden Gate Garrison with its STAR WARS characters. The 501st Legion has been bringing magic worldwide since 1997.

The Fair is open 11 AM-11 PM daily. Admission is adults, $13; Seniors 65+, $11; Children 4-12, $11; Children under 4, Free. Admission includes over 10,000 exhibits, 28 carnival rides and concert headliners, 36th Annual Short Film and Video Festival, barnyard, nightly fireworks and the 17th Annual Creatures and Models exhibit. Special admission days include Marin Independent Journal Day, Friday, June 30 ($2 discount coupon will be published in the Marin IJ for this day), Children’s Day, Friday, June 30 (Children 12 and under are admitted FREE) and Comcast Day, Monday, July 3 (Comcast will distribute a $2 off discount coupon to its customers). Fairgoers are encouraged to take advantage of online ticket sales by going to Ticketmaster.com and purchase tickets online 24/7. There is a $1 per ticket handling fee for Internet sales. The Marin Center Box Office will also have advance tickets on sale June 1 to June 29. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Box Office is located on the south side of the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium. The Box Office will have a $1 per ticket handling fee for advance sales.

The Marin County Fair is located at Civic Center Drive in San Rafael, off Highway 101. Visit the website at www.marinfair.org or call 415-499-6800.