Star Festival



The Star Festival in the Mushroom Kingdom celebrates a special comet, which releases Star Bits, that passes through the skies once every one hundred years. The Toads of the Mushroom Kingdom gather in the Castle Gardens outside Princess Peach's Castle to collect these Star Bits and combine them to form a powerful Grand Star, which is then brought to the castle. During this festival, Princess Peach stumbles upon Luma.

In the beginning of Super Mario Galaxy, Mario is invited by letter to the Star Festival by Princess Peach, who wants to give Luma as a special gift. Bowser then appears and attacks with a fleet of airships, eventually abducting Peach's Castle with Peach inside. During Mario's attempt to rescue her, he learns that the comet celebrated during the festival is actually the Comet Observatory owned by Rosalina, which was left in permanant stasis over the Mushroom World after Bowser stole the Power Stars responsible for powering it, and that the Star Festival conincides with her centennial visit to her home world during her travels across the cosmos.

After Bowser is beaten and both Mario and Luigi have each collected all 120 Power Stars, the Grand Finale Galaxy is unlocked, where another Star Festival occurs.