From the Platform to the Party: Harry Potter Festival Coming to PA

For those of us who weren’t able to catch the Hogwarts Express, one neighborhood in Philadelphia is creating a magical experience for Harry Potter fans.

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It may only be September, but Halloween fans are already kicking their holiday spirit into high gear. I must confess that I’m among them, so I’m 100% on board to break out the candy, cats, and costumes as early as possible. If you’re looking to use the holiday as an excuse to cosplay your favorite Harry Potter character, you may have a place to try it out. A community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers the perfect opportunity to show off your Pottermania, just in time for Halloween.

The weekend of October 21st, the neighborhood of Chestnut Hill will be transfigured into Hogsmeade for their annual Potter festival. Activities include festival favorites such as face painting and a straw maze, and tickets for the Harry Potter pub crawl go on sale September 28th. Attendees will also have the opportunity to be Sorted and partake in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Equally risky activities will include sampling Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, a hero’s task if ever there was one. And of course fans can look forward to Saturday’s Quidditch tournament.

MIDDLEBURY, VT – OCTOBER 26: Middlebury College hosted the first large Intercollegiate Quidditch Tournament. Twelve teams from around the country traveled to Middlebury College: Princeton University, Vassar College, Louisiana State University, University of Washington, McGill University, University of Massachusetts, Boston University, Chestnut Hill, Emerson College, Green Mountain College, and Ives Pond, a club team from Buffalo, New York. Quidditch, the sport from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books, was adapted into a real-life game which began at Middlebury College in 2005. The sport is a cross between soccer, dodgeball, and rugby. A player from Emmerson watches a goal pass by him from Boston University. (Photo by Christopher Capozziello/Getty Images)

If you’re feeling a little more like Hermione, Chestnut Hill College is also taking part in the fun. Their conference will host scholarly presentations and discussions about the Harry Potter series. After checking out some photos of the campus, it’s easy to see how well the school fits into the Hogwarts aesthetic. It’s the perfect place to explore the magic of Harry Potter, and how it impacts our real, Muggle world.

It seems that Chestnut Hill has got what it takes to capitalize on Potter popularity in a fun, positive way. Coupled with the fact that the festival is mostly free, it provides a whole array of activities that all keep to the spirit of the Potterverse. The event spans 10 blocks, and organizers are using that space to hit all the finer points.

For instance, the straw maze takes after the third task in the Triwizard Tournament, and cosplayers will take on the roles of Harry and other characters to meet and greet attendees. Not only that, but there’s even a spot for Madam Puddifoot’s. Potterheads will remember the tea shop as the historic site of Harry’s first and only date with Cho Chang. With that infamous crash-and-burn in mind, who wouldn’t want to grab a drink there? (We love you, Harry, but that date was a disaster for the books.)

It sounds like the masterminds behind the festival are major Potterheads themselves. So if you’re in the area, Chestnut Hill may be the perfect place to toast to the Boy Who Lived.

For more information, visit Chestnut Hill’s official event page.

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