Have your Harry Potter-obsessed kids ever wanted to get a taste of the wizarding world but you can't afford the trip to Universal Studios? Leave muggle life behind this fall and attend Chestnut Hill’s Harry Potter Festival on Friday and Saturday, October 21-22. This Philadelphia neighborhood gets a magical makeover every year, turning into the village of Hogsmeade for one fun-filled weekend.
The festival takes place on a six-block stretch where attendees can peruse shops, admire guests’ costumes and even kick back at a butterbeer pub-crawl.
If you or your little ones have ever wondered which house you’d be sorted into, visit the Sorting Hat. If magic is more your thing, work your wand in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Academics will love the Harry Potter conference at Chestnut Hill College, while athletes will show their Hogwarts pride at the “Brotherly Love Cup” quidditch tournament.
Getting to the festival is thankfully simpler than navigating platform 9 ¾; take the “Hogwarts Express,” otherwise known as the Chestnut Hill East or Chestnut Hill West trains. You’ll be greeted by a number of Harry, Ron and Hermione doppelgangers that will lead you to the fun.
The street fair and quidditch game are free to attend. If you’d like to check out the conference, a $10 registration fee is required. The pub-crawl requires tickets, which go on sale September 28 at 10 am. Plan your trip at chestnuthillpa.com