This New York town is transfiguring itself into Hogsmeade for a weekend — and we want to apparate there
Four hours outside of New York City, the folks in Ithaca, NY are gearing up to allow a little sorcery to take over their town for a weekend. Near the end of October, their downtown will transform into Harry Potter‘s Hogsmeade for a fun-filled event known as Wizarding Weekend.
According to the Huffington Post, the three-day festival was created last year by local Press Bay Alley shopping center business owners. While the original intent was to have a small, community event, it has now become an attraction for Harry Potter enthusiasts around the world! This year, the town is expecting to host around 13,000 visitors from all over.
Jennifer Tavares, president of the local chamber of commerce, talked to the Huffington Post about how the festival is “like a dream come true” for attendees.
“Events like this are a truly unique experience to which watching the movies cannot compare, she says.
After reading up on all the wizardry the weekend has to offer, we couldn’t agree more!
For starters, entry to the festival and the majority of the activities offered is completely free — with the exception of “potion-making” (or cocktail-making) classes, which you can buy tickets for. Other activities include movie showings, food tastings, costume contests, wand-making demos, wizard duels and Quidditch matches, all sponsored by the city!
Over 35 of Ithaca’s businesses are expected to host special happenings for the weekend, and if you’re traveling from a faraway land to attend the fest, you can grab an awesome deal from one of the local participating hotels!
We’re totally jealous and can’t wait for all of the enchantment to be shared all over social media!
