The town of Orange will transform itself into Hogwarts and the world of Harry Potter this week, possibly for the last time.
Harry Potter franchise fans from all around the country travel to Orange for the five-day immersive Wizard World experience, Return to Hogwarts, in late July. This year, the event begins Wednesday, July 24, and ends Sunday, July 28. As many as a dozen local Orange businesses decorate their stores as a place from the Harry Potter book and movie series.
Jennifer Sheldon, co-owner of White Cloud Diner, started the event in 2019. She said it grew organically for the past five years, and it seems like this will be the last one this year.
Sheldon and her husband, Bill Sheldon, plan to sell the White Cloud Diner and move their family to Florida. Sheldon said this was the last time she would organize the event and hopes whoever buys the diner will continue the tradition.
"We are trying to make it as fun and as immersive as possible for all the families, especially knowing that this is going to be our last year doing it," she said. "We're just trying to give it our all. It's wonderful for the town because people coming to the event are able to spend their tourist dollars in other places in town as well."
How did the Return to Hogwarts event start?
Sheldon and her daughter are super fans of the Harry Potter book and movie series. In the summer of 2019, Sheldon said instead of doing something small like wearing Harry Potter T-shirts, she decided to decorate the diner as Hogwarts and create special Harry Potter-themed menu items for the last week of July.
"The last week of July is Harry Potter's birthday, so we thought it would be a fun idea to do some specials," she said. "I had no idea that it was going to be received so well. We are so busy every year, and everybody really loves it."
In 2022, Sheldon said she asked some friends who are also business owners in Orange if they wanted to join her in the celebration and turn it into a town-wide festival. She said the event brings thousands of people to Orange from South Carolina to Connecticut, which boosts the local economy.
What you can do at Return to Hogwarts
This year's event will feature eight businesses and will offer a variety of opportunities to shop, eat, and enjoy activities all related to the magical world of Harry Potter. Some shows, crafts and activities require registration or ticket purchase.
All week, the White Cloud Diner will become the Hogwarts Express and offer an immersive dining experience. From Wednesday, July 24 to Sunday, July 28, the diner will have a special breakfast and lunch menu that includes hot and cold butterbeer, the Phoenix Feather, and more. The diner will open from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Revival Wheeler Mansion, which will transform into the Mansion of Divination, will host five days of workshops. The activities range from wand-making workshops and intro to potion making to a Hogwarts Ball on Saturday, July 27, from 6 to 9 p.m., open for all ages. All classes and the Hogwarts Ball cost $25 per person; tickets are available at Revival Wheeler Mansion Events.
Fran and Mike Bates, owners of the Bates Crafters Gallery, Over the Top Bakery, and Bates Down Under and Flea Market, plan to turn the Crafter's Gallery and the Flea Market into Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, and the bakery will become the Honey Duke Sweet Shop.
"We originally got into it for the fun because we love to dress up for Halloween," she said. "We thought it was just a fun event that will support our business. But then many people started to fly into the local airport and get rental cars for this event."
Home and Heart Studio is the Quidditch Field. The studio will host a broom-making workshop on Sunday, July 28, at 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required, and tickets cost $44 per person.
Home Fruit Wine will turn into The Three Brooms Sticks, and starting Friday night to Sunday night, they will have events for all ages. On Friday at 4 p.m., they will host a Harry Pottery trivia night. On Saturday and Sunday, they will host a scavenger hunt for children. There is a cover charge of $3.
The Quabbin Harvest Food Co-Op becomes Professor Sprout's Greenhouse on Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where people can plant their own veggie mandrake. The event is free for everyone.
On Saturday, July 27, the Orange Municipal Airport is the Hogsmeade Village Vendor Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Ken's Legacy Inc., a local nonprofit, sponsors this event. Over 80 local vendors, 11 food trucks, and several performers will be at the six-hour event. The rain date for the vendor fair is Sunday, July 28.
Scrafty DIY Workshop will host two Harry Potter-themed paint and craft classes. The first class is How to Make a Fairy Garden Solar Lantern on Wednesday, July 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. The second class is a Dragon Forest painting class, on Thursday, July 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. To purchase tickets for either class, visit Events Trail Head.
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