Wizarding Weekend packed with fun and magic starting Friday

Whether you are an experienced wizard or a curious Muggle, all are welcome in downtown Wilson for the third annual Wizarding Weekend, Friday to Sunday, July 26-28.

The weekend features music, food, drink, merchandise for sale, games and crafts throughout downtown Wilson, all based on the Harry Potter novel and movie franchise. All activities are open to the public, and many are free.

Mahalia Witter-Merithew, creator and organizer of Wilson’s Wizarding Weekend, is hoping to again draw thousands of Wilsonians and visitors to downtown Wilson throughout the weekend, building on the success of the previous years’ events.

“I love putting together Wizarding Weekend in Wilson to help bring summer magic to the people of Wilson and surrounding areas who are looking to make some summer memories,” said Witter-Merithew, who is also co-owner of Casita Brewing Company. “Everyone could use a little magic in their lives, so there will be things to appeal to all ages.”

Many popular Wizarding Weekend events, such as Friday night’s Harry Potter Trivia at Casita, wand-making at Wilson Arts, Dobby’s Sock Hunt and the Fantastic Drinks & Where to Find Them Pub Crawl, are returning this year as well as special menus at downtown restaurants. The library will have a special storytime and craft on Saturday at 2 p.m. followed by a free showing of “The Prisoner of Azkaban” at 3, and Imagination Station will hold Hogwarts Honour Court trial at 4 p.m., presented by N.C. Legal Aid.

There are plenty of new things to try this year as well.

NEW WIZARDING EVENTS

Witter-Merithew recommends checking the full list of locations and events ahead of time in order to best plan your own adventure. The full weekend schedule can be found on the Casita Brewing Company Facebook page at the shortened link: tinyurl.com/mu42rc56 .

Some of the new events/venues this year follow:

• Madam Malkin’s Professional Robes and Wizarding Career Aptitude Tests at Dress for Success, 217-B Barnes St. W. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Try on this season’s most fashionable and functional robes, take photos and take the Wizarding Career Aptitude test to find out what your profession would be in the wizarding world. Auror, healer, quidditch player, wandmaker, teacher or herbologist are some of the possibilities. Take home a badge with your job on it. Free.

• The Potter Puzzle Escape can be found at Casita Brewing Company on Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Assemble a 368-piece puzzle, find the clues within the puzzle and solve the mystery. You can do this solo or with a team. This activity is not suitable for children under the age of 9. Start and end times will be noted, and if your group can solve the mystery in an hour less, you or your group will win official Wizarding Weekend in Wilson stickers. If you or your group has the fastest time for the weekend, you will win a $50 Casita gift card. Only six groups can participate in this activity at once, so there may be some waiting required. If it’s busy when you come by to play, you can sign up for a time later in the day and come back later. Cost is $5 per group to play.

•  Hawthorn & Holly, a pop-punk band that plays songs about the Harry Potter franchise, will play at Casita from 7 to 9 pm. on Saturday. Hawthorn & Holly of Charlotte started in 2007. The band has established itself as a fixture in the wizard rock community, performing as featured artists at Misti-Con, Chestertown HP Fest, Ithaca Wizarding Weekend, Wrockstock, New York Wrock Festival and Camp 9 3/4. More recently, the band expanded its reach to other fandom conventions on the East Coast such as Dragon*Con, Stellar Con, ConCarolinas, Illogicon and the Charlotte Geek Gala. Free.

• Green Screen Magic Photos with Eye of Design Photography will offer the magic of travel to mystical destinations via green screen on Friday from noon to 2 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at Casita. Free.

• The Novel Nest bookstore, 120 Goldsboro St. S., will host the Sorting Hat on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and again on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find out if you belong in the Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff house at Hogwarts and then thumb through the shelves at Novel Nest.

• On Saturday from 2-3:30 p.m., you can make a golden snitch in the multipurpose room at Foundation YMCA, 233 Nash St.

• Try your hand at Harry Potter Origami at Casita on Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and again on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 217 South St. S. There will be instructions and materials for making 10 different objects from the Harry Potter universe. Free.

• At noon on Sunday, join master gardener Julia Newton for an Herbal Tea Party at Casita Brewing where you can learn about and taste herbal teas. The event is free, but if you taste anything you like, she will have some for sale to benefit Seeds of Hope. Festive hats are encouraged.

• Three magic events will take place on Sunday at Casita Brewing. From 1 to 2 p.m., Wayne Haarhaus will teach a children’s magic class for ages 6-12. There are only 20 slots are available, and pre-registration is required by July 22. Cost is $20 per student. All materials will be provided, and participants will learn beginner magic. Pre-register at  the shortened link tinyurl.com/4a3bz63u .

From 3 to 3:45 p.m., the show “Maximum Magic with Wayne Haarhaus” will take place at Casita. Coming from a family with generations of magic enthusiasts, and with more than 30 years of experience in the magic industry, Haarhaus has become an expert in his craft, delighting audiences with his captivating performances and innovative magic tricks. Free.

Adults can learn magic from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Casita in “Bar Magic Class with Wayne Haarhaus.” This class is for ages 21 and up, and only 30 slots are available. Cost is $20 per person to participate, and pre-registration required by July 22. All materials will be Pre-register at the shortened link, tinyurl.com/23x88der .

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