Everyone in Ithaca last weekend had quite a magical experience. A bunch of people came out Halloween weekend to spend time in Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and other various places from the great "Harry Potter" series. People were dressed up, carrying wands, and seeing some awesome mythical creatures. This weekend was a dream come true to those who have always wanted to hang out in a genuine "Harry Potter" world (I mean there were even dragons! Come on, that was awesome!). If you didn't make it to this wonderful weekend, it will hopefully come back again next year.
During this wickedly awesome weekend, there were magical vendors all over the streets of Ithaca. Flourish and Blotts, where you could read some books filled with wonder and get your very own quill to do all of your homework in (probably not as interesting as Defense Against the Dark Arts, though). You could get your very own personalized acceptance letter (GOD, A DREAM COME TRUE). You could also go and check out your house common room, get your own marauders map, and defeat some Horcruxes. In "defeating" the Horcruxes, you earned house points that could go towards the House Cup!
There were also enchanting games of Quidditch, wizard's chess, and wizard's checkers! Children (and adults) were having a ball playing these magical games and creating a wonderful world of fun. There was also a chance of meeting some of the enchanted creatures that often roamed the halls of Hogwarts.
This weekend was like a dream come true. The streets of Ithaca really transformed into an amazing and enchanting wizarding world. Seeing everyone dressed in their robes and scarves and dressed as their favorite characters was a really great sight to see. Especially seeing the joy on the young kids faces as they saw all of the things they have read about or seen in the movies come to life! Watching their faces turn into smiles when they saw the magical creatures, the Weasley's flying car, and the dragon on top of the food trucks. Not to mention there was a huge basilisk terrorizing the town!
It was such a great experience and I can't wait to see what they do next year to make it even more magical. They even had butterbeer (and fire tea for those who are over age).
If you missed the excitement this year, definitely try your hardest to get out there and enjoy next year! It really is an amazing time and almost like the pages of the book are coming to life! Trust me when I say this weekend will really manage your mischief (hahaha, okay I'll go now).
All photos were taken by Kayleigh Jones.
