August 22, 2017
Bastiaan Slabbers/For PhillyVoice
Two attendees at the 2016 Chestnut Hill Harry Potter festival are seen here dressed as the main character from the books and movies. Chestnut Hill's 2018 Harry Potter Festival will not take place under the same name, as Warner Bros. – which owns the rights to the franchise based on the series of children's books written by J.K. Rowling – is prohibiting the use of any names or imagery associated with Harry Potter at the annual Philadelphia event and other events in the U.S.
The annual Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill keeps getting bigger. Last year, the festival expanded from the sidewalks to a 10-block street fair. For 2017, two more blocks will be added to the festival's footprint.
Wizards and muggles can roam from Cresheim Valley Drive to Chestnut Hill Avenue, along Germantown Avenue, on Saturday, Oct. 21.
There will be a S.P.E.W. rally, Harry Potter Quizzo, a Deatheaters dance party, circus performers, Sorting Hat demonstrations, Harry Potter-themed selfie spots, "The Science of Wizarding" demonstrations, a fortune-telling station, magical make-and-take zones (which require wristbands this year), a potion-making station and meet and greets with Harry Potter and the gang.
And that's just what's happening on the Avenue.
The annual Philadelphia Brotherly Love Cup Quidditch Tournament will take place at Chestnut Hill College from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Just like the street fare, it's free to attend.
There's also something new happening this year on Friday, Oct. 20.
Wands and Wizards Night on the Avenue will run from 6-9 p.m. There will be live performances, extended hours at local shops, food & drink specials at participating bars and a costume contest (with a cash prize for the winner).
The new event will take the place of the annual pub crawl, which was getting increasingly crowded each year as the Harry Potter Festival grew more popular.
Find more information on the 7th Annual Chestnut Hill Harry Potter Festival here.
