This October, Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia will transform from a Muggle college campus for a celebration straight out of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Now, that celebration will come complete with a trip on the Hogwarts Express…
The Harry Potter Festival, which will take place a week before Halloween on October 21 and 22, will span a full ten blocks in Philadelphia. The festival will run Friday night and all day Saturday. Main events include a Harry Potter conference and a Quidditch tournament. Other attractions feature all things magical: live owls and falcons, Hogsmeade shops, a Harry Potter museum Tri-Wizard maze, free rides on the Knight Bus, the Sorting Hat, Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, tea at Madame Puddifoot’s Tea Shoppe and so much more.
How will you get to the festival? The same way Harry, Ron, and Hermione got to Hogwarts of course: on the Hogwarts Express! For the two days of the festival, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) local rail line will transform into the Hogwarts Express as it transports you straight to Hogsmeade. Additionally, Harry and his friends will even be on board some of the trains for passengers to meet.
If you’re a witch or wizard over the age of 21, you can also take part in a Harry Potter pub crawl, where you’re sure to get your fill of Butterbeer, Firewhisky and Muggle’s Brew. Tickets for the pub crawl go on sale September 28, so be sure to mark your calendars.
Aside from the pub crawl, the rest of the festival will be “pay as you go,” meaning you do not need to purchase tickets ahead of time. Instead, witches and wizards attending the festival need only pay for the attractions they are visiting (but the festival would prefer if you pay in US Dollars rather than Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons).
Want to find out more about the magic of the festival? Check out the preview for Chestnut Hill’s biggest festival yet right here:
