Have a magical night at Cat's Cradle with Wizardfest

Butterbeer, dementors and magic are making their way to Chapel Hill: WizardFest, a Harry Potter-themed pop-up party, aims to bring back the magic of the franchise and bring together Potterheads of all ages and backgrounds.

The magic-themed event will be making its stop at Cat’s Cradle next Wednesday, Oct. 30. 

After booking musical artists for 18 years, Alex Ross, founder of Supreme Entertainment, was ready for a new touring field to explore.

“You’re always thinking of some new out-of-the-box ideas," Ross said. “It’s for people to get together and go out with friends and have a fun night."

On its second tour, WizardFest aims to create an immersive experience for attendees—the night will consist of Harry Potter-themed trivia, costume contests, music and dancing. Winners of contests are awarded various cash prizes, concert tickets and other WizardFest merchandise. 

In addition to these activities, Cat’s Cradle will be completely transformed and decorated with iconic Harry Potter themes and backdrops.

“We have got some really cool dementors that we built (and) we went out and put together a small Diagon Alley," Ross said.

The “Leaky Cauldron” has been recreated as well—there, Potterheads can purchase wands, t-shirts and Harry Potter themed drinks such as “Butterbeer” and “Polyjuice Potion."

On top of the decorations, music and games, WizardFest is awarding two tickets to London to winners of the “Goblet of Fire” raffle. 

The event will feature in-house DJ and Harry Potter fanatic DJ Just Vince. Vince’s responsibilities are to keep the crowd engaged and happy, whether that involves running trivia or playing music from the films coupled with today’s hits.

It was a no-brainer for Vince to join the team, as WizardFest was a bridge between two of his passions—DJing and Harry Potter, he said.

Meeting new fans every day, seeing their unique costumes and hearing their love for the franchise is what Vince finds so exciting about DJing WizardFest.

“You get the fun of a normal party," Vince said. “But you get the added spice of whole wizard gang family around you, knowing you have a whole dance floor that has this one thing in common, which is our love for (Harry Potter). It’s like partying with a bunch of friends you didn’t know you had.”

Whether it be a group of the various stages of the beloved character Dobby or 7-foot-tall dementor costumes, Vince has seen a variety of costumes at previous WizardFests.

Despite the appearance of intricate and detailed costumes, you don’t need to be a die-hard Potterhead to enjoy WizardFest, Ross said. He said the event is filled with fun and excitement, regardless of your Potter knowledge and passion. 

“Come check out the wizarding world of Harry Potter, drink some butterbeer, have a chance to win a trip to London, England, and some cash prizes, and have a fun time with friends,” Ross said.

arts@dailytarheel.com