A magical weekend celebrating the spirit of Harry Potter and promoting the local community and its arts was made possible thanks to the town of Chestertown, numerous sponsors and a dedicated all-volunteer committee of J.K. Rowling fans. On behalf of the 2015 Chestertown Harry Potter Festival Committee, thank you fans, friends, and businesses for contributing to this family-oriented gathering of would-be wizards and muggles from far and wide.
While Warner Bros. Entertainment and J.K. Rowling are not associated with or responsible for the festival in any way, the inspired group who created this festival worked hard to share their love of Harry Potter with thousands of fans for the second year.
Beyond the tireless work of our committee, we received generous support from our strategic partnerships with the Garfield Center for the Arts and the non-profit Fund for Kent County of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Their generous donations of time, talent, space, and support were critical to the formation and success of the festival.
All told, more than 78 local businesses and organizations supported the festival – which was visited by more than 3,000 people. Robes, wands and costumes were ideal apparel as fans of all ages descended upon our riverfront community on October 2-3 for a town-wide festival including a self-guided scavenger hunt, live music, street theatre skits, college Quidditch, amateur Kidditch matches, magic crafts, food, themed parties, and much more.
We thank all the businesses and non-profit organizations, artists, exhibitors, and vendors who gave their time, funds, and creative inspiration to transform our town for literary fans and make the festival work.
While we don’t want to leave anyone out who deserves recognition, we want to thank our largest contributors including Order of the Merlin sponsors: The Kent County News, Tidewater Trader, Price Rentals & Events, Yerkes Construction, and JR’s Past Time Pub. Order of the Phoenix sponsors were also instrumental in underwriting this charitable event: The Book Plate, Brittland Estates, Dixon Valve/KRM, Mimi’s Closet, People’s Bank, UPS Store, Washington College, Garfield Center for the Arts and Frederick Hopkins and Christine McSherry. Our Wizengamot sponsors also contributed generously: Chestertown Natural Foods; Curiosity on Cross; Fellows, Helfenbein, Newman Funeral Home; Finishing Touch; St. Luke’s Episcopal Parish; Twigs and Teacups, and The White Swan Tavern.
We thank Rachel Perry and Tess Hogans for their creative vision and leadership in bringing the whole weekend to life! We also thank Mayor Chris Cerino (in costume and a judge for the costume contest), the town council and the Town of Chestertown and Kent County Tourism office for supporting our festival.
Most importantly, we are now seeking more leadership and volunteers to keep the excitement alive for next year. Your gift of time will be rewarded with a festival that has put Chestertown on the map as an amazing historic destination for muggles and kids of all ages. You will be surprised by how much fun you will have in the process! Please contact Volunteer Chair Rachel Perry by email [email protected] or by completing the volunteer form at www.chestertownhpfest.org. More information: ChestertownHPFest on Facebook.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support the festival and our community’s businesses! Mark you calendar for next year’s festival on September 30 – October 1, 2016!
Sincerely,
Executive Committee, 2015 Chestertown Harry Potter Festival
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