Wizards Invited to Chestertown Harry Potter Festival September 26 – 27

Grab your wand, hop on your broom, and come for a weekend of magic on September 26 and 27 at the Chestertown Harry Potter Festival. The colonial river town in Maryland will host the celebration, featuring spectacular activities and events for children and adults—wizards and muggles alike. Proudly presented by the non-profit Mid-Shore Community Foundation, the Festival benefits the Garfield Center for the Arts, a cultural organization that nurtures, celebrates and supports arts and artists through performance and education.

The festivities will begin on Friday at 4:30 PM with Harry Potter Academia, a literary exploration of the

J.K. Rowling series with Washington College history professor Janet Sorrentino, at Bookplate, 112 South Cross Street. The Festival kick off event will begin at 6:00 PM at the Garfield Center for the Arts, featuring a costume contest, wizard photo booth, magical games, and more.

On Saturday, feast on Pancakes for Potter from 7:00 to 10:00 AM at the Chestertown Mason’s Lodge. Proceeds will be donated to the Festival’s designated beneficiary, the Garfield Center for the Arts. Try your hand at Quidditch from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the field across from the Hogwarts Express. Take dueling lessons with the Phoenix Dueling Club, meet magical creatures at Scamander’s Bestiary, make wizardly crafts, and get Harry Potter face paintings from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Fountain Park. Come aboard the schooner Sultana for Wizards on the Water, an exciting and magical sail down the Chester River from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Pick up a free marauder’s map at the Garfield Center and join in a downtown scavenger hunt, complete the who dunnit puzzle, and win a prize. The shops and restaurants of Chestertown will transform into places from the pages of J.K. Rowling’s books—the Leaky Cauldron, Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Flourish and Blott’s Books, Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, and more. Enjoy wizardly treats, souvenirs, and street theater among participating businesses.

The festival will culminate from 6:00 to 9:00 PM on Saturday with a Kid’s Night at Hogwarts and a House Party at the Leaky Cauldron. Wizards ages 8-13 are invited to Kid’s Night, with supervised, themed activities, dinner, and theatric excitement at the Garfield Center for the Arts. Those inside the age-line are invited to the House Party at the Leaky Cauldron, featuring magical menu items, libations and live music from wizard rockers, the Blibbering Humdingers. Check our website or Facebook page for information about purchasing tickets, and more details about all of the events both free and ticketed.

Can’t wait for the Festival? Come to the Harry Potter Read-a-Thon at the Chestertown Book Festival on Saturday, September 20 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Kent County Public Library Chestertown branch, 408 High Street. Learn more or sign up to read from the book that started it all, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

For information on accommodations, getting to Chestertown, and festival details, please visit our website or Facebook page.

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

 

Saturday, September 20

10:00AM–12:00PM

Harry Potter Read-a-Thon at the Chestertown Book Festival

Kent County Public Library | 408 High Street

Sign up to read, or come out to listen as volunteers and participants begin reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. To sign up, email [email protected] or call Bookplate at (410) 778-4167. Deadline to sign up to read is Friday, September 12th. 

 

Friday, September 26

4:30 – 5:30 PM

Harry Potter Academia

Bookplate (“Flourish and Blotts”) | 112 South Cross Street

Join Dr. Janet Sorrentino from Washington College as she discusses “Harry Potter, RenaissanceMagic, and a Passion for Books”. Find out more on theChestertown Book Festivalwebsite.

 

6:00 – 9:00 PM

Festival Kick-Off Event

Garfield Center for the Arts (“Hogwarts”)| 210 High Street

Our FANTASTIC Chestertown Harry Potter Festival kick-off party is fun for young wizards and trained aurors alike, featuring a costume contest, live music, wizard photo booth, magical games, and more! This blowout party is not to be missed.

 

Saturday, September 27

7:00 – 10:00 AM

Masons’ Charity Breakfast

Chestertown Mason’s Lodge | 124 Speer Road

$8.00 adults; $4.00 kids 12 and under

Enjoy pottercakes, Hagrid sausages, scrambled basilisk eggs, and more at the Mason’s charity breakfast. Proceeds benefit the Garfield Center for the Arts.

 

10:00AM-3:00PM

Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt

Get maps at Garfield Center for the Arts (“Hogwarts”) | 210 High Street

Use the marauder’s map to search Chestertown for scavenger hunt clues, complete the Harry Potter who dunnit puzzle, and win a prize.

 

10:00AM-2:00PM

Magical Arts & Crafts

RiverArts KidsSPOT | 315 High Street, Suite 106

Kids aged 2-12 are invited to make Harry Potter themed arts and crafts.

 

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Quidditch

Field across from “Hogwarts Express” train cars | 300 block, South Cross Street

Perfect your Quidditch skills with quaffle catching and beater bat swinging—or just get a handle on riding your broom!

 

All Day

Themed Food and Merchandise

Visit participating downtown Chestertown businesses dressed up as Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley locations, as well as themed vendors in Memorial Park from 11:30AM-3:30PM.

 

1:00 – 4:00 PM

Potter in the Park

Fountain Park | North Cross and High Streets

Take lessons from the “Phoenix Dueling Club” (Phoenix Fitness and Martial Arts), meet magical creatures at “Scamander’s Bestiary” (Have Birds Will Travel), make wizardly souvenirs, get Harry Potter face paintings, listen to wizard rock from The Blibbering Humdingers, and more.

 

2:00 – 4:00 PM

Wizards on the Water

Schooner Sultana | High Street dock

Get tickets for an exciting and magical 2-hour sail down the Chester River aboard the 1768 schooner Sultana.

 

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Ollivander’s Wands & Furnishings

Ortiz Studio | 207 South Cross Street

Learn how Hogwarts’ furniture is made and get measured for a wand.

 

6:00 – 9:00 PM

Kids’ Night at Hogwarts

Garfield Center for the Arts | 210 High Street

Wizards ages 8-13, put on your robes and join us for a pizza party, Potter activities, and theatric excitement! Check our website or Facebook page for ticket information.

 

6:00 – 9:00 PM

House Party at the Leaky Cauldron

JR’s Past-Time Pub | 337 High Street

For those inside the age-line, partake in wizard fun with Potter-inspired drinks, food, trivia games, and prizes, and “wrock” with your wands out to the wizard tunes of the Blibbering Humdingers. Check our website or Facebook page for ticket information.