Downtown geared up for one magical night
With more than 60 businesses participating and so many magical activities to choose from at The Party That Shall Not Be Named in downtown Naperville, what's a Muggle to do?
The Harry Potter-themed event will begin at noon Friday and end after the official release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Here are a few highlights of activities leading up to the bewitching hour:
(Sun file)
Sun reporters (and Harry Potter fans) Emily McFarlan and Lauren Sutherland will find out as they live-blog the downtown Naperville event celebrating the release of seventh and final Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
They'll be downtown at noon Friday, counting down the hours until the book's release on the Sun's Naperville Potluck blog.
In the meantime, they'll be getting sorted into their houses by the Hogwarts Sorting Hat, sampling Butterbeer at Hogsmeade dining establishments and lining up to get their books and Flourish and Blotts - much like a day in the life of their favorite wizard and his friends.
Hopefully, when it's all over, they and Harry will all be left standing.
The main stage will feature live entertainment and a costume contest for all ages throughout the day. The raffle for a private screenin g of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," now in theaters, will be awarded at 11:45 p.m. Then the hosts of The Leaky Cauldron Pottercast will begin the countdown for the seventh and final Harry Potter book's midnight release at Jefferson Avenue and Webster Street.
The Heritage YMCA Group will show the fourth movie, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," outdoors at 9:30 p.m. Friday at Rotary Hill, north of Aurora Avenue and west of Eagle Street.
The Hogwarts Sorting Hat will separate the "brave of heart" of Gryffindor from the "cunning folk" of Slytherin at Madam Malkin's Curtain Magic/Country Curtains from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 233 S. Main St. Sorting will also take place from noon to 8 p.m. Friday at Anamagis Alley/Two Bostons, 232 S. Washington St., and from noon to midnight at Nichols Library.
Phoenix feather or unicorn hair? Make your own wand at Ollivander's /Canterbury Shoppe at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Friday at 175 W. Jackson Ave. Students from preschool to fifth grade are also invited to make a wand at Nichols Library from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
In addition to sorting and wand-making, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry /Nichols Library will offer crafts for students from preschool to fifth grade, including Harry Potter glasses (5:30 to 10:30 p.m.), a fire-breathing dragon (7 to 8 p.m.) and an owl post craft (9 to 10 p.m.). Games for students from first to fifth grade include "Pin the Scar on Harry" from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and a golden snitch relay from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. at 200 W. Jefferson.
Quality Quidditch Supplies /The Naperville Cultural Center will outfit aspiring seekers for their next Quidditch match with broomstick and golden snitch-making from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The center also will offer wand-making at 55 S. Main St, Suite 211.
Enjoy a Butterbeer float, Harry's favorite treat, at Potter's Sandwich Works /Potbelly Sandwich Works from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at 236 S. Washington St. Other Hogsmeade dining establishments serving Butterbeer and Butterbeer floats all day include Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor /Cookie Dough Creations at 22 W. Chicago Ave. and Arbor Vitae Java & Juice at 131 W. Jefferson Ave.
Hogwarts' House of Humor , formerly known as The Comedy Shrine, will present "Harry Potter Lost in Naperville!" - an improvised scene based on suggestions from children and adults in the audience. Shows are half-hour each, beginning at 12:03 p.m. and ending at 5:33 p.m. Friday at 22 E. Chicago Ave.
Obscurus Books /Barnes & Noble Booksellers will begin distributing wristbands for the book's midnight release at 5 p.m. In the meantime, the store will offer games and contests, photos with a Harry Potter standee at 5 p.m., an amulet-making craft at 8 p.m. and fortune telling at 9 p.m.
Flourish and Blotts /Anderson's Bookshop will also host predictions from Professor Trelawney from 7 to 10 p.m. The store also will feature a magical boutique and prediction wall all day Friday, live magical portraits at 6 p.m. and live wizard chess games at 6, 6:45 and 7:30 p.m.
For more, visit www.down townnaperville.com.
Contact Emily McFarlan at emcfarlan@scn1.com or 630-416-5196.