‘Hogwarts After Hours’ to offer adults-only Harry Potter fun
By Brandi Makuski
The Harry Potter book series turns 20 this year, and the Portage Co. Library is ready to celebrate.
The library’s main branch will host Hogwarts After Hours, an adults-only gathering at 6 p.m. on Nov. 2, giving fans who grew up with the popular wizarding franchise a chance to mingle and challenge their knowledge of the story and characters.
Harry Potter and the Source’s Stone by J.K. Rowling was released in the United States in September 1998, selling over 11 million copies in the first 24 hours alone.
The library recently hosted a similar Harry Potter program aimed at teenagers, according to Eddie Glade, the public services librarian at the main branch, which brought in requests for an adults-only activity.
“The first generation of young readers to get hooked on the series are adults now,” Glade said. “We wanted to give them a chance to celebrate their love of the series.”
The event will feature games like “NEWT Level Trivia” and “Dumbledore’s Army vs. Death Eaters,” with prizes awarded for the most points. The library will offer “magical” snacks like chocolate frogs and butterbeer, and attendees can also create their own “wand”, Glade said.
Participants are encouraged to dress up as their favorite character from the book series, a popular activity among fans of fantasy and science fiction books and movies.
“There’s a reason this series has stuck with us for 20 years,” Glade said. “Rowling created a world of magic just beyond our day-to-day world that appeals to everyone whose life sometimes seems humdrum, but she also created memorable characters. The main characters are all 11-to-17 years old, but the adults in the series are not just caricatures. They leap off the page as fully-realized people, with hopes and fears of their own.”
The event is free and open to all adults, but pre-registration is required. Contact for library’s (715) 346-1548 or [email protected].
The main branch of the Portage Co. Library is located at 1001 Main St.
