July 20, 2007 - Yet Another Oak Park Harry Potter Release Event 

Oh, my Peeps, I am so excited.  I am so, so, so, SO excited.  In just over a week the final Harry Potter book comes out.  Do you think I’ve made plans, DO YOU THINK?

This year, once again, Oak Park is turning its main street into Diagon Alley, but as this is the final year they have gone whole-hog.  It’s going to be so much frikkin fun and whimsey that pragmatists and fundimentalists within sixty miles will take to their beds with stomach ache.  Here are some of the highlights scheduled:

The Harry Potter Book Release event will be a day-long community-wide celebration of magic, imagination, youth and literature around the theme of Harry Potter. Events will start early in the afternoon and continue through the midnight release of the book. Activities will be distributed among several locations in central Oak Park, giving visitors an opportunity to explore a number of shops, restaurants and attractions, which will feature special wizard-themed wares, offer magical menus, and present several performances.

• Local Oak Park businesses will transform their shops into the wizard world’s center of commerce. In keeping with the magical theme, shops will showcase special wizarding wares.
• Knockturn Alley - Explore a secret side alley off of the Diagon.  It’s still under double secret construction
• Local cafes and restaurants will create their own micro-brew of the most popular beverage at wizard restaurants and pubs, Butter Beer among many other tasty treats to satisfy hungry visitors.
• Honey Dukes (Madly Pop’n) - Featuring some of your favorites like: Blueberry, Booger, Buttered Popcorn, Dirt, Ear Wax, Grass, Green Apple, Lemon Drop, Sardine, Soap, Bacon, Rotten Egg, Toasted Marshmallow, Tutti-Fruitti, Very Cherry.
• Gringotts Bank Vault Tours -See where the wizarding world keeps their gold! The bank will open its above ground vault for tours in the evening.
• Hogwarts School Library - Events are open to all ages - Aulviona Magical Strings: Magical music favorites on Violin - Slytherin’s World of Reptiles -Transformation of Muggles (Face Painting, Wizard Wear) - Madame Pince’s Preparatory Academy for Wizard Librarians
• Also at the Hogwarts Library - The restricted section of the library is open to train underage wizards in the ancient and esteemed career of librarianship. Courses include: Mirror of Erised -Gaze into the mirror to determine your future qualities for librarianship. Ancient Runes -Translate ancient runes into English and test your researching skills in a Harry Potter Scavenger hunt. Potion Making - Make fantastic potions for the care and protection of library books. Arithmancy - This magical study of numbers includes puzzles to ponder and tests of your sorting abilities. Charms - Book balancing, quill skills, and other essential spells for librarians. 9:00 pm Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince #6 Read-a-Thon - Wizards and witches—sign up to take turns reading aloud in the Gryffindor Common Room!
• Geppetto’s Toy Box will be transfigured into Professor Snape’s potions classroom! Stop by and see Professors Snape and McGonnagal demonstrate some of the fun potions you can create at home! For curious wizards and muggles alike, this is a chance to dabble in the wonders of science! During these live window demonstrations, children will be asked to interact with our guest Professors during three different sessions that can be viewed from outside or inside the shop.
• Great Hogwarts Bread Company ~ Staffed by the House Elves - The house elves can make Hufflepuff Pizza and other treats for you! PLUS - From July 5 through July 20, you can donate a pair of new socks to “Free a House Elf.” In gratitude for their freedom, the House Elves of Great Harvest will give you a coupon for a free loaf of bread. The socks will be delivered to the local halfway house for kids.
• Botanica Brooms and Bubotubers Botanical Artistry Classes - Come join an award-winning mandrake artist and learn the art of botanical drawing. If you like to color, you will love this activity. Sessions will be held on the hour at 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00 pm. at Botanica Brooms & Bubotubers, Knockturn Alley’s newest shop.
• Whomping Tree’s own Prof. Trelawney will gaze into your future between the hours of 3pm to 5pm. First come first served, no registration required. See Dumbledore’s portrait come alive in our window periodically throughout the day; hear McGonagall’s voice emanating from a teacup!

Well, you get the idea. There’s Wizard’s Chess and an Azkaban prison complete with Wizengamot. There will be Gilderoy Lockhart out selling autographs and a Quiddich tournament. There are about three performances going on, including a debate by the local high school debate team over the evilness vs. non-evilness of Snape.  The local movie theatre is running The Order of the Phoenix on most of their screens  The events go on all day.  It’s just going to be the most fun EVER, that’s what.

Then, at 12:01am, the bookstores release the pre-ordered copies of the seventh book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Lisa and I are going and we are just going to roll around kicking our legs up in geeky joy.  I’m totally dressing up.  Maybe as Molly Weasly.  Maybe as Professor Hootch.  Maybe as Trelawny.  Do you have a suggestion for me?  Other than, you know, don’t do it?  Because I’m not going to be listening to that kind of non-geek suggestion.

If you are a co-geek, you have to check this out:  A Fairly Well-Argued Theory About Who is Voldemort’s Most Trusted Servant.  I really hope it’s true.  That would be an incredible plot twist.

Woohoo!

What Harry Potter Character are You?Hermione Granger You are a smart and intelligent person. You use your smarts to help out friends. You can be emotional at times but you always seem to be in the mood to help someone out. Click Here to Take This Quiz

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