Antioch’s historic downtown area was transformed into a surreal landscape meant for young apprentice wizards and their Muggle (non-wizard) counterparts, on Saturday. The 7th edition of the Wizards Weekend Day attracted both kids and adults in costumes, while following maps and attending “School of Magic” classes.
The Antioch Chamber of Commerce organizes the activities that are loosely-based on the Harry Potter books. Where else can you meet 7-foot-tall creatures walking on Main Street and ducking into various shops? While showcasing the local businesses in the downtown, visitors stopped by the United Methodist Church, which doubled for Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Information booth, to pick out their own wand.
“The whole event and these kids are ready for some fun,” said Debbie Porter, the chamber’s treasurer. “By noon, we probably had a couple hundred people attend the school, as well as participating in things around town. Everyone had smiles on their faces, and we can’t wait until next year, it keeps expanding.”
The Wizards’ Maruaders Experience Map and Horicrux Hunt were new additions this year, and also picking up dragon eggs along the way. The shops on Main Street all had tie-ins, whether part of the hunt or providing special items. The “School of Magic” at the Antioch Public Library was the popular spot for aspiring wizards learning to cast spells.
“I play a Dorothy Umbridge-type character, and although it might be summer recess in the Muggle world,” said Ainsley Wonderling, the Antioch Historical Society’s director. “I always look forward to the classes.”
Cosplay, or “costume play,” is an important element that brings a network of people to town dressed as characters that greet visitors. The Whimsical World of Harry Potter, a social media group, has approximately 230,000 members and is used as a connection for location gatherings. The members have become like a family, with varying backgrounds.
“I had experience with the Disney store and Disney Quest in Chicago … I went to a charity event, a long time ago in southern Illinois, for a young girl with cancer,” said Cruzanne Lewis, who plays the evil Bellatrix. “I met these cool people that cosplay, and became part of the family. They come from the Quad cities, Kenosha, Racine, all over.
“I started as a docent with the Lincoln Park Zoo and became their first permanent part-time keeper,” Lewis said. “Been doing that for 27 years now … not retiring, although I have a lot of great memories. I love otters, with sloths being a close second, and reptiles, and have brought snakes to magic classes.”
The person playing Hagred, the giant, is Todd Vandiver-Wunder, who owns a reptile shop in Janesville, Wisconsin. He walks on stilts covered by large boots and has supplied snakes for Lewis at the “School of Magic.”
”I think it’s a magical time every year, and this is our second time back,” said Sammi LeMay. “We love it! We’ve watched them coming around town and lived here for years, but never actually joined in. We decided to try it, and had the time of our lives, so we had to comeback this year.”
Oliver Gargano, an aspiring young wizard, was excited about finding items scattered around the downtown. “I was especially interested in the dragon eggs.”
