Downtown Raleigh adults-only Harry Potter event still on for weekend; next year, event could turn into major family-friendly Potter fest

Despite the winter weather, a Harry Potter-themed bar crawl is still on for downtown Raleigh this weekend.

More than 5,000 Harry Potter fans are expected for the sold out Wizard & Wand. They'll descend on downtown Raleigh on Saturday for music, magic and other revelry, including hidden treasures and surprises across 16 downtown Raleigh festival sites and three after parties.

“The snow just adds to the magic,” organizer Zack Medford said.

But, though this year's event is open to just adults (see the bit about it being a bar crawl above), Medford tells me that he is working with the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau to make this an annual multi-day festival for the entire family. It has the potential, said Medford, of bringing tens of thousands of people and millions of dollars in economic impact to Raleigh.

"We’ve received dozens of inquiries asking us about doing kids or young adult activities, and more options for family-oriented entertainment," Medford tells me. "We didn’t have time this year to roll those out, but we’ve already started planning for 2019."

So, younger Harry Potter fans and their adults, get ready!

"Next year we will have a lot more family activities including bands, toy and magical item vendors, celebrity panels, interactive screenings of the films, live book readings and more," Medford said.

Can't wait!