Wands up if you are a Harry Potter fan, as the Wizarding World is coming to Okotoks in all of it's magical glory.

For a day in October fans will be able to catch a ride on a magical portkey and end up in Diagon Alley for the day, while those misbehaving might spend some time in Azkaban.

Katie Fournell, Chair for the Wizarding World of Okotoks event also sits on the board for the Okotoks Arts Council, and she says they created this festival to bring tourists to Okotoks and get their arts community noticed.

"We are here to educate, inspire and connect people to the Okotoks Arts community and we feel like, if we're putting on events of this magnitude than people will start to see us and take us as a serious body to start pushing for more arts and tourism in Okotoks."

A similar event in Calgary's Kensington district in Hillhurst brought in around 30,000 visitors this year, many dressed up as their favourite characters, treating themselves to a famed Butterbeer or a chocolate frog while attending many magical activities.

Fournell says the Wizarding World of Okotoks will be more involved and have some activities that even the Calgary one didn't, as local businesses get on board, and they're excited!

"The businesses here are very excited to put up more decoration than they do at the Calgary Festival. Many of them who were at the Calgary event are saying 'We need to completely transform our store!' so hopefully that will happen." Fournell adds "The other thing that we have that's quite different, is that we are more intimate than the Kensington District, because we're Okotoks and we have that small town feel."

Businesses like Home Ground, Take the Cake and many others have already announced their excitement to be part of the big day.

Some of the big events, Fournell says, will include Quidditch tournaments, themed foods and decor, and even one more infamous attraction.

"We're going to have Diagon Alley which will be all of the participating businesses along Elma Street and Elizabeth Street. We're also going to have Azkaban where participants can pay $1 per minute to arrest their friends."

Azkaban is the Harry Potter world's famous wizarding jail where some of the darkest witches and wizards known to man are said to be housed.

Plans for the Festival are moving along quickly, and Fournell says she needs volunteers from the community, whether its as an actor in costume to roam the streets, or helping to control the crowds, right now they're looking for everything.

Fournell says anyone interested in participating or volunteering just needs to contact her at k.fournell@okotoksartscouncil.ca

Team sign up for the quidditch tournament will be open soon.

If you're interested in following updates for the Wizarding World of Okotoks event, you can follow their Facebook page, by clicking here.

 

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