Harry Potter Fan Fest Sold Out

AURORA, IL — A Harry Potter fan festival is headed for downtown Aurora on Sunday, July 30, and according to organizers, the event is sold out. The first-ever fest is set for noon to 5 p.m. with events for local witches and wizards, plus vendors offering food and Potter-themed merchandise. Thanks to a large amount of online attention, the festival was revamped as a ticketed event and as of Friday, it was sold out.

"We have released tickets to numbers 1-205 on the waitlist," organizers said on the Aurora Harry Potter Festival website. "All tickets have been claimed. Tickets are required for all of the festival’s activities. No tickets will be sold on the day of the festival."

Organizers said tens of thousands of people headed to a now-defunct event Facebook page to RSVP after a news article incorrectly claimed the event would transform downtown Aurora into "J.K. Rowling's London." In a Facebook post, event organizers set the record straight: "This is the first year of our festival, which is run entirely by volunteers working with a not-for-profit organization ... We are working with the City and local organizations to expand it to 3,500 (and hopefully more) people." A larger, multi-day event is in the works for 2018, according to the website.

Potter fans with tickets to the July 30 event are directed to an exclusive website for updates. The Aurora Harry Potter Festival "City of Lumos" website advises ticketholders to visit the address listed on their tickets. "It's a Harry Potter-specific web address, not the brownpapertickets.com one (that's just the company that printed our tickets for us)," organizers note. "The new website for ticketholders has lots of information about activities, registration, parking tips, etc. - be sure to visit it and register your email address for updates!"

The event will let guests visit "Diagon Alley" and make wands, spellbooks and more, plus take potions classes at Hogwarts. There will also be a Quidditch match, horcrux hunt and more. Guests are also encouraged to dress as their favorite "Potter" character for a costume/cosplay parade.

The event comes as the first Harry Potter novel, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," (or, in the U.K., "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone") marks its 20th anniversary.

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