The Yule Ball has nothing on these celebrations.
Hocus pocus-loving bookworms brought the wizarding world to Brooklyn when they celebrated the release of “Harry Potter & the Cursed Child” on July 31. Everyday magicians of the wardrobe donned robes and series-staple neck ties as costumes for witching-hour soirees, and a bunch of nerdy jocks played fantasy sport Quidditch before a Cyclones game at MCU Park.
Longtime loyalists were keen to celebrate the eighth release in a 20-year-old series that conjures up so many memories of their youths — and get a little drunk, one tome merchant said.
“I think everyone was just really excited to have a space to nerd out about Harry Potter. People came out to have boozy fun but at the same time really celebrate what Harry Potter meant to them,” said Michelle Chen of Word bookstore in Greenpoint, which hosted a Williamsburg warehouse party where fans went head-to-head-to-head at “tri-wizard” trivia and duked it out over “butterbeer” pong.
Meantime, muggles of all ages marked the occasion at BookMark Shoppe in Bay Ridge with trivia and treats of their own.
And Hogwarts stalwarts made sure at least a little magic happened at MCU Park during the Cyclones’ nearly hitless, 1–0 loss to Aberdeen — prestidigitators paraded around the bases and the Tri-State Lightning took on the New York Basilisks in an exhibition match of Quidditch (the real-life adaptation of a fictional sport) before the baseball game.
