I have a special treat this week for all my Harry Potter fans! We just attended Staunton, Virginia’s annual Mischief & Magic Festival for the second year in a row, and I am so excited to share it with you!
This annual festival runs for a whole weekend at the end of September, transforming Staunton’s downtown into a whimsical place as close to Diagon Alley as you can find outside Universal Studios. The old downtown architecture is the perfect setting to make you feel like you have stepped out of the modern world and into a quaint wizarding village, and I am here for it!
I did write a blog post about our experience last year, but we were able to do so many different things this year that I just had to write another post! And we still haven’t done all the cool things they offer annually. So, while I’ll be focusing on this year’s experience, I will touch on a few of the highlights from last year as well. And I also want to point out that the festival and most of the events are entirely free!
There’s so much to cover, from magical activities to shows, parades, and VIP experiences, so let’s dive in!
The Atmosphere of the Queen City Mischief & Magic Festival
The town does an absolutely fabulous job of making the downtown an immersive experience.
The vibe is really electric because everyone is excited to be there, and so many people dress up as their favorite characters. This adds to the feeling that you’ve stepped into the wizarding world because you’re surrounded by people in great costumes. And that’s not even counting the official QCMM characters who wander around for photo ops!
This year, we were treated to gorgeous weather, so there was quite a big crowd. But there were also more outside vendors and events than last year, which was very cold and rainy. I didn’t mind the weather last year because I dressed for it, and it fit the dreary Scotland and London weather from the movies. But, despite the big crowds, I liked the cheery, sunny weather.
To top it all off, there are plenty of cool decorations, from the house flags that mark each block to a giant blow-up Buckbeack, wooden cutouts for photo ops, and fun window displays in the stores. Everything adds up to a really whimsical atmosphere that’s so easy to enjoy!
Mischief & Magic Festival Meet & Greets
One of my favorite parts of the festival is the great opportunities to interact with your favorite characters. I recognized a few actors from last year returning to their roles, and I loved that they were back again! However, I noticed the characters wandering around a lot less than last year, and they honestly looked really tired. I think the increased crowds took a more significant toll on them because they really couldn’t get a break.
But despite that, they were all so wonderful at chatting with everyone and staying in character.
As I mentioned, some characters roam the streets, giving visitors plenty of chances for quick photo ops. They also have 3 designated train arrivals at the train station each day, when characters make a grand entrance off the Hogwarts train. As they pass the railing, many will stop for photos or hand out little souvenirs and tokens to the kids.
However, there are also several designated immersive Meet & Greet locations where you can wait to take pictures with characters throughout the day.
Last year, we discovered the Gringotts Bank location completely by accident but were so thrilled to take photos with the Malfoy Family and Snape. They also have Professor Umbridge’s office in one corner. This year, the Malfoy family was back in the bank, along with Dobby, and Filch was in a newly added vault section below. I loved this edition because they moved the dragon head down here, too, and it felt much more accurate to the movies.
We also visited the Character Spot & Castle, which had several fun photo “booths.” They recreated each of the 4 house common rooms with backdrops, furniture, and decorations, plus a big castle front, Dumbledore’s office, and a “Have You Seen This Wizard” wanted poster! We had so much fun taking pictures with Dumbledore and in each of our common rooms since our group had all four houses represented. At the front of the building, they recreated McGonagall’s Office and the Potions Classroom, and Professors McGonagall and Snape were present for photos.
If you’re interested in photo ops, check the annual schedule because it will tell you the exact times and characters to expect in each location. But be prepared to wait in line because these are very popular!
Experience Highlights from this Year’s Festival
The Beware of Low Flying Owls Show
In both years, the Mischief & Magic Festival has included several free animal-centric shows featuring snakes, birds, and rescued animals from local shelters and rehabilitation centers. We caught just a bit of the SSSlytherin SSSnake SSShow this year as we passed by, but what I really loved was the Beware of Low-Flying Owls Show!
I absolutely love owls, so seeing 4 of these beautiful rescued creatures up close was a dream! Before and after the show, the two handlers also walked around with an owl ambassador, allowing visitors to take photos with them!
The show featured four different kinds of owls: a great horned owl, a barn owl, a barred owl, and a screech owl. Each was a rescue that could not return to the wild due to injuries. The show lasted about an hour, which was a bit long, but we enjoyed learning about the different kinds of owls, how they hunt, etc.
It was really interesting, but I do have to say my favorite part was taking pics with Thistle and Evie!
Blair Made’s Wand-Choosing Ceremony
Another highlight we hit both years was The Wand Chooses the Wizard at Blair Made. This is a super-popular free event, and the space is small, so be sure to get in line early to attend this hourly show!
In this wand-choosing ceremony, you’ll go into the back room of Blair Made, which has been transformed into an Ollivanders-style wand shop. One child from the crowd will get to go through the ceremony, trying out different wands and causing different “magical” reactions. Last year, this included causing a thunderstorm and making some suitcases flip open. This year, they mixed it up by “raining” on the crowd, moving brooms, and turning on lanterns. It was really cute, and I loved exploring Blair Made’s special handmade merchandise afterward. They go all out for the event with tons of wands, paintings, signs, and more!
Essentially Zen’s VIP Potions Experience
We didn’t do any paid experiences last year besides the Triwizard Maze and a build-your-own school pet shop, but I was interested in trying a class this year, particularly a “potions class.” Many local vendors run special events and experiences, and they typically range from $5 to $15 each.
Now, there are a couple of different ones you can choose from, but Essentially Zen caught my eye because they had a DIY Potions Roller (a perfume) class for $15, or you could upgrade to the VIP Wizard Package for $65. This included a special potions roller, a custom tote bag, two dives in the “Prefects’ Bathtub” with a guaranteed prize, a Winged Key necklace to mark you as a VIP to skip the lines, and some Harry Potter glasses. Did I need this? Absolutely not. Did I enjoy every second? Oh, yeah!
This was such a fun and immersive experience, and I had an absolute blast creating my little potion roller. I could pick my bottle, a charm for the lid, gemstones to put inside, and my favorite scent. They had all sorts of fun and cozy scents labeled in fun names like Unicorn Blood (my favorite), Eye of Newt, and Siren Tears. It took about 15-20 minutes, and now I have a souvenir I love!
The “Prefects’ Bathtub” was essentially a ball pit with two golden eggs hidden at the bottom. I didn’t find one, but I still got to take home this adorable cauldron bathbomb!
Other Festival Experiences
Essentially Zen was my only paid experience this year (besides getting temporary dragon tattoos with my girl squad), but the locals put together plenty of fun things to choose from. You can take a glassblowing class, create your own “spellbook” (journal), adopt a dragon, get your dog sorted into a house, get “fairy hair,” create an herbal tea blend, go through an escape room, etc. They have recurring and new experiences each year, so it’s always good to check the schedule.
But of course, there are tons of free things to do that you can fill your day with! Here are a few of the highlights I haven’t already mentioned:
- The Quidditch Tournament
- Glass blowing demonstrations
- Mermaids
- Wand dueling lessons
- Yule Ball Dance Lessons
- Character Parades
We were there all day and still had plenty we didn’t see, so we have a great reason to return next year!
Shops & Restaurants Embracing the Magic
Of course, this event wouldn’t be complete without all the fabulous vendors and restaurants joining to add to the magic! Not every shop or restaurant participates, but so many do, and it’s awesome! Many shops had booths on the street right outside their stores with unique experiences or themed merch. I particularly enjoyed Blair Made, Medieval Fantasies Company, Foxtails Gift Shop, Sparrow’s Nest, and Essentially Zen. But there are so many other great shops to visit, too!
Be sure to grab a butterbeer from the Baja Bean or The Green Room–they’re very different styles, so you may want to try both! We also loved Chicano Boy Taco’s massive trays of loaded fries and the Butterbrew coffee and pastries from Reunion Bakery. A lot of these restaurants have special menus just for the festival, so be sure to check them out!
Hopefully, they will prepare better for the high demand next year, but some other more experience-like items, like the dragon adoptions and Reunion Bakery’s sorting cruffins, sold out quicker than anticipated. So, I’d recommend getting there early and buying up any limited-quantity items you want first.
The parking lot was also filled with other booths selling everything from raffle tickets to pizza and lavender lemonade! With the good weather this year, we saw more outside vendors, but many of them sold out fast! We were excited to try lavender ice cream and Ravenclaw-themed juice, but they were sold out by the afternoon. So, once again, I recommend you prioritize any consumable items early in the day to make sure they have them in stock.
See More of the Festival On My YouTube Channel
Closing Thoughts on the 2024 Mischief & Magic Festival
As a Harry Potter fan, I am so thrilled that there’s a place close to home where I can enjoy the magic for a weekend every year. Staunton is about 2.5 hours from Washington, DC, and 3 hours from my home in Chesapeake, which makes it so easy to get there without it being a big deal.
The festival is so well done, and it’s fantastic to see so many people volunteering to bring this kind of magic to people. And, of course, it’s just nice to be surrounded by people who love the same things!
We are already planning to return for year 3 to try and hit a few more new activities and enjoy the regularly scheduled events once again, and I have no doubt it will be just as magical as the first two times.
Next year’s festival will be on September 27 and 28, 2025, so be sure to add it to your calendar and bookmark their website for updates!
If you have questions or comments, feel free to drop those below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible! I’d also encourage you to check out last year’s post and my YouTube video for more information about this wonderful festival!
Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe before you go, and I hope to see you back here soon!
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Until next time, happy travels!
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