Just in time for the Harry Potter 20th anniversary and J.K. Rowling's birth month, wizardry and witchcraft skills are wanted at downtown museums.
The Texarkana Museums System will host a series of four Harry Potter Month events at its downtown locations, starting with Sorting Day this Saturday at the Museum of Regional History. All events are held 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
"About once a quarter we try to do events that tie all of the museums in together and have a theme for the month," said Velvet Hall Cool, TMS board president. "We just decided we'd try to do something on Harry Potter because it's so popular and it's so kid-friendly and it's summer."
For Sorting Day, youngsters will join one of four groups at the fictional State Line School of Magical Arts. Any adults who wish to join will participate as a member of the Board of Regents, who will serve as "faculty." Cool says they're surprised at the number of adults who've asked if they can join the events.
At Sorting Day, participants will get together to create ties, a house crest, a team name, colors, banners and the mascot. They're not necessarily going with the standard house names.
"They actually get to decide their own house name, house colors, house crest," Cool said. If that ends up being an existing Harry Potter school, then so be it, but groups will have a chance to be creative and make their own. It's in keeping with the TMS encouragement to be creative.
Each event, apart from the finale, will have trivia questions, one way to rack up points and be declared a winner at the House Cup Awards. "Each house will begin to collect points. You earn points by answering the trivia questions," Cool said. Participation, on-Facebook trivia questions and a scavenger hunt are other ways to accumulate points during the month.
"As you accumulate points, you are accumulating for your house and also for yourself individually," Cool said.
Sorting Day will be followed by Spellbooks and Potions at Discovery Place Interactive Museum on July 14, the Wand Making Workshop at the Ace of Clubs House on July 21 and House Cup Awards at the P.J. Ahern Home on July 28.
For Spellbooks and Potions, wizards and witches get to make their own spellbook. "We'll teach you some spells and we will make some potions," Cool said. Butterbeer will be on the menu. What goes into the spellbook? "It depends on whether you're in an evil-leaning house or a nice-leaning house," said the director.
Potions are part of the fun, too. Think of them as sort of science experiments. They're actual potions.
"They'll get to take those home," Cool said.
As for wand-making, the State Line School of Wizardry will use some of the sticks and twigs found outdoors at the Ace of Clubs. Wizards and witches can also bring their own implements with which to create a wand.
"To go back to the '80s and use a phrase, we're going to bedazzle some twigs. We're going to deck them out with jewels and marbles. They can paint them, they can glitter them. They can do whatever they want with their wands," Cool said. Everyone will get their own personalized wand, with which to practice spell casting.
At the House Cup Awards, there's one last mystery to solve: Who stole the House Cup? Awards and prizes will be bestowed and cake will be consumed.
People don't necessarily need to participate in all four events, but they might fall behind if they jump in whenever they want. However, they'll still have fun and have a chance to win as a come-from-behind wizard or witch.
"We encourage people to come in costume if they want," Cool said. It's not mandatory, however. But all can wear the scarves, glasses and other sorts of Potter-esque accoutrements familiar to the Harry Potter milieu.
(Admission: $8 per event or $25 for the whole month for non-members, $3 per event or $10 for the whole month for Texarkana Museums System members. Get tickets at the TMS Facebook pages or Ticketleap.com. Call 903-793-4831 or email [email protected] for more information.)