This weekend, Chestnut Hill will once again mark a weekend in October with a celebration of wizards, witches and all things magical. The noted exception this time, of course, is that the most popular wizard in the world – Harry Potter – will be noticeably absent.

What had grown in Chestnut Hill over the past five years into a wizardpalooza of Potter fandom that drew more outsiders to the neighborhood than anything else, had to be toned down a bit thanks to lawyers for the copyright holders of the Potter fictional universe: Warner Bros. Studios.

Stripped of its major attraction, this weekend’s festival might seem poised to be somewhat of a letdown, but in a lot of ways, the smaller scale will likely make the event a lot more enjoyable to anyone who does come to Germantown Avenue for the a Friday night beer crawl, the more family friendly screening of Beauty and the Beast or Saturday’s many various activities. The streets won’t be closed, you won’t have to park in Plymouth Meeting, and the sidewalks will be a bit crowded but a lot more manageable.

It might be a lot like the festival’s fun, early days.

And, while Potter might be absent from the events planned for the main Germantown Avenue shopping district, the popular series and its culture will be featured prominently at Chestnut Hill College, which in addition to its annual Brotherly Cup Quidditch Tournament, will host an expanded academic conference devoted to what has become the best selling set of books of all time.

For the serious Potter fan, one who wants to do more than wear a cape and a Griffindor scarf, the conference is a remarkable opportunity to engage in the source material – to hear academics discuss the everything from the symbolism in the stories to how the books impact the culture at large. What Drs. Karen Wendling and Patrick McCauley have fostered at the college is nothing short of remarkable. The Hill is host to what appears to be the most prominent and sizable academic conference on Harry Potter in the world. And it’s right here in Chestnut Hill.

A note on the Kids edition

We’re again planning our annual Kids Edition for the issue of Nov. 8. We’re looking for submissions from kids between K-12. Send physical copies to the Chestnut Hill Local, Kids Edition, 8434 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia PA 19118. Email submissions go to pete@chestnuthilllocal.com. Remember to put Kids Submissions should be clearly labeled “Kids Edition” on either the envelope in which they are sent or in the subject line if it is emailed as a jpg attachment.

As in the past, we’re looking for drawings, paintings, creative photos and sketches. We’re also looking for stories and poems, but they must be short. Stories and poems must be a page or less in length. Visual arts must also be no bigger than one 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper unless it is emailed. Deadline is Nov. 1.

Pete Mazzaccaro