Never underestimate the lure of Harry Potter. That’s what my wife kept telling me during the Wizarding World of Okotoks.

Organized by the Okotoks Arts Council, the Harry Potter inspired event brought thousands of people to town to shop, play quidditch, search for Horcruxes, and dress up as their favourite characters.

I loved how everyone got into the spirit of the day.

There were plenty of Hogwarts students, witches and wizards. My favourite costumes I saw were Hagrid, Dobby the house elf and Moaning Myrle, complete with a toilet seat around her neck. And, I have to give a shout out to the one and only Rita Skeeter at the Daily Prophet (aka. the Western Wheel).

I admit, I wasn’t dressed up on Saturday. The closest I came to impersonating anyone in the wizarding universe was later that night. During my mom’s 70th birthday, I was running around my parents house looking for some rodents that snuck into my parents house like Ron Weasley searching for Scabbers.

What I loved most was the level of detail and depth of experiences available and how people took to them.

When I poked my head into the Ministry of Magic (aka. town council chamber) someone came up behind me and pushed forward to face judgement from the judges (aka. town councillors). Apparently, I was seen riding my broom aggressively the previous morning. They didn’t accept my explanation that I hadn’t had my morning coffee yet, so I was issued a two-week flying ban.

At least I wasn’t sent to Azkaban, though I would’ve had company. The front page of the Daily Prophet reported that Minister Fudge (Aka. Western Wheel publisher Matt Rockley) had sent Hagrid to Azkaban.

Everyone must’ve had a great time because over the next two days, I was asked several times if I thought it would return next year.

For my part, I hope it does. I have a year to figure out who I’ll dress up as.