Fri 7/18 & Sat 7/19

If you’re immersed in magic, or consider yourself a witch, warlock or wizard or a Harry Potter fan, then you will want to get down to Kent for its annual Wizardly Weekend.

If starts on Friday July 18 with The Run That Shall Not Be Named 5 3/4K and 1-mile fun run hosted by Kent Parks and Recreation; participants will get a “magical race packet.” See if it makes you run faster! You can also sign up for the Wobbly Wizards & Dizzy Dragons Bar Crawl and hunt for dragons at each participating location. There’ll be games, music and activities for kids at Dan Smith Community Park; a meet-and-greet with Swish & Flick Podcasters; the Kent State Museum will offer $5 admission to its just-opened Sparkle exhibit for anyone costume, plus  free sparkle wands to the first 50 guests each day.

The activities fly so fast and furious on Saturday, you’ll be dizzy trying to figure out what to do first — you might have to consult your crystal ball. Wand making, potion classes, trivia contests, origami art, a Raptor meet-and-greet and face painting are just a sampling of the activities. There’s also the Whimsical Witches Vendor Market at Acorn Alley with more than 70 booths featuring handmade, magic-themed items. End your day at the Moonlit Hex Ball at 6:30pm at Over Easy at the Depot with food, drink, games, dancing and a costume contest.

Get lots more info and tickets to the ticketed events at mainstreetkent/wizardly-weekend/.