By Kevin Carroll [email protected]

Boozy B’s hosted their third annual Wizarding Fall Fest in Midtown Village in Wilkes-Barre this weekend, from Friday to Sunday.

Boozy Bee’s Wizarding Weekend brings a bit of magic to city

Joia Binion, of Mechanicsburg, takes her shot at axe throwing courtesy of Endless Mountain Axe Throwing at Wizarding Fall Fest on Sunday.

Two Nimbus 2000s, modeled after one of the brooms Harry Potter rode for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, were up for auction at Wizarding Fall Fest.

Amanda Green and Mark Green pose in their Hogwarts robes at Wizarding Fall Fest

WILKES-BARRE — Magic was in the air this weekend at Midtown Village, as fans of the beloved “Harry Potter” series flocked to the downtown for Boozy B’s third annual Wizarding Fall Festival Weekend.

Admission to Wizarding Weekend was not reliant on a letter from Hogwarts; folks from far and wide, even from out of state, were welcome to join in on the fun, check out a few local businesses and sample some of Boozy B’s enchantingly tasty treats.

“It’s been a great turnout,” said Boozy B’s co-owner Bianca Lupio, who kept plenty busy with fellow owner Autumn Eckert over the three-day event, starting on Friday afternoon and running through Sunday night.

“We’re super excited to have all these vendors with their interesting crafts to show,” Eckert added.

The weekend turned out around 28 vendors according to Lupio and Eckert, making it the biggest Wizarding Weekend to date for Boozy B’s, an alcohol-infused ice cream shop that’s become a very popular stop in both Wilkes-Barre and at the shop’s Scranton location, as well.

Each of the weekend’s vendors brought something different to the table, and every one of the tents felt right at home with the Wizarding and Halloween themes of the day: oddities and spooky things were around each corner.

It wasn’t just about the themes, though. Each vendor had the chance to show off their skillyfully-created products, including handmade clothing, glasses and jewelry.

Alexandra Kopiak, owner of CraftyCGgifts, was selling her own glassware, each piece painted with the crest of a different Hogwarts house on them and with a different passage from the Harry Potter series of books at the bottom of the glass.

“I’ve always been creative, and I like these because each individual cup is unique,” Kopiak said.

Asked about the messages that she took away from the Harry Potter saga, Kopiak mentioned the power of inclusion.

“It’s just about acceptance, being accepting of people for who they are,” she said.

Kopiak claimed Hufflepuff as her Hogwarts house; so did a number of other folks walking the Village on Sunday.

“It’s about loyalty, kindness … and I’m nice,” said Shy Rosario, a Hufflepuff from Harrisburg, who tried out the Endless Mountain Axe Throwing booth with her friend and fellow Hufflepuff Joia Binion.

Binion said that Rosario had introduced her to the Harry Potter books, and that she was inspired by the titular character’s toughness against the battles he faced.

“He was resilient, he overcame so much,” Binion said. “He just survived it all.”

For Erin McGoff, proprietor of Cozy Cupcake Boutique, the Potter books provided an escape when she initially read them.

“It was an easy way to get lost, to take my mind off things,” she said.

This Wizarding Weekend could also be seen as a tribute of sorts, to the life of Robbie Coltrane. Coltrane, who portrayed the lovable Rubeus Hagrid in the Potter movies, passed away on Friday at the age of 72.

“I cried when I found out,” Rosario said.

Many witches and wizards attended the festival dressed in their Hogwart robes, looking ready to catch the train at King’s Cross Station at the beginning of term.

“We just got these, I’m glad we found a reason to wear the robes,” said Amanda Green, wearing her Ravenclaw robes. “We love it here, love the style and the drinks. … This is super cool.”

Wrapping up on Sunday evening, the Boozy B’s crew will look to build on the huge success that Wizarding Weekend has brought and roll it into next year.

“We’re looking to grow each year,” Lupio said. “Hopefully next year we could make it even bigger.”