Halloween Harry style

Suzie Harrison

Being a muggle(non-magical person) isn’t cool in Harry Potter’s

book, but Lagunans are in luck because just for Halloween muggles can

be magical at the Neighborhood Church.

For the third year in a row, they’ve created the castle and all

its magic in Laguna Beach for the community to experience.

The idea came to reverend Kel Henderson, who oversees the

children’s program at the church, on a fall day during the Harry

Potter rage while brainstorming the idea of having a large community

event involving youth -- she came up with the idea of a Harry Potter

Halloween.

The castle is filled with different rooms for the kids to explore.

“The owlry room has been designed with a lot of owls because

that’s the way Harry Potter delivers mail -- via owls,” Henderson

said.

“The charms room is directly out of the book -- one of the classes

was charms,” Henderson said. “They’ll become a witch or a wizard with

magic tricks or brewing a potion. One of the crafts they do is make a

wand and get to use it.”

Making telescopes is another craft to do outside the castle, and

there are bean bag tossing and fishing games and prizes to win, along

with face painting, juggling and a wizard tournament.

“There’s an opportunity to act out, cast a spell and win a prize,”

Henderson said. “Here everybody wins -- it’s gives the kids a chance

to act.”

“We also do a castle search to get the kids to look at everything

and enjoy it and then ask questions like how many snakes are in one

room or what was the fortune teller’s name,” Henderson said.

It’s been a huge hit ever since, with more than 250 people

attending the first two events.

The house behind the church, which is usually used for children’s

events, has been transformed into a Potteresque castle.

“I asked for a castle and through muggle magic the visionary

process happened,” Henderson said.

A professional set designer, electrician and carpenter were part

of the exterior design team, and 90% of the artifacts inside were

made by the kids.

“The goblets are paper mache, painted and decorated with broken

jewelry from the rummage sale,” Henderson said.

The children got inventive with the books on the book shelf making

up titles that would go well with the books Harry Potter used such as

“Magic Spells Today.”

“It’s more of a community event than a fund-raiser for the kids

program -- it really is community outreach,” Henderson said. “Having

a Harry Potter Halloween at the church speaks of its openness.”

The Harry Potter Halloween event is from noon to 6 p.m. tomorrow

in the Neighborhood House at the Neighborhood Church at 340 St. Ann’s

Drive. They suggest a $2 donation per child to the church, raffle

tickets are $1 each and lunch is $2 per person.

For questions or to get more information, contact the church at

494-8061.