At left, stuffed animals ride in Mr. Weasley’s flying car at the Harry Potter sleepover at the Goleta Valley Library. At right, animals enjoy their feast at the Great Hall.
Stuffed animals magically slept over recently at the Goleta Valley Library, which magically became Hogwarts.
There was a big turnout as kids dropped off 219 stuffed animals Oct. 28 for the library’s Stuffed Animal Sleepover: Harry Potter Edition. The animals stayed overnight, where they went on magical adventures.
They started their journey with the Sorting Hat to join their Hogwarts House. With scarves in hand, they loaded their suitcases onto the Hogwarts Express, had dinner in the Great Hall, played a round of Quidditch and even sneaked into the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library.
Some stuffed animals arrived late but were able to take Mr. Weasley’s flying car through the Forbidden Forest to arrive just in time for the celebration.
Most of the stuffed animals were well-behaved, but a couple were from House Slytherin — and you know what that means. They caused some mischief, but it was all light-hearted.
The two-day wizarding event ended Oct. 29 with a special Harry Potter celebration. Guests had their pictures taken with Dumbledore and Hedwig, found out their house with the Sorting Hat, became the face of Azkaban’s “Most Wanted,” and took home photos from their stuffed animals’ visit to Hogwarts.
Every visitor also received a personalized acceptance letter from Hogwarts. Their letter included a goodie bag with a wand, glasses and a bookmark.
Fun activities are a constant at the Goleta Valley Library. For more information, go to www.goletavalleylibrary.org and click on the events calendar.
email: dmason@newspress.com
