Bad news for Harry Potter fans: The popular day-long Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill probably won’t happen again.
According to Chestnut Hill Local, Warner Bros., who owns the licensing for Harry Potter, told the Chestnut Hill Business District (CBID) that they couldn’t use any names or images associated with Harry Potter for their event.
(And yes, that means no butterbeer, either.)
“We had gotten word that Warner Bros. had sent word to restrict a festival in Ithaca,” Philip Dawson, CBID director, said to the Chestnut Hill Local. “We thought they might not crack down on us, but they did.”
Over 45,000 Harry Potter fans would flock to Chestnut Hill for the annual event — which would have celebrated its eighth year in 2018.
Despite its popularity, however, it still cost the district money.
The Chestnut Hill Local reports that CBID lost $50,000, mainly from paying the city police to help with traffic.
Still, Philly area Harry Potter fans are not giving up hope for the Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill to make its return.
A few are calling for a movement to save it with the #SavetheHPFestival hashtag.
Maybe the community effort will work some magic.
