Things You Should Do: Queen City Mischief & Magic (formerly Harry Potter Fest)

For the record, I have a lot of kids. Approximately 500 Exactly 3, though they feel like approximately 500 at times. But our family's never been inclined to shy away from adventures and outings with little ones in tow. We're fortunate to live in an area that is extremely kid friendly, but we've had our share of misses, tantrums, things cut short, experiences that we wish provided a little more bang for the buck. Plus, our time, like everyone else's, is limited. So why waste it on a bad experience or product if you can avoid it? Luckily, we've had a lot of good experiences with places, events, and products. I'll share these good experiences under the Things You Should Do label.

First installment of Things You Should Do: The annual Queen City Mischief & Magic weekend, formerly known as Harry Potter Fest. I believe this was the second year for the festival, and it had clearly grown in crowd size since last year, but with the crowds it was so fun to see all of the fellow Harry Potter enthusiasts young and old. Countless businesses in Staunton's downtown area participate with activities or special products. There is no fee to access the event, though some activities do cost money. I've long been a fan of Staunton, and to see the town come together so enthusiastically to get into the Potter spirit was wonderful. The weekend was brilliant in terms of driving dollars to the downtown businesses, but it was also clear that the main motivation wasn't revenue but a love of all things Potter. The event website linked above is an excellent source of information. You can also check out their facebook page. We'll be adding this event to the annual Must Do calendar. 

Queen City, as always, you are a gem.