"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" opens in Chicago on July 15, 2011, with numerous midnight screenings and even a Potter-themed classical concert. Let the Harry Potter mania begin!
If you want to know what kind of fan frenzy Potter has stirred up with his magical wand, you need look no further than your local movie theater. From London to New York, Chicago to Los Angeles, Harry Potter fans are filling the streets, camping out in line for up to a week or more, all waiting to be the first to see "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2."
This film marks the cinematic ending to a 10-year, multi-billion-dollar, eight-part big screen adaptation, earning the honor of the most successful movie franchise in history, according to its producers at Warner Bros.
If you want to be part of this historic moment, here are ways you can enjoy the wonderful, wizardry fun in Chicago.
On Thursday, July 14, 2011, get your Harry and friends thrills in full 3D glory at these Harry Potter 3D midnight screenings in Chicago:
AMC Loews, 600 N. Michigan, Chicago.
Regal Webster Place, 1471 W. Webster, Chicago.
Showplace ICON, 150 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago.
AMC Showplace Village Crossing 18, 7000 N. Carpenter St., Skokie.
Cinemark Melrose Park, 1001 W. North Ave., Melrose Park, among others.
Many of these screenings will sell out, so I would move quickly on this one to get your tickets.
Your little Harry Potter fans will adore the Harry Potter Event at Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, Illinois. On July 15 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., there will be an Open House at Hogwarts, during which the Discovery Center will transform into the infamous school for witches and wizards, and kids can experiment with potions, decorate a dragon, explore astronomy, see live owls, and attend herbology classes. Costumes are encouraged, and adults are welcome to attend.
Discovery Center Museum is located at 711 N. Main St., Rockford, Illinois. For more information and to get your tickets, go to: www.discoverycentermuseum.org.
Harry Potter will get the classy treatment when the elegant Park Ridge Fine Arts Society presents a Potter-themed concert in the park, "Hooray for Harry Potter," on Friday, July 15, 2011, at 8 p.m. in Hodges Park, Courtland and Vine Streets, Park Ridge, Illinois.
Finally, if you want to meet one of the actors in person, here's some exciting, breaking news: Harry Potter star Tom Felton will be making a live Chicago appearance to meet fans, take photos, and sign autographs at the Hollywood Boulevard Cinema in Woodridge on July 22 and July 24 and at the Hollywood Palms Cinema in Naperville on July 23. Tickets are available online through the theater websites.
If you are sad that the charming, bespectacled Harry may meet his on-screen demise, take comfort to remember Dumbledore's poignant words: "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live..."
Patricia Batson has worked in television and film productions as a background extra in Hollywood, California, and Chicago, Illinois, as well as for local advertising agencies, TV, and radio stations. Her resume includes "The Chicago Code," "Glee," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Dilemma," and "Get Him to the Greek."
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