Harry Potter Day runs 2-6 p.m. Aug. 21, and those 240 minutes include activities, food and fun at My Chic Geek’s family-friendly monthly celebration at 4413 N. Meridian Ave.
Londall Guyse, shop owner and self-proclaimed Slytherin, said his favorite book in the series is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
“We are taking over the whole block, essentially,” he said about the area at NW 44th Street and Meridian Avenue. “We’re working on our butterbeer recipe, and since our shop used to be a house with a backyard, we’re working on hosting some Quidditch there.”
A highlight of the day will be Hogwarts, open to 60 lucky students. For $10, which includes a wand, students will enjoy wand selection and classes such as Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. After the classes, each of which lasts 10 minutes, Hogwarts opens for tours.
“We will also have wand selection for the general public, too, throughout the day,” Guyse said.
Guests also are encouraged to come in costume.
“I’m still deciding whether to go generic or to be a particular character,” Guyse said. “I’m pretty bald, so I have a good head for wigs, but I’m not going to be Snape.”
Wares worthy of Borgin and Burkes will be sold in Vendor Alley, and there will be food trucks on hand for a quick nosh.
“We expect a big turnout for Harry Potter, and we will be ready for a crowd,” he added.
My Chic Geek opened in November. Guyse and his wife of four years, Dawn, wanted a shop that costumers and regular dressers could both enjoy. The couple has four kids ages 11 to 22 between them, and their costuming preferences span Harry Potter, Star Wars and anime.
“It’s going really well,” Guyse said. “You can come in and buy a Harry Potter purse or scarf, or you can come in and buy a regular purse or scarf. When we were planning our store, we thought about locating in a mall, but we really wanted space for events. I was a retail buyer for years and have been doing costuming for three years.”
The duo celebrates a different genre or segment of the costuming community once a month and has hosted a Ghostbusters event complete with a 30-foot-tall Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a Star Wars day and a special day for Whovians (fans of cult favorite show Doctor Who). A Firefly day is planned for Sept. 8.
My Chic Geek has apparel and accessory items featuring Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Fallout, Ghostbusters and more. It also sells non-themed goodies.
“We just got back from a Star Wars celebration in Anaheim,” Guyse said. “We are members of Jedi OKC, which has been around for 15 years and does a lot of charity work, and giving back is built into our business model as well.”
My Chic Geek donates five percent of what it earns to Positive Tomorrows and five percent to INTEGRIS Mental Health in Spencer.
Learn more at mychicgeek.com and facebook.com/mychicgeek.
Print Headline: Gallopin’ Gorgons!, Pottermania comes alive at an Aug. 21 celebration in OKC.
