Frequently Asked Questions

What is this site?

Potter Parties is an international database of parties celebrating the release of the seventh Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is a fan's ultimate resource for planning the perfect Potter party, from discovering the location of the best party for them, to finding costumes, recipes, decorations, activities and more that will make their party truly come alive.

How do I find a party or event?

On the banner at the top of the site, look for a pulldown box next to text that says "Find a Potter Party Near You!" Click on the box to activate the list and select a country to begin looking for parties.

Why is my country not listed?

If you look on the right-hand side of the page, there is a blue box that says "Stats". Look for the value of "Pending Parties". These are how many parties that are in our database and need more information before we can post them. As soon as we can verify the event information or complete the entry, we will make it live on the site. If you do not see your country on the "Find a Potter Party" list, take the "Add a Party" form to your nearest bookstore and ask them about any event, then post it to our site.

What do "Pending Parties" mean?

If you look at the blue box on the right-hand of most pages marked "Stats" you will see a statistic marked "Pending Parties". These are parties that need further information or clarification & confirmation from the location hosting the event before we post it. In order to make sure the information is as accurate as possible, our events are going through a screening process. If you submit an event, it would be very helpful to have the most complete information possible - preferably from the location hosting the event itself. Otherwise it could take days or weeks to find the information ourselves. There are currently 128 "Pending Parties" in our database.

Why can I not list my fan-organized event?

It is vitally important that all the events on this site have a legitimate host. We believe it is extremely important that we are putting out accurate information and that events listed are actually occuring. Therefore all events posted on our site must be held at a public location. In order to be listed as the Main Event, the event must be officially sponsored or sanctioned by the location at which the event is being held. Fan-organized events must take place at a public location and they will be listed as a Sub Event of the Main Event - we will post an example soon.

If you would like to list a fan event held at a public location but not at one organizing their own Harry Potter event, (i.e. you are pre-ordering your books from Amazon), we suggest setting something up at upcoming.org or Meetup.com. If you email us a link to your event at events@potterparties.com, we will try and link it in.

Who made this site?

This site was developed by The Leaky Cauldron with help from affiliates and friends. Alex Robbin built the site's content management system from scratch and it was designed by John Noe and brought to life by a team of excellent Potter fans. The banner art was illustrated by Chantelle Berg.

May my site become affiliated with yours?

Yes. To become an affiliate you may provide us with a button from your site, which we will display on our "About" page and link, and in exchange you will display a button/banner on your site. To become a sponsor you must also announce news about Potter Parties as there is more to announce. To become an affiliate, please contact us.

I'm a bookstore owner/manager. How does this site help me?

This site allows you to list the details of your specific Potter party - who/what will be there, what activities you're planning, your location, time and more - for free, giving fans the opportunity to browse for parties in their area. It's simple: If your bookstore is listed, more fans will show up. It does not matter if you are part of a large chain store or you an independent bookseller. By listing here, you are given equal access to fans as they decide where to go for their midnight release party. Make your entry more attractive, and more people will want to be at your store!

Then, head over to the decorations, games, recipes and costumes area to find dozens of suggestions on how to make your party truly memorable!

I'm a fan. How does this site help me?

This site allows you to find the Potter parties near you and choose which one looks like the one you want to attend. There are dozens of options for decorations, games, recipes and costumes so that you can attend a party in style and continue it throughout the weekend.

But I'm not going to a midnight party. Is this site still for me?

Absolutely! Are you having a gathering in your home to celebrate the book? Are you sitting and reading privately? Then check out our ideas for decorations, recipes and activities - why not spice up your weekend by having Butterbeer instead of apple juice? We've listed dozens of ways for you to have fun while you read HBP, so browse and enjoy!

I know of a party near me and it's not here. I thought you said you had everything!

Well, no. We are trying to get everything, and thanks to collaboration from some very dedicated fans, and some technologically gifted ones, we have a lot. But we still need to hear from you! So fill out our submission form, tell your local bookstore about us, get the word out to help your fellow fans the way all the HP Webmasters on the web are trying to!

I found another party that should be listed. Who do I tell?

Go right to our submission form and input it. If you don't have all the info, tell the bookstore manager and get them to input the item themselves. We verify all submissions before they go live, so make sure you have the store's contact information.