Mark your calendars, because Wizarding Weekend at McMenamin’s Kennedy School is coming this Summer. It’s three days of magic, Friday July 24-Sunday July 26. While we don’t have a schedule yet, here are some things you can look forward to:
Trivia – We run two different trivia sessions. Friday will feature Harry Potter movie trivia and Saturday will feature book trivia.
Costume contests – Saturday and Sunday will have costume contests for both children and adults. The top 3 winners will walk away with awesome prizes.
Last year we tried something new for our costume contest on Sunday and we’d love to continue it again this year. Magical Mashups will be different each year. Last year we did magical fandoms, combining a Harry Potter character and another magical character from another fandom. We had a great response from the kids, so this year we’re switching it up to Wizards in Muggle sports. Combine Harry Potter with a Muggle sport you think they would play. Get creative!
Magical shops – Because we don’t give any money back to the author, as we don’t agree with her views, we bring in local vendors to sell their wizardy wares! There will be three different rooms to browse – Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and Knockturn Alley – with everything from wands to sweets to magical creatures. Vendors have sold out in the past, so make sure to plan accordingly. This is a great opportunity to pick up something special for yourself, or get a head start on holiday shopping and any upcoming birthdays on your list.
Photobooth – Get a shot of you and your friends/family in your best wizard attire (costumes not required, but highly encouraged) in front of our spellbinding backdrop. Props will be provided, if you want to use them.
Pixie scavenger hunt – Test your luck as a magizoologist or just a nature-lover, by scouring the halls of Kennedy School for escaped pixies! Digitally capture them on your muggle device and, after you’ve found each different type of pixie, share their portraits with a member SPEWW to win HOUSE POINTS!
Special Food & Drink – The House Elves of Kennedy School work hard to create a fun menu for the weekend. You can get their regular menu, too, but all bars and restaurants will serve a handful of Potter-inspired foods and drinks, including Butterbeer!
Movies – Usually, Kennedy School runs all 8 Harry Potter movies over the course of the weekend. This year, you’ll have a selection of other magical movies to choose from. They aren’t set in stone yet, so we can’t announce them here, but as soon as we know, we’ll update this post.
Games, House meet-ups, and charitable donations – Every Wizarding Weekend is a chance for us to give back to our amazing community in several ways. One is throwing this event with the help of Kennedy School to give everyone something free and fun to do during the summer. Another is by collecting school supplies (we also take money) for another local nonprofit to help kids in need. This year, we will be collecting for Boys & Girls Aid. Harry had a whole vault of gold left to him and was lucky enough to be able to escape to the Weasleys when living with the Dursleys was too much. We always feel that Harry would have set up an organization like Boys & Girls Aid to help orphaned and foster children get the support then need, for everyday life, school, and moving into their first apartment as an adult.
We will be adding some to-be-determined games into the weekend and also set up some times for House meet-ups where you can find other wizards and witches to connect with.
We also have a special limited Wizarding Weekend design for our shirts/sweatshirts/crops and 2 different tote bags, which we haven’t had in the past. These will be available for order until July 31. If you purchase before the end of June, these will ship for wear before Wizarding Weekend. Proceeds from these items will benefit Boys & Girls Aid, which is why the price points are a bit more than our regular merch.
You’ve been asking for new SPEWW shirts and we finally delivered for you. We just started a new Bonfire campaign that ends early February (you will still be able to order after that date, but it may take longer to ship).
We have 4 different styles right now, with more to come. Choose from Ask Me About SPEWW, our new logo, and dual sides with either on the front and the other on the back. Most styles come in all four House colors, so you can rep your house and tell everyone about the good SPEWW does while you’re at it. We have everything from t-shirts and hoodies to cropped shirts and kids tees, in all the sizes, so everyone can get something they want.
We’ll be releasing new wizarding designs in the future, with the possibility of limited runs of certain designs, like one for Wizarding Weekend. We hope you love them as much as we do and we’re always open to suggestions as well, because we want you to wear fun things you enjoy. Buy your shirts in our Bonfire shop and look out for posts about new designs (or Bonfire will email you when they are available).
The Hufflepuffs turned out for Fan Expo this year. They started off strong with trivia on Friday and continued through the weekend to pull out a strong win for the House Cup.
Congrats Hufflepuff!
Captain Jack Spiderman
The littlest Gryffindor
Hagrid came to visit
Molly Weasley and her daughter
Sexy Gandalf
Queen Frostine
Frieren brought us some extra magic
Look at these cute Bowtruckles
Caesar the No Drama Llama wanted his letter (no, he really didn’t)
We had a great weekend, where we talked to a lot of new people and many of our regulars, took magical portraits of people in the acceptance letters, sold some of our new merch, and made Bowtruckles with anyone who wanted to take home a fantastic beast of their own.
We were able to interact with our fandom and many others. The Community Zone is always a fun place for us, because we get to see all the little witches and wizards coming to do crafts with us and visit all their other favorite fandoms and the amazing photo ops available. We also had a great view of Matthew Lewis (Neville) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny) at their signing tables.
If you stopped by our booth, thank you. We love chatting with you all and taking portraits for you on those Muggle squares you carry around. We’re looking to switch up our photo booth for future cons, which we hope will be just as enchanting and give you a new opportunity to engage with the magical world.
You can find us next at West Side Comic Con in May, at the Wingspan Events Center in Hillsboro.
Yule ball is always a labor of love and we couldn’t do it without everyone coming together for this one amazing event. We, personally, thank everyone who is part of this night, but this year, we want to go above and beyond and give a more intentional thank you to those involved.
We have hired these amazing professionals to make this night extra special (and you can, too):
DJ Switch PDX has been our DJ since our first Yule Ball. He plays a great mix of pop and nerd music that gets everyone on their feet. He is a wonderful supporter of SPEWW and as a Gryffindor, throws himself whole-heartedly into each event he does. You can see him at various events around town, but you can also hire him for your own event. Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch | Website
Daniela from No Rules Photography captured some of the most gorgeous photos of our 2023 Yule Ball and we’re so excited to have her back. She knew exactly what we wanted and gave us even more than we expected. You can hire her for weddings and other events. She has done some truly magical photo shoots, including LGBTQ+ engagement and wedding photography. Instagram | Facebook | Website
The Rose City Dancing Witches bring whimsy and witchcraft to every event they do and we are so proud to have them be part of the Yule Ball for several years. Each year they do two different performances to entertain our magical community and we love to see them return and also do performances around town the rest of the year. Facebook | Email
Of course, we have so much love for the Sheraton bar & catering staff. They work their brooms off to keep everyone moving through the buffet line, clearing tables, mixing drinks, and keeping us all hydrated during the dance. The hotel also gives us a special room rate, so those who have imbibed or danced too hard can stay the night. Instagram | Facebook | Website
Our raffle table in 2024
Our raffle is always a big part of the funds we bring in for our charity and this year a lot of really wonderful local artists, businesses and individuals stepped up to make this one of the biggest raffles we’ve ever had. If you didn’t win, want to purchase something directly from them, or want to follow them on socials, you can find them here:
Art of Jo Nicholson
Jo Nicholson has been one of our great vendors for Wizarding Weekend and we are thrilled to bring a few of her fun pieces to our Yule Ball raffle. She has witchy prints, stickers, and more. Instagram | Facebook | Etsy
Black Cat Frozen Custard
The newest witchy shop in town serves up delicious frozen custard creations in a spellbinding setting + has a secret speakeasy coffee shop where you can have your conspiratorial meetings. SPEWW can neither confirm nor deny having one of our own. Instagram | Website
Bunnies-N-More
Do you have an exotic animal that needs some care? Bunnies-N-More does mobile grooming, emergency care, pet sitting, and even animal education in your classroom, party, or event. Need your iguana’s nails clipped or someone to take amazing care of your rats while you’re away? This is where you go! Instagram | Facebook | Yelp | Website
Cascadia Roots
When you’re looking for small batch organic skin and body care products, Cascadia Roots has a variety of sprays and potions to suit you. From scrape and bug spray to nursing balm and calming spray, you can feel good about using these products made for the whole family. Instagram | Facebook | Website
The Freckled Lion Workshop
Geeks selling laser-cut decor and gaming accessories for other geeks. Whether you’re looking for coasters, ornaments, or a place to roll and display your dice during your latest D&D campaign, with your favorite fandom on it, The Freckled Lion Workshop might have just the thing. Facebook | Instagram | Website
Goddesses & Grimoires
We have had a working relationship with Goddesses & Grimoires for years and they never fail to impress with their spooky and witchy wares. Get you potions, wands, monster books, and everything in between. Instagram
Historical Conjurer
We all love magic and there’s nothing more magical than a Muggle magician, because they have to make you believe it’s real. Professor DR Schreiber does historical illusions and magic at events around the Portland area, including doing multiple shows per day at Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium’s annual Harry Potter tea. He’s available for private parties and other events you want to add a bit of enchantment to and also learn some History of Magic. Instagram | Facebook | Website
Hopscotch
Hopscotch Portland is a spellbinding interactive art museum with different rooms dedicated to different kinds of art, from large murals in a room the size of a warehouse to small rooms resembling a recording space where you play with colors to a glowing ball pit for all ages. There’s even a bar in the lobby. Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | LinkedIn | Website
The Macabre Father
Xander makes creepy, kooky, and nerdy plushes, cake boxes, cookie magnets and more, all to scratch the itch for your favorite fandom or vibe. They do a great trade at Wizarding Weekend with their plush House bats and multiple sizes of fuzzy Acromantulas. Instagram | Facebook | Website
McMenamins Kennedy School
As you may or may not know, Kennedy School hosts our Wizarding Weekend every year. This historical school-turned-hotel is one of Portland’s unique landmarks, with several bars and a restaurant on the premises. Guests love the quirky rooms and the soaking pool that can rival the Prefect’s bathroom. It’s also located in a great, quiet neighborhood and has a ton of parking, which can be rare other places in the city. Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website
Misplaced Magical Creatures
Are you looking to adopt a Fantastic Beast all your own? Perhaps a Bowtruckle for your tree or favorite houseplant or a colorful Pygmy Puff to match your House or personality. Jenna conjures them all and fosters them until they are ready to go to their new magical homes. We’re lucky that Misplaced Magical Creatures only vends one show per year and that happens to be Wizarding Weekend. Instagram | TikTok | Etsy
My Journal City
Write down your innermost secrets, new spells, or travel memories in one of Kevin’s journals made from repurposed materials. Choose from vintage book covers, movie box art, and all your other favorite iconic pieces of pop culture. Facebook
¿Por Qué No? Taqueria
We don’t know about your House Elves, but the ones at school don’t make tacos or other Mexican food. Probably because they’ve never had it. If you want drinks and eats just as good as an elf could have made it, ¿Por Qué No? is the place to go. Indulge in brunch, Taco Tuesdays, and even holiday tamale orders. Instagram | Facebook | Website
Raven’s Manor
If spooky settings and creative food and drinks are your cup of Butterbeer, then Raven’s Manor has a seat for you. The dark, creepy vibes are only made better by cocktails that come in a lantern or a trio of screaming beignet ghosts. The menu changes to match the haunted feel of every season. Instagram | Facebook | Website
RoseCraft Accessories
You might be looking for a new creature to add to your family or helpful household items, like hot pads or kitchen towels promoting your favorite fandom or team. RoseCraft may be a bit hard to find, but they are worth the search or wait for the next craft fair they Apparate to. Facebook
Rushing’s Rarities
Searchers of spooky prop replicas, potion labels, magical accessories, and wooden signs will find them at Rushing’s Rarities. Mummified hands, spell components, handmade wands are just some of the things that you’ll find in their store and craft fairs around town. They’ll even work with you to make something customized. Instagram | Facebook | Website
Secret Dragon Collectibles
Secret Dragon Collectibles adopts out their handmade beaded dragons and magical accessories like these flying keys. If you’ve been to Wizarding Weekend, you’ve likely oohed and aahed over their elaborate and colorful dragons. You may have even taken one home. Instagram | Facebook |Website
Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel
Sheraton has been our Yule Ball venue for 3 years now and we couldn’t be happier with the staff, space, catering, and rooms. Not only does it offer tons of parking and space for our partying, they have great ideas for Yule Ball, and offer our guests a special discount on rooms. Instagram | Facebook | Website
Shereen Travels Cheap
Shereen runs a budget travel blog where she gives advice on how to travel more affordably for adults who aren’t willing to sleep in hostels or on people’s couches. She reviews travel items and destinations, while giving practical tips to do more while spending less. Instagram | Facebook | Website
The Sparkly Stitcher
Decorate your home with beautiful geeky cross-stitch of all sizes. Get a tiny Deathly Hallows stitch or a large piece for your Dr. Who loving heart. You’ll find them at craft fairs across the metro area or you can request a custom piece for commission. Instagram
Stargazer’s Gourmet
One of our favorite sweets makers, Stargazer’s Gourmet is known for their handmade small-batch fudge in amazing flavors, including those inspired by the Wizarding World. You can also find some of those sweets you might find in Honeydukes, so you can live your wizard candy dreams. Instagram | Facebook | Website
VDX Designs
If you’re looking for quality woodwork with your favorite fandom, VDX Designs makes it. From laser-etched dungeon master screens to shields to wooden ornaments, you’re likely to find everything for the geeks on your list or yourself. Instagram | Facebook | Etsy
Westside Comic Con
Hillsboro is getting its own Con in 2026. We’re thrilled to be part of their inaugural year and are excited to see the west side getting a new way for people to engage with the community and another reason to perfect those cosplays. We’re looking forward to more artists, vendors, nerds, fandom, and more! Instagram | Facebook | Website
We also have to say a giant thank you to all the volunteers that help us set up, run the Yule Ball, and tear down at the end of a long night. We truly couldn’t do any of it without them ♥
Are your looking for the magical balance between buying holiday gifts and supporting small and local businesses? Then you want to jump on your broom and get to Geek the Halls this month.
A bunch of nerdy makers get together and sell all their amazing goodies, from candles to dice towers to coasters, or ornaments. Anything cool and fandom-related are represented there and SPEWW will be there, too! What’s more personal for your friends and family than a handmade gift from their favorite book, movie, or tv show?
We’ll be bringing back our Portable Patronus boxes this year, plus we’ll have Prophecy craft boxes, our usual array of magnets, buttons, & stickers, and jewelry, including our new wizarding friendship bracelets (both already made and DIY kits that are great for stockings and Hanukkah gifts). Come say hey to us and pick up something affordable for other witches and wizards on your gift list, while helping out a local nonprofit.
Where: DoubleTree Exhibit Hall near the Lloyd Center in Portland
When: Saturday November 29-Sunday November 30 | 10am – 5pm
Sorry everyone! SPEWW has had an infestation of pesky Pixies who have rearranged all of our schedules and now we need to sort those out and reschedule our book event for this week. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we know when and where it will take place.
It’s Banned Books Week and while we aren’t doing anything specifically for the week, we have come up with a challenge for the month. Do you want to encourage more reading and also get entered to win 2 tickets to Yule Ball? Let’s stock those free little libraries around town with more reading material!
The challenge:
Donate a book (or more) to a local Free Little Library for House Points and entry/entries for Yule Ball tickets.
Rules for entry:
Donate a book and take a pic of you doing so for 1 House Point and 1 entry.
Donate a BANNED Book and post a pic of you doing so for 5 House Points and 5 entries.
Donate an LGBTQ+ or other inclusive book that isn’t on the banned books list and post a pic of you doing so for 3 House Points and 3 entries.
Dress as a witch or wizard while donating and we’ll give you a bonus 5 House Points and entries.
You can donate up to 3 books for points through October 31. (this means you can earn up to 30 House Points and 30 entries)
Post pics and tag us either on FB or IG and use #SPEWWBannedBooksChallenge and include your Hogwarts House. You’ll gain points for your House, which we’ll tally up at the end of the month, and entry/entries for Yule Ball tickets.
You can still join the challenge if you don’t live in the area and can’t come to the ball. Donate a book to your local Free Little Library to encourage more reading in your neighborhood. You will still get House Points and the magical feeling of putting more books in the world.
We will draw a winner on November 1 at noon PST and also announce the House Cup winner.
Remember when Harry had to defend himself and his cousin against Dementor’s trying to suck out their souls, and instead of anyone believing him, he got in trouble twice? Once with the Dursley’s for Dudley’s emotional state and again with the Ministry for doing underage magic? He got a lovely court summons that said “As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards’ Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on August 12th. Hoping you are well, Yours sincerely, Mafalda Hopkirk“and then had to go into the courtroom alone, as an underage wizard!? You can’t do magic to save a life, but you can represent yourself in court. Make it make sense!
Well, unfortunately, underage Muggles have the same problems, but they don’t have Dumbledore to swoop in and fix all them all like magic. Instead, they have KIND – Kids In Need of Defense. They are a nonprofit that provides legal council to immigrant children who deserve to have their rights upheld and not have to defend themselves in court in a language that might be completely foreign to them.
Right now, many organizations like KIND are being defunded by the federal government and are dependent on outside donations. We think everyone needs someone to stand up for them, and KIND does this for the most vulnerable among us. Help us conjure the galleons KIND needs to do the most good in this tenuous time, by buying Yule Ball tickets and raffle tickets at the event. We are lining up a great table full of amazing raffle prizes, including a stay at the Airport Sheraton with free parking and dinner, so we hope you’ll stop at Gringott’s on your way. (We also except those Muggle cards that are attached to their non-wizarding banks.)
Yule Ball tickets have gone on sale and we have a theme this year! Yes, yule is its own theme, but this year we’ll be adding dragons! Since we have our virtual Triwizard Tournament leading up to the Ball, we wanted to also bring that to our decor. That means if you are buying a Champion’s Feast ticket, you can choose a specific dragon-named table to sit at.
Unlike the dragons in the Tournament, our dragons will be free-range, much smaller, and won’t set you on fire.
Again, tickets for Yule Ball are $45 for Generally Magical tickets & $105 for Champion’s Feast tickets (this includes a buffet dinner + swag) and can be purchased here.
This event is 21 and over, an excuse to dress up in your wizarding best (or Muggle best), drink some adult Butterbeer (or other themed beverages), and dance with your fellow nerds. Come stag, bring your significant other, or come in a group. Everyone is welcome and people make new friends every year. It takes place at the Portland Airport Sheraton and will have some fantastic raffle prizes as well.
We also always look for volunteers for this event. If you volunteer, you get free general entry to the Ball. We need help setting up, tearing down, running the raffle table, and checking people in. Last year, we were blessed with so many great volunteers who worked their magic to set up so much more quickly than we have set up in the past. We would love to have you for 2025. You can sign up to be a volunteer on this form if you haven’t volunteered with us before. If you have, we’ll be sending out emails mid- to late-October.
Stay tuned for our menu. In the meantime, here’s alink for special room discount if you’d like to stay at the Sheraton. We can’t wait to see you at the Ball!
We love a good book and we love sharing our favorite books with people. The beginning of October is Banned Books Week, and we’ll be doing something special for that, but afterwards, we wanted to do something fun and book-related for you all in the Portland area.
Join us for Blind Date with a Magic Book! Everyone will bring one (or more) book that they wrap up and write teasers for, so others can find a new book that they vibe with to take home with them. Your books should center around magic in some way – since we all came together for our love of Harry Potter – but can be any genre.
Wrap your book in kraft paper or plain wrapping paper and decorate it if you like. On the front, write a few keywords or a teaser sentence (e.g., “Time travel, Found Family, 1920s”). You could even include the first line of the book—just no spoilers. Aim for 3 clues that will help others determine if they might like the book.
The Portland Hostel Cafe has offered to host our event, so you have the option to order off their delicious menu or one of their many alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.
We’ll also have cards for you to write down book titles that you don’t take home, but sound like something you might like to read in the future. We would also love if you bring a list of other magical books you think people would like if they enjoyed Harry Potter.
Donate a book and take a pic of you doing so for 1 House Point and 1 entry. 
Donate a 
Donate an LGBTQ+ or other inclusive book that isn’t on the banned books list and post a pic of you doing so for 3 House Points and 3 entries. 
Dress as a witch or wizard while donating and we’ll give you a bonus 5 House Points and entries.
Welcome to SPEWW PDX 