Tag Archives: charity

Yule Ball Thank Yous

Posted on December 6, 2025 | Leave a comment

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 ♥

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Get Ready to Dance the Night Away

Posted on September 14, 2025 | Leave a comment

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 a link for special room discount if you’d like to stay at the Sheraton. We can’t wait to see you at the Ball!

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Wizarding Weekend Wrap-Up

Posted on August 12, 2025 | Leave a comment

2025 Wizarding Weekend was bit quieter than usual, but we were lucky to have a steady stream of magical people come through McMenamin’s Kennedy School to play trivia and bingo, hunt for Pixies, enter our costume contests, and shop our awesome vendors.

We tried some new things this year and some went well and some might need another year to get going. Our Sunday Magical Mash-Up Costume Contest was a hit with the kids who entered. Of course, we allowed everyone’s magical costumes to enter, but we had a large percentage of children who took the challenge.

Our try at doing House meet-ups wasn’t that popular, but we also didn’t do much in the way of announcements, so we will try again next year, and maybe add some other meet-ups into the mix, and hope we do more in the way of letting people know they are happening.

Another new thing we did this year was incorporating Way of the Wand into our programming. We had a small, but enthusiastic group of children learning to do wand techniques and move around. We did this on Sunday evening, which might not be the most ideal time to do it. In 2026 we may try to move this to Friday evening and/or Sunday morning.

We were blessed with some awesome volunteers who were willing to jump right in and help wherever needed, including hosting our Saturday costume contest.

As always, we threw this whole weekend for charity. We collected school supplies and raised funds for Rose Haven day shelter for women. People turned out with bags and boxes of supplies. We had some witches come with adorable House-themed supply bags and another couple come with two backpacks that they said was filled with one of everything on the list we posted. We love this community! At the end of the weekend, we had an entire car filled with backpacks and supplies that will be donated next week, along with a check from SPEWW for $3200, to Rose Haven. We are so proud to do this for those in need and hope it helps their school year start off better than it would have otherwise.

Thank you to everyone who came to Wizarding Weekend to make it the success it was. We are always honored to have such wonderful people engaging with our events and helping to make life better for those less fortunate than us. Harry was lucky to have a vault full of gold and a second home at Hogwarts and we know for certain that he would do his best to put that money to good use in the real world. He may not be able to do that, but we are proud to do it in his name, while having a great time with new and old magical friends, drinking Butterbeer, and also supporting artists from our community.

We can’t wait to do this again in 2026. Next up, Rose City Comic Con!

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Announcing 2025 Wizarding Weekend’s Charity Partner

Posted on June 6, 2025 | 2 comments

UPDATED LIST as of 6/19

Great news! This year for Wizarding Weekend, our charity partner will be Rose Haven, a day shelter and community center for women, children, and gender non-conforming folx experiencing houselessness. They help by giving them a safe place to shower and create community, have a meal, get much needed clothing in order to find employment, give them a mailing address, and help with other social services.

We’ve worked with Rose Haven before and feel like they do very important work. We were lucky enough to take a tour and meet some of the lovely women who work there and learn about everything they do. You can donate all year to them. They have a list of items they need most that they update regularly on their website.

We’ll be collecting school supplies for the children. What we know they need so far:

  • Backpacks
  • Boxes of 10 Crayola brand fine tip markers
  • Boxes of 24 Crayola colored pencils, sharpened
  • Packages of wide ruled loose leaf paper with punched holes
  • Spiral bound notebooks
  • Pencil pouches
  • Pencil sharpeners
  • 12 ct Sharpie chisel highlighters
  • 24 or 16 ct Crayola crayons
  • 12 ct Crayola washable markers
  • No 2 pencils
  • Kids safety scissors (round point)
  • Plastic rulers
  • Elmer’s purple glue sticks
  • Elmer’s liquid glue
  • Composition notebooks
  • Graph paper composition notebooks
  • Ruled 3×5 notecards
  • Bic stick grip xtra comfort ballpoint pens (blue or black)
  • Bic brite liner chisel tip highlighters (yellow)

As always, with each donation, you’ll receive House Points and they will be added to points given for our Pixie Hunt and other activities. The winning House will be announced at the end of Sunday and we will post it on our socials.

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Tickets on Sale for 2024 Yule Ball – Don’t Miss Out!

Posted on October 5, 2024 | Leave a comment

The wizard activists of PDXpelliarmus are excited to invite you to the 2024 Yule Ball, on December 14th, 2024! The Yule Ball is an enchanted evening of well-mannered frivolity, celebrating our magical community, and doing some good in the world! Every year, Yule Ball gets more magical and we see a lot of familiar faces and love meeting new ones. We’d love to see you there. Tickets are on sale now, and you can purchase them here:

https://pdxhpa.betterworld.org/events/2024-yule-ball

Generally Magical tickets are $45. Champion’s Feast tickets are $105.

The Yule Ball is first and foremost, a dance! There will be music, themed cocktails, an expansive raffle, and a photo booth so you can capture the magic of the evening.

Wizarding attire or formalwear are strongly encouraged, and muggle street clothes may be subject to transfiguration. This event will be 21+, with NO underage wizards allowed.

Before the dance begins, we will be hosting the Champion’s Feast! Champion’s Feast tickets come with dinner, magical swag, and a seat at a table in the ballroom. Each table is named after a location in the Wizarding World so when you purchase your tables, your party can plan to sit together.

Got a whole Quidditch Team to bring? A limited number of whole tables are also available. Whole tables include eight Champion’s Feast tickets, as well as the option to name your table and decide where in the ballroom it will be located. Champion’s Feast Whole Tables are $850.

In the weeks leading up to the Ball, all guests will be challenged to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, a real-world competition designed to test your bravery, cunning, determination, and creativity. The winner of the Triwizard Tournament will receive a special award at the Ball!

This year, the Yule Ball is returning to the Mt. Hood Ballroom at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel. (An airport is a location where muggles gather to ride in large dragon-like flying machines, as they lack portkeys and broomsticks.) This venue features its own entrance, with bountiful and free parking, and lots of room for us to spread out in! Guests who like to dance into the wee hours will also be able to get discounted rooms at the hotel, so you won’t need to worry about apparition accidents or overcrowded Knight Buses. Returning to the same venue is also giving us the chance to really lean into transforming the space to make it as magical as possible. Expect some new wonders this year!

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2024 Wizarding Weekend

Posted on August 13, 2024 | Leave a comment

We got away from the muggle world for a weekend of magic at McMenamins Kennedy School! Hosting activities in the Great Hall, vendors in Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, and Hogsmeade, PDXpelliarmus celebrated our favorite wizard’s birthday with three days of wonder and fun!

The Great Hall apparated into Kennedy School’s gym, where folks could sit at their House tables to enjoy a cold butterbeer, take their Hogwarts school portrait, and begin a hunt for escaped magical creatures! PDXpelliarmus presented trivia on Friday and Saturday and costume contests Saturday and Sunday. Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, and Hogsmeade were open Friday evening through Sunday, giving folks the chance to shop for magical treasures made by local artists and craftspeople.

Check out the photo album here!

Wizarding Weekend was free and open to the public, only requiring a ticket if you want to enjoy one of the movies in the Kennedy School theater, but PDXpelliarmus raised funds and collect school supplies! This year’s donations went to Rose Haven, a day shelter and community center serving women, children, and gender non-conforming people experiencing trauma, loss of home, or other challenges.

We all understand how lucky Harry was to find himself with a vault full of galleons when it came time to go back to school, and to have a safe place away from the neglect and abuse he suffered with the Dursleys. While we can’t make his story true for everyone in a similar position, we can make the return to school better for some, and help a program that supports them!

We collected almost 30 backpacks full of school supplies, and raised $3000!

PDXpelliarmus is an all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to literacy, equality, and human rights. We stand with the Harry Potter fandom, and we believe there still good to be done in Harry’s name. We are committed to helping uplift and empower the transgender community as well as create safe spaces for all LGBTQIA+ people in the HP fandom.

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2023 Wizarding Weekend at Kennedy School!

Posted on August 6, 2023 | Leave a comment

We had another magical weekend at Kennedy School, getting away from the muggle world with movies, games, costumes, and so much butterbeer! PDXpelliarmus hosted book and movie trivia, costume contests for kids and adults and a Horcrux Hunt! Young guests helped us find wayward pixies! Artists, craftspeople, and makers filled our three vendor spaces with their own kinds of magic.

We did it all to raise funds and collect school supplies for Boys & Girls Aid, an Oregon nonprofit that serves children in foster care. Harry Potter fans proved again why they are the best people, bringing in loads of backpacks, socks, notebooks, pens, markers, and so many other items that will be going directly to children as they prepare to go back to school. Via cash donations and a raffle for a one-night stay at McMenamins Kennedy School, we raised $3,000 to donate to Boys & Girls Aid as well!

It was wonderful to connect with our magical community, and to see the joy that we can still find in the HP fandom while committing to creating open and inclusive spaces. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

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2022 Yule Ball

Posted on June 7, 2023 | Leave a comment

On Saturday, December 10th, PDXpelliarmus brought back the Yule Ball! Returning to our original venue, the historic Emerald Ballroom, the ball was an enchanted evening of well-mannered frivolity for a great cause! This year’s Yule Ball was a fundraiser for Q Center, Portland’s LGBTQ+ community center.

Guests enjoyed magically-themed food and drinks, dancing, and the chance to celebrate with their magical community! We saw performances by the PDX Dancing Witches. We hosted a raffle to raise more funds for Q Center, and awarded the 2022 Virtual Triwizard Championship!

With our guest’s support, PDXpelliarmus was able to raise $4000 to donate to Q Center! Thank you to everyone who joined us in making magic happen!

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Wizarding Weekend at Kennedy School 2022!

Posted on February 11, 2023 | Leave a comment

What a magical weekend!

Once again, PDXpelliarmus teamed up with McMenamins Kennedy School to present Wizarding Weekend, three days of magical fun for a great cause!

Kennedy School showed all seven movies, Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley featured local vendors and artists, and we opened the Great Hall for activities like trivia, costume contests, and magical games!

In between all that fun, you donated 525 books to Children’s Book Bank! Those books went to CBB’s Building Home Libraries and Free Summer Book Fairs! We also raised $1,500 to donate direct to local teachers to help build their classroom libraries! McMenamin’s donated a portion of ticket sales from the movies to Basic Rights Oregon, in the amount of $5,752!

Thank you to everyone who came and helped us share the magic. We will see you again in 2023!

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Bake Sale for TransActive!

Posted on November 1, 2020 | Leave a comment

The weapon we have is love…and cookies! In February, PDXpelliarmus baked up some sweet and magical treats worthy of the Hogwarts Express trolley. Chocolate Frogs! Butterbeer cookies! Cauldron cakes! These goodies and many more were on sale at Books With Pictures on Saturday, February 15th and at The Nerd Out on Sunday, February 16th, with all proceeds going to benefit TransActive Gender Project.

In the evening of the 15th, we continued the magic with more tasty morsels to go with a very special reading of “Puffs” at Books With Pictures! Because we all know that time spent with a certain group of loyal and hardworking badgers just isn’t the same without a sweet treat!

All proceeds from the bake sale were donated to TransActive Gender Project, which provides services and support to transgender and gender-expansive youth and their families. Across two days, we were able to raise more than $600 for their organization!

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