Harry Potter fans of all ages will be welcome to play out their inner wizard’s wildest dreams at the Warwick Central Library’s Hogwarts Open House, happening on March 23 from 1-4 p.m.

Ellen O’Brien, Coordinator of Children’s Services at Warwick Central Public Library, is planning an event that will capture the magical essence of the wildly popular children’s series, and will include a Live Wizards’ Duel, which audience members may get the chance to participate in. Warwick Library will also bring in the creative talents of the Imaginorium Education Collective – which strives to “bring empowerment, education and joy to children, youth and adults” – and the athletic abilities of the URI Quidditch Team, the Rhody Ridgebacks.

The Harry Potter series, authored by J. K. Rowling beginning with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in 1997, is immensely popular with library patrons of various age groups. They are so popular that, according to O’Brien, “We're constantly replacing them because they get beaten and battered [from being read so often], and they're just always checking them out. It's something that appeals to all generations.”

Such popularity is what prompted the Harry Potter themed event, and if all the effort that went into it is any indicator, it will delight casual and diehard fans of the series.

O’Brien explained that the open house is a combined library effort.

“We have some people from the circulation department working on [the event], sharing their artistic abilities with us. We have the teen librarians, reference staff is joining in with some decorations turning the reference desk into…something fun,” she said. “So, the whole library is involved.”

The Imaginorium is a group that sets up creative workshops, day camps, and other programs that encourage imagination, acceptance of others’ differences, and a desire to learn in children, youth, and adults using mythic-themed setups, like the Harry Potter books. They are the ones putting on the Wizard’s Duel, but it will remain mysterious at this time what the Wizard’s Duel will entail, besides its interactive nature, as O’Brien wants it to remain a surprise.

They will also be putting on a Hogwarts Hand Puppet Show in the Children’s Space sometime during the Hogwarts Open House. The Rhody Ridgebacks – the University of Rhode Island’s official quidditch team – be putting on a demonstration of professional quidditch during the event.

Quidditch is a fictional sport played in the Harry Potter universe, played high in the air on flying, magical brooms centered around four balls and seven players on each team. Three “Chasers” carry the “Quaffle,” a red ball that is a little larger than a soccer ball, and try to throw it into one of the opposing team’s three hoops to score a point. The goalkeeper, or “Keeper,” protects the hoops from the opposing Chasers. Two “Beaters” use small bats to hit meteor-like balls called “Bludgers,” which try to knock the players off their brooms, at the opposing team. The seventh and final player, the “Seeker,” hovers above the other players trying to spot the elusive golden-winged, ping pong ball-sized orb known as the “Golden Snitch,” and then dodge around the other players and balls to catch it for a whopping 150 points.

A library version of Quidditch may not have magical flying brooms or magic balls, but its core tenants of dodging, point scoring and teamwork remain, and will definitely not be something to miss if you’ve never seen it played live before. The Rhody Ridgebacks will most likely be showcasing how to play, possibly showing the differences between actual Harry Potter Quidditch, professional Quidditch and Amateur Quidditch – yes, it can get quite competitive.

There will also be a “Mandrake Plant” craft project for those who want to complete it, a reference to the screaming, humanoid type root creatures seen in the series, as well as a scavenger hunt spanning the entire library that you can complete for a prize to be determined. Those attending are welcome, even encouraged, to come wearing “wizard” attire, meaning; robes, cloaks, etc.

In the event that parking spaces run out, Warwick Veterans Memorial Middle School has given the library permission to use their parking lot, and there will be a shuttle prepared to take people to and from the school parking lot and the library.

The Hogwarts Open House is completely free, and open to all of those who want to come.

For more information about the Hogwarts Open House, or the Warwick Libraries, visit their website at warwicklibrary.org