LeakyCon 2019: Day 3 Recap

I attended my first LeakyCon this year. LeakyCon 2019 (aka LeakyCon 10) was hosted at the Seaport Hotel and the World Trade Center from Friday, October 11, 2019 to Sunday, October 13, 2019. The first LeakyCon was held in Boston’s Park Plaza in 2009 and it’s fitting how LeakyCon 10 returns back to Boston for the 10 year anniversary. For those who don’t know what LeakyCon is, LeakyCon is a Harry Potter fandom convention by Mischief Management. It is also one of the annual conventions Mischief Management hosts. Earlier this year, during the summer, LeakyCon 9 ¾ was hosted in Dallas, Texas. Occasionally two LeakyCons will occur in one year. There have been some international locations such as Dublin, Ireland and London, UK.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2019

The last day of LeakyCon was probably my busiest day at LeakyCon in general due to all the programming I wanted to attend. Overall, I enjoyed my time at LeakyCon despite not knowing what I was going to get myself into. The programming was fabulous and there was always something to do. I love how there is something for everyone. Even though I am not used to going to Harry Potter cons at this level in terms of the number of people, I have to say that I didn't really have to worry about waiting in too many lines.

I met up with Jess in the morning and we finally got a photo of us together. Legit, we didn't get any photos of us two besides a few in the morning with the LeakyCon stained glass window backdrop. There was a cauldron backdrop near the escalators but unfortunately, we did not get photos with the huge cauldron.

I browsed the Marketplace with Jess for a little bit before attending the Spotlight: Luke Youngblood event at the Main Stage. Luke plays Lee Jordan in the films. He always lights up the stage and is entertaining making everyone laugh. I grabbed a quick bite to eat near the food café area and to also rest a bit.

I ended up going to the Let's Discuss Ravenclaws for about 15-20 minutes and then popped into the Potter Puppet Pals Performance which was hilarious! Potter Puppet Pals never disappoint. Neil and his crew always put on a good show. I got to meet Neil way back in 2013 or so at ConnectiCon. I also attended several Yule Balls in the Middle East in Cambridge, MA where the Potter Puppet Pals perform annually. Neil framed the time for more of a Q&A. Attendees can come up to the mic at the front and ask the Potter Puppet Pals questions. The Harry Potter Puppet acted as the host and would "find" a particular character depending if the question was directed toward them.

The Spotlight: Dan Fogler was right after the Potter Puppet Pals. I moved further up to get a good seat. Dan is hilarious. I've only seen him in Balls of Fury and the Fantastic Beasts films but he is genuinely a super nice guy. He is so funny too! After the Spotlight, I want to line up for the photography session with Dan. I have to say that the lines and process to take the photo and obtain the photo was very well thought out and organized. Earlier during the day, I picked up a Nagini the Octopod that my friend Lorrie made. I even was able to bring Nagini the Octopod to the photoshoot which I was very excited about. It was so nice to meet Dan. Even though I spent alike two minutes with him, he was genuinely curious about Nagini and he loves meeting his fans which is awesome.

Jess and I met for our last panel of the day. In Defense of Prisoner Azkaban, the Best Harry Potter Movie which was very intriguing. We heard from the presenter about her thoughts and we also heard the audience's thoughts. Everyone discussed what they liked and what they didn't like. It was a good panel to end the day.

I was able to catch the end of Closing Ceremonies. Hufflepuff won the House Cup when a Hufflepuff ran to the front to submit a donation of $300! Legit it was crazy how they went right to the top to beat the other houses!

Have you been to LeakyCon or a Harry Potter fan convention before? What is your favorite part of attending a con? Do you cosplay?

LeakyCon 2019: Day 2 Recap

I attended my first LeakyCon this year. LeakyCon 2019 (aka LeakyCon 10) was hosted at the Seaport Hotel and the World Trade Center from Friday, October 11, 2019 to Sunday, October 13, 2019. The first LeakyCon was held in Boston’s Park Plaza in 2009 and it’s fitting how LeakyCon 10 returns back to Boston for the 10 year anniversary. For those who don’t know what LeakyCon is, LeakyCon is a Harry Potter fandom convention by Mischief Management. It is also one of the annual conventions Mischief Management hosts. Earlier this year, during the summer, LeakyCon 9 ¾ was hosted in Dallas, Texas. Occasionally two LeakyCons will occur in one year. There have been some international locations such as Dublin, Ireland and London, UK.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2019

The commute wasn't too bad in the morning but the rain was coming down and it was so windy. I met up with Jess outside of the World Trade Center to give her the LeakyCon badge. We ended up going to the Marketplace to look at the wonderful and creative Harry Potter masterpieces that were being sold there.

Afterward, we ended up attending the Spotlight: Wizarding World Actors panel with Stanislav Yanevski, Louis Cordice, Chris Rankin, Luke Youngblood and Dan Fogler. For those who don't know, these are the actors that played Viktor Krum, Blaise Zabini, Percy Weasely, Lee Jordan and Jacob Kowalski. It was definitely a well attended panel and it was interesting to hear what the actors have to say about what Harry Potter means to them. We also got to hear about their experience with filming for the movies. I might do a mini recap on some of the main stage events in a later post.

Jess and I went to An Excess of "Phlegm" and the Lack of Femme which was a very insightful panel regarding females within the Harry Potter wizarding world. The discussion was geared toward the personalities of different females with the series and how they are portrayed. Jess and I skipped the next panel slot to get some lunch at Shake Shack. Burgers and shakes always cheer me up. It was nice to get away from the con for a bit to refuel. I definitely noticed more people at the World Trade Center on Saturday compared to Friday. I know Saturdays are usually the busiest days for cons in the general. Not everyone can take off on Friday from work and school.

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A highlight of this year’s @leakycon was connecting with so many #potterheadsofcolor. Huge s/o to the women of @blackgirlscreate for claiming space in fandom for POC!

A post shared by Aya Esther Hayashi (@ayaesther) on Oct 14, 2019 at 9:57am PDT

After lunch, walked around the Marketplace and around the venue before heading to the Potterheads of Color Meetup. Everyone at the meetup split up into pairs for 5-10 minutes to talk about how they got into Harry Potter and what they love about Harry Potter. We regrouped and then sorted ourselves according to our Hogwarts Houses. This was the first time where the Ravenclaws dominated! I have never seen so many Ravenclaws in one area. Also, we had the biggest house group compared to the other houses. Go Claws! At the end of the meetup, we took house photos and a group photo. It was definitely a fun meetup to meet new people.



I made a beeline to the Amphitheater to get a good seat for The Other Chosen One: A New Musical. I didn't take any videos of the musical since it's the first live read through but can I say that it was fabulous! I cannot wait to see a full version of this equipped with costumes, sets and a full cast. For those who don't know, this musical is in the eyes of Neville, aka the other Chosen One. We see what goes on at Hogwarts while the golden trio is hunting Horcruxes. Neville, Ginny and Luna, the silver trio, navigate Hogwarts, stand up to the Carrow siblings, and reunite Dumbledore's Army. It's an emotional tale of friendship, love and standing up for what is right - until the very end. I highly recommend seeing this if the musical moves forward.

Some of the panels I missed on day 2 of LeakyCon include Nowhere Safer than Hogwarts: Magical Security and its Faults, Credence: Human or Beast? and Time Travel in the Wizarding World: The When, the How, the Why, and the When. There was just way too many panels this day to attend to. I definitely needed a time turner.

After LeakyCon, I met up with my husband and a couple of friends to celebrate our friend, Mike's, 30th birthday. Look at this awesome photo I took when walking across the bridge near the Boston Children's Museum. I love the lights and the clouds look ominous. I wonder if a Dark Mark will appear.

Have you been to LeakyCon or a Harry Potter fan convention before? What is your favorite part of attending a con? Do you cosplay?

LeakyCon 2019: Day 1 Recap

I attended my first LeakyCon this year. LeakyCon 2019 (aka LeakyCon 10) was hosted at the Seaport Hotel and the World Trade Center from Friday, October 11, 2019 to Sunday, October 13, 2019. The first LeakyCon was held in Boston’s Park Plaza in 2009 and it’s fitting how LeakyCon 10 returns back to Boston for the 10 year anniversary. For those who don’t know what LeakyCon is, LeakyCon is a Harry Potter fandom convention by Mischief Management. It is also one of the annual conventions Mischief Management hosts. Earlier this year, during the summer, LeakyCon 9 ¾ was hosted in Dallas, Texas. Occasionally two LeakyCons will occur in one year. There has been some international locations such as Dublin, Ireland and London, UK.

DAY 1: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

I was fortunate enough to get two badges for LeakyCon through a transfer for a very good price. I gave one badge to my friend Jess, who attended LeakyCon on Saturday and Sunday. My commute into the city on Friday was a long one due to the morning work commute traffic. The Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center are located in the Seaport area of Boston, which is one of the most expensive parts of Boston. Since I live fairly local, I commuted every day to avoid the high costs for the hotel. Unfortunately, we were hit by a very nasty Nor’easter for a few days and Friday was pretty horrendous to walk around near the Seaport area. It was very windy and it rained off and on.

I left my place pretty early on Friday so I can get in line to pick up my badge. Will call opened at 8:30 am. Because I had a Marauder’s badge, I wanted to take advantage of the 9:00 – 10:00 am Marauder’s badge exclusive hour for the Marketplace (aka vendor/dealer’s room and artist alley). I visited my usual go to’s like The Colorful Geek, Elhoffer Design, Jordandené and Fox Estacado Arts. However, I found some great artwork at PRL Creative and Alexandra Brodt Illustration. Kat Cave Studios showcased wonderful Harry Potter themed ceramics. I might have to consider Jayme Twins and Bright Threads Co. for future holiday gifts. Lapels and Spells/Laserbrain Patch Co. are the go to for amazing enamel pins and patches. They are located in NH! Speaking of enamel pins, check out BUNCEandBEAN. Lauren Fairweather is always wonderful to chat with. I love her music and her YouTube channel. Waxspurts Candle Co. had wonderful smelling candles and Pop Soap had delicious smelling soaps and bath and body products. Simona Sew Works displayed most Luna Lovegood items I have ever seen in one area. Tea & Absinthe carried an amazing array of tea and gifts. Unfortunately, Riddle’s Tea Shoppe couldn’t make it due to an unexpected emergency.

The Marketplace was fabulous! I love seeing how creative everyone is. The best part is the most things being sold at the Marketplace are Harry Potter themed. I love supporting independent artists and creators. After the Marketplace, I attended the Spotlight: Stanislav Yanesvski. For those who don’t know, Stanislav is the actor who was Viktor Krum in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This was an excellent panel. Great questions were asked by the moderator and the fans asked good questions as well. Afterwords, I attended Harry Potter in the Age of Activism: Why S.P.E.W. Failed and Dumbledore’s Army Thrived. The PowerPoint provided good information and it was visually pleasing. The two panelists work at Florida State University and handle a lot of student programming in a student development capacity. This was a very insightful panel and I hope to use some of this information I learned with students in the future.

I was already getting tired at LeakyCon so I skipped a panel slot or two so I can walk around and rest. I needed to refuel with food and water. The panel I was most exciting about for the day was Wait and See: Gatekeeping in the Wizarding World and Beyond. I love hearing about social justice issues within the Wizarding World since it hasn't been discussed in much detail until more recent years. Unfortunately, I had to miss the Ravenclaw Meetup during the same time slot, but at cons you really have to just stick with your gut instinct. It’s okay to miss some things and to talk care of yourself. Self-care is super important. Plus, some of the best memories at a con usually happen spontaneously. They are never planned. It’s all about being at the right place at the right time.

I ended the Day 1 of LeakyCon with a fabulous panel called Fantastic Scores and Who Conducts Them. The panelists discussed who their favorite HP soundtrack conductors are and also came up with a list of conductors who would have been a great fit to create music for the Wizarding World. We even got to hear some sound clips which was a nice addition to the panel.

I left the last panel a little early to walk back to the lobby of the Seaport ­Hotel in order to meet up with some friends who were heading to the Committee for Mediterranean tapas and for some drinks. We had about 20 people split between two tables. Although the price for the tapas were kind of high, draft beers were only $6.00 and I was with great company. It’s always nice to reunite with old friends and make new ones, especially within the Harry Potter fandom.

My first day at LeakyCon was pretty chill. It was low key, not stressful and enjoyable for the most part. I didn’t have to stand in lines besides waiting to use the restroom. I have heard horror stories of previous LeakyCons being Line Cons so I was happy to see that it was the complete opposite. I am not sure if it’s because the Boston location is smaller in number compared to the one in Dallas, but I am not complaining. It’s the perfect amount of people at that venue. Check out later this week for my LeakyCon 2019: Day 2 Recap.

Have you been to LeakyCon or a Harry Potter fan convention before? What is your favorite part of attending a con? Do you cosplay?

Where To Find Me At LeakyCon 10

This weekend is LeakyCon 10 and it’s my first time attending a LeakyCon. The first LeakyCon was hosted in Boston 10 years ago and LeakyCon is returning back to Boston to celebrate its 10^th anniversary. LeakyCon is the most well knowns and largest Harry Potter convention around. I have been other Harry Potter conventions before like MISTI-Con, Leviosa and Ascendio but never a LeakyCon. This year, LeakyCon is taking place at the Seaport Hotel and the World Trade Center from Friday, Ocotber 11^th to Sunday, October 13th. There was another LeakyCon 9 ¾  took place Dallas, TX during the summer of this year. LeakyCon will be taking place in Orlando, FL in 2020.

I was not able to attend the first LeakyCon due to attending Anime Boston which happened during the same weekend as the first LeakyCon. Although I heard mixed things about LeakyCon, Boston is super close to where I live and I figured I would give the con a chance. I will be doing a recap of my experience sometime later this month.

I have a handful of friends who live in the Boston area or so who will be attending the con. I am planning to meet up with my friend Jess for part of the con. She can only attend Saturday and Sunday but I am ecstatic she is able to attend. A few friends are flying/driving up to Boston. However, I am excited to meet new people while reuniting with old friends.

There are a lot of programming I am looking forward to but I pretty pumped to see what the LeakyCon Marketplace has to offer. There are so many fantastic vendors attending such as Elhoffer Design, BUNCEandBEAN, Jordandené, Fox Estacado Arts, Lauren Fairweather, The Color Geek and Waxspurts Candle Co. to name a few. Unfortunately, Riddle’s Tea Shoppe will not be able to attend this year.

WHERE TO FIND ME

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11^th

Registration opens at 8:30 am tomorrow, Friday, October 11^th. I am hoping to travel to Boston a bit earlier to get some food before picking up my badge at will call. I normally travel into Boston during the weekdays for work, so it’s not a huge deal for me to travel into Boston. My commute ranges from 1-2 hours, depending on traffic.

Since I was fortunate to get a Marauder’s Pass through a transfer for a very good price, I am planning to take advantage of the early opening to the Marketplace which opens at 9:00 am for Marauder pass holders. Normally the Marketplace opens at 10:00 am for general admission.

Afterwards, I wanted to check out some of the following programming events: Spotlight: Stanislav Yanevski, Science in Harry Potter, Harry Potter in the Age of Activism: Why S.P.E.W. Failed and Dumbledore’s Army Thrived, Wait and See: Gatekeeping in the Wizarding World and Beyond and Fantastic Scores and Who Conducts Them. Unfortunately, there a bunch of panels going on the same time so I have to miss out on some since there are so many amazing panels competing against each other. I want to attend the Ravenclaw Meetup but it’s during the same time as Wait and See: Gatekeeping in the Wizarding World and Beyond. Wait and See is a panel that is a must for me!

I am planning to meet up with a group of friends who attended MISTI-Con for dinner to end the day. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12TH

I am torn about whether to start my day with Spotlight: Wizarding World Actors or J.K. Rowling, Giftedness, and the Ghost of Ravenclaw. I really wish these two weren’t at the same time slot because both sound fabulous! Lorrie Kim always has some of the best panel presentations. An Excess of "Phlegm" and the Lack of Femme and Wandlore: An Ancient and Mysterious Magic are both during the second time slot. During mid-day, Time Travel in the Wizarding World: The When, the How, the Why, and the When will take place and at the end of the day I definitely want to attend the Potterheads of Color Meetup.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13TH

This day is chock full of so many fantastic programming events that it will be hard to decide what to do. I need a time turner for this day! I will be starting my day with Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Harry Potter Cosplay. Two other panels are running during the same time as the cosplay panel. I am also interested in Managing The Hogwarts Houses and Ethnic Communities in the Wizarding World. I am super stoked about the MuggleCast Live! event. I have been a MuggleCast podcast listener ever since they launched in 2005ish. You Cannot Deny, the Wizarding World's Got Style is also running during the same time slot as the MuggleCast Live!

The Potter Puppet Pals Performance is going to be hilarious. I always love a good Potter Puppet Pals show. Potter Puppet Pals usually perform at the Yule Ball at the Mideast in Cambridge, MA in December. I also saw them at ConnectiCon years back. Neil and co are such a great team orchestrating some of the best Harry Potter comic relief.

I must attend the  Spotlight: Dan Fogler event. I am a huge Fantastic Beasts fan and I cannot wait to hear more about Dan and his role as Jacob Kowalski. Speaking of Dan Folger, I am planning to do a photo op with him on Sunday. I will end my day with Obscurus and Patronus: Expressions of the Soul in the Wizarding World and Credence: Human or Beast?

Will you be attending LeakyCon 10? If so, please let me know and maybe we can meet up! 

Harry Potter Conventions in 2019

So it's that time of year where I am going to chat about Harry Potter conventions. We are about one year out until MISTI-Con 2019! And there will be two LeakyCons next year! I am not one for LeakyCon usually but because they are returning to Boston after ten years, I am considering attending LeakyCon. MISTI-Con will take place from July 18-21, 2019 in Tarrytown, NY. LeakyCon 9 ¾ will take place August 9-11, 2019 in Dallas, TX at Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention and the LeakyCon10 will take place October 11-13, 2019 at the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center in Boston, MA. Leviosa is going to be next year too but this time in Los Angeles at the Loews Hollywood Hotel instead of Las Vegas. Leviosa 2019 will take place June 27-28, 2019. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can attend Leviosa 2019 because financially I can’t afford three Harry Potter cons in one year. Also, Boston and Tarrytown are more doable since I live about 20-30 minutes away from Boston.

MISTI-Con is usually in Laconia, NH at the Margate but next year, it will relocate to a Doubletree in Tarrytown, NH. Not only is the new location near Sleepy Hollow but the new location will be able to accommodate more people. Only down side that it won't be completely Muggle free. Also, instead of having the convention in May, the convention will be held in July. I assume it’s because kids are still in school in May and a good amount of attendees work in higher education. I am excited to reunite with my HP friends and I am looking forward to meeting new people. Right now, early registration, VIP registration and guided passes are available. If you register now, you will be able to get a group code in an e-mail to get first dibs on rooms. Literally on the first day when the rooms were available for people who already registered, I booked a room for four nights.

MISTI-Con 2017

Harry Potter conventions provide a different way to experience the magic of Harry Potter. The experience is different from reading the books, watching the films, participating in Quidditch or even attending the Wizarding of Harry Potter theme parks. Harry Potter cons open doors to long lasting friendships. You will never feel out of place. You will never feel lonely. You will always be in your element connecting with others who also share the same love for Harry Potter. No matter if you have other interests, you will at least bond over the wonderful magical world of Harry Potter. Everyone is super welcoming at Harry Potter conventions. I am a very introverted person and it’s usually very hard for me to meet people. However, at Harry Potter cons, I flourish. It’s very easy to strike a conversation with people about something you love so much. Harry Potter conventions will provide entertainment, fantastic programming, interactive workshops and of course as I said before, those long lasting friendships. A Harry Potter con is a family reunion and an avenue to meet new people. You will always find home and your family within Harry Potter.

If you want to read more information about previous Harry Potter conventions I’ve attended in the past, check out these posts. Unfortunately, I attended HPEF's Ascendio 2012 and MISTI-Con 2013 before I decided to blog about conventions.

LEVIOSA 2016 

Day 1 and Day 2 Recap
Day 3 and Day 4 Recap

MISTI-CON 2015

Day 1: The Beginning
Day 2 Recap
Day 3 Recap
Day 4 and Day 5 Recap

MISTI-CON 2017

Day 1 Recap
Day 2 Recap
Day 3 Recap
Day 4 and Day 5 Recap

Also, if you plan on attending any of the mentioned Harry Potter conventions, please let me know. I would love to meet up if you do plan to attend MISTI-Con 2019 and LeakyCon 10.