Parties for the 7th and final book release

Summer of ’07 is turning out to be quite the party for Harry Potter fans — as I write this, the 5th movie, Order of the Phoenix, opened today just a few minutes before  across theaters nationwide, and now it’s only a week more until the 7th and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is unleashed and children of all ages stay up past bed-time for yet another night. By that I mean just like the movie, booksellers are having wild midnight events for the book’s release and the big apple has a handful of ‘em.

US publisher of the series, Scholastic, is turning their headquarters in New York City (Mercer St. between Prince and Spring) into Harry Potter Place where fans will be able to see a 20 ft. Whomping Willow and the Knightbus along with magicians, street-performers, joining in the unveiling of the first author J.K Rowling-signed U.S. edition of the book and the countdown to July 21, 12:01 AM.

Barnes and Noble has Jim Dale, narrator of the audiobooks in Union Square, and children’s bookstore Books of Wonders has real live owls(!) mixed in with the usual magicians and jugglers.

New York Magazine pointed out one certain bookshop in Greenpoint for their “adult-only” book release party, and apparently there’s much more of that flavor elsewhere too.

Looking back, you realize that the first book was released in 1997, and that for some kids who’ve been following the series loyally, they are now adults — some of them are over 18, 21 and the like.

So, it all begs the question, are you one of them? And if so, which one will you be at? I intend to check out at least two of these parties that crazy Friday night. We’ll see. Me, I only started reading the books five years ago, when I was in college. Still pretty weird to think it’s been that long since, and now it’s almost RLY over. sad.

• via Gothamist