I hope someone here lives in NY and coud go to this!!!

SCHOLASTIC TO HOST “HARRY POTTER PLACE” -- OUTDOOR STREET CELEBRATION IN NEW YORK CITY ON JULY 20 -- LEADING UP TO MIDNIGHT RELEASE OF HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS



First Author-Signed U.S. Edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be Unveiled

Past Harry Potter Contest Winners Reunite at Harry Potter Place



New York, NY (June 26, 2007) -- To celebrate the 7th and final installment of the Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which will be released on July 21 at 12:01 a.m., Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company and U.S. publisher of the Harry Potter books, will host “HARRY POTTER PLACE” – a magical and interactive street celebration for kids and adults at Scholastic headquarters in New York City (Mercer St. between Prince and Spring). Scholastic will open “Harry Potter Place” on Friday, July 20th with a press conference at 8 a.m., where the first author-signed U.S. edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be unveiled. Harry Potter Place will open to the public the same day from 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

The magical world of “Harry Potter Place” will feature a giant Muggle Board where Harry Potter fans can share personal messages about the Harry Potter books. Muggles will also be mesmerized by the twenty-foot high moving Whomping Willow, and entertained with activities and entertainment including: face-painting, wand-making, fire-eaters, magicians, jugglers and stilt-walkers. Harry Potter fans of all ages will also be able to have their photos taken with the cover art from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the special Deathly Hallows Gallery. As the excitement builds, the Countdown Clock will track the hours, minutes and seconds until the 12:01 a.m. release.

The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Knight Bus, a replica of the “violently purple” triple-decker bus from the Harry Potter books, will end its seven-week national tour at “Harry Potter Place” in time for the launch of the 7th and final book. The bus will arrive at the 8 a.m. press conference and will remain parked in front of Scholastic at 557 Broadway from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Fans can line up to board the bus and create a 20-second video expressing their thoughts about the Harry Potter books. Each participant will receive a unique password to view their video at Harry Potter books, games, and activities for Muggles | Scholastic.