Cullman County residents should dust off their robes and wands this week for the return of the Cullman County Public Library’s Harry Potter birthday parade. 

The parade will be taking place this Friday from 10-11 a.m., and everyone is invited to dress up as their favorite character or as a student of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The parade will begin in front of the library, located at 200 Clark Street NE, and attendees will walk around the block of the library, said Assistant Director Josie Harrington. 

She said Harry Potter’s birthday is on July 31, so the library is hosting the parade as a celebration of the popular book series and as as a sendoff for the Cullman County Library System’s Summer Reading Program. 

“We thought this would be a fun way to celebrate,” she said. 

There will also be a limited number of goody bags available for the parade goers, and Cha Cha’s Shaved Ice will also on hand to offer some cool relief to those walking around the block. There will be some fun games and activities available for those who come out to celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday and the end of the library’s summer program, Harrington said.

“It’s just a fun time to get out and celebrate the summer reading program,” she said. 

Harrington said the library has received a few calls about signing up to participate in the parade, but aside from a signup sheet to make sure the library gets an accurate count of everyone who attends, there is no need to register. 

“There’s no registration needed, just show up and enjoy,” she said.