A community for fans of all kinds
Mission Statement
Hogsmeade Weekenders is a social club for fantasy and sci-fi fans, including (but never limited to) wizards, Doctors, Disney, pirates, vampires, high fantasy, and space adventures. As such, we’re dedicated to creating an inclusive, safe space both online and in person for fans to geek out about everything they love.
We believe that folks of every size, color, age, ability, orientation, religion, and gender are magical. Moreover, we are committed to inclusivity and stand with our trans Potterhead family. Always.
Physically located in the Southern California region, our in-person events take place mostly in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and occasionally, the I.E. For example, we love theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios, as well as local entertainment like Medieval Times, Pirate Dinner Adventure, and the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale.
Oh, how the Weekenders community has grown!
In 2017, Hogsmeade Weekenders began as a group dedicated to all things Harry Potter, but more specifically going to Wizarding World at Universal Studios, Hollywood. Over the years, the group did enjoy bringing wizard flair to some non-wizard events like Pirate Dinner Adventure in Buena Park, but overall kept it pretty wizard-centric. However, all that changed in March 2020, when we were all suddenly quarantined at home. During that time, it became quite clear that, like most people, the folks in the group really needed an online support system to help them stay mentally and emotionally healthy in such a weird, isolating, and difficult time.
So, we pivoted to meeting online to play games, host competitions, fundraise for good causes, entertain each other, and just support each other in general. We even had Zoom parties and a thread that paired up extroverts to talk on the phone, so they got the social interaction they needed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, by making a concerted effort to stay connected, we started forming deeper connections with each other. Acquaintances became best friends, admin became leaders, and we all learned so much more about each other than what characters we liked to dress up as at Harry Potter events.
As a group, the biggest thing we learned was that there’s a wider world out there for Weekenders than just Harry Potter because we love so many fandoms. From Disney and Star Wars to Lord of the Rings and all the different vampire series to Doctor Who, Star Trek, and beyond! Today we celebrate all the fandoms we love and the beautiful melting pot of nerds we’ve become—nerds who support each other beyond quick "hellos" at events. Since 2017, we’ve witnessed new life brought into this world, new careers, cross-country moves, and changing passions; we’ve celebrated birthdays together, mourned together, and most of all, learned to lift each other up when we can.