Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who participated in 2024! Stay tuned for information about 2025.
Experience the Magic of Your Library
Celebrate a variety of fantasy fandoms throughout the month, from The Lord of the Rings to Percy Jackson and Dr. Who. Enjoy performances, complete missions, and explore magical worlds.
About the Wizards & Wands Festival - Libraries are places that inspire magic, filled with stories that can take you to extraordinary worlds. Since 2018, the Wizards & Wands Festival has embraced that sense of wonder by bringing books to life and creating an unforgettable experience for the Westerville area community. People of all ages and passions come together champion the power of stories. This signature event attracts thousands of visitors of all ages from across Central Ohio, those who already love the library and those who have never been inside the library before.
Highlights for 2024
Meet the New Dragon
Meet the New Dragon
October 1-31, 2024
Missions
Embark on fantasy-themed missions for chances at prize drawings. The more missions you complete, the more chances you have to win! For all ages.
Choose your missions:
- Design a Potion: Mad Lib (Teen Area)
- Enchanted Forest: Scavenger Hunt (Kids Area)
- Fantastical Word Find (Innovation Lab)
- Lost in the Library: Scavenger Hunt (Second Floor)
- Magical I Spy (Display Case near Teen Area)
- Pose with a Knight (Media Area)
- Read a Magical Book
- Spot the Gold: I Spy (Entrance to Westerville History Museum)
- Visit the Fortune Teller (Media Area)
- Watch a Magical Movie
Prizes include baskets full of goodies. Examples: $100 VISA gift card, giant stuffed dragon, book accessories, magical crafting, mystical science experiments, family puzzles, Captivating Worlds tickets, and Otherworld tickets.
Thanks to our sponsor, Friends of the Westerville Public Library.
Performances & Activities
Note: Registration required for some events.
Walk-Through Experience
Your library will be transformed into a magical wonderland with fantasy-themed décor throughout the building.
- Enchanted Forest (Kids Area) – Weave through moss-covered toadstools and tree stumps to uncover fairies, mermaids, unicorns, and more.
- The Swamp (Picture Book Room) - Tiptoe around lily pads and moss, but make sure you don’t wake the ogre!
- Dragon Hatchery (Homework Help Center) – Discover dragons of all shapes, sizes, and…roars!
- Sanderson’s Apothecary (Teen Area) – Pore over potions while sharing the room with slimy toads, furry rats, and even a few animal skeletons.
- The Haunted Armory (Media Area) – Study the elaborate iconography used to decorate medieval swords, shields, banners, and suits of armor.
- Phantom Library (Second Floor) – Explore a mystical library filled with artifacts from fantasy worlds. And don't miss the mermaid skeleton!
- Medieval Village (Mallway) – Explore 3D storefronts like Wee Beasties Pet Shop, Fairy Tale Realty, and Sanderson Bed & Breakfast. Enjoy window shopping for bits & bobs, cauldrons, wands, magical plants, or delicious treats.
View the Map
October 25, 2024 (4-9pm)
Experience the magic of your library with spellbinding performers during Midnight Madness in Uptown Westerville.
- For all ages.
- Costumes encouraged.
- Admission is free.
While here, you can enjoy fantasy-themed decor throughout the building and complete fantasy-themed missions for a chance at prize drawings.
Rain or shine. Some performances may be cancelled in the case of extreme weather. Though the library building will be open, the drive-thru and some regular library services will be unavailable during this time.
Westerville Library welcomes the birth of a new dragon
Meet the new dragon perched on the roof overlooking State Street this October.
Hilda the Dragon’s baby has hatched! As you may suspect, caring for baby dragons can be quite expensive. Help us welcome the new dragon to Westerville by donating to Hilda’s baby shower today. Your support will help to fund the creation of a new dragon to carry on Hilda’s legacy.
In Partnership with...
This dragon is an art installation created by students and staff at The Point at Otterbein University.
Thanks to the Generosity of...
Share Your Experience
Magical Movies for the Family
Magical Movies for the Family
Thanks to Our Prize Sponsors
Behind the Scenes
Great Scott, the Wizards & Wands Festival is back again!
Magic comes to life with technology at the library.
“Dragon Egg” Hatched from Art, Technology, and Imagination
Fortune Teller Highlights Potential of Library Equipment
