Experience the Magic of Your Library
Celebrate a variety of fantasy fandoms throughout the month, from The Lord of the Rings to Percy Jackson to Dr. Who. Enjoy performances, complete missions, and explore magical worlds.
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 a $100 VISA gift card or baskets full of goodies. Examples: giant stuffed dragon, book accessories, magical crafting, mystical science experiments, family puzzles, Captivating Worlds tickets, and Otherworld tickets.
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.
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.
Hilda the Dragon is expecting!
Big news in 2023!!! - Hilda the Dragon is expecting! Her not-yet-hatched baby dragon is safely nestled in its giant 6-foot-tall egg and currently on display in the library's atrium.
A beloved community art installation, Hilda is a feisty dragon who perched on the Westerville Public Library’s roof in October to celebrate the Wizards & Wands Festival from 2019-2022. (She is currently on maternity leave and will not be on display in 2023.)
Originally intended as a temporary feature, the Ohio climate has been predictably tough on Hilda. She is eager to retire to Schrock Lake after her dragon egg safely hatches and her new baby is old enough to live on its own.
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.
This fundraiser is hosted by the Westerville Library Foundation, opens a new window. Dragon egg designed and created by The Point at Otterbein University.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
Magical Movies for the Family
Behind the Scenes
Magic comes to life with technology at the library.
“Dragon Egg” Hatched from Art, Technology, and Imagination
Fortune Teller Highlights Potential of Library Equipment
Fantasy Replicas Showcase 3D Printing Service
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.
