Weber State University’s activities team brought the wizarding world of Harry Potter to the campus with the Yule Ball on Jan. 24.

More than 100 people attended the ball to celebrate a magical night with dancing and student festivities.

The Harry Potter themed dance was a follow-up to the Platform 9 ¾ event that the Weber State activities team hosted in Fall 2018.

Platform 9 ¾ is a fictional train platform at King’s Cross Station in London where Hogwarts’ students pass through a wall barrier to board the Hogwarts Express.

Students who attended the Platform 9 ¾ event played Quidditch, trivia, made wands, and participated in a giant chess game. Due to the successful turnout and positive feedback that Platform 9 ¾ had, the activities team decided that the Yule Ball would be its successive event fitting the Harry Potter theme.

“The activities team wanted to try something new, instead of hosting a regular themed dance, and with the success of Platform 9 ¾, we realized that there is a massive percentage of people at Weber State who love Harry Potter,” said Tim Fogleman, the activities team organizer in charge of the Yule Ball.

The Yule Ball first appeared in the beloved series’ fourth book, The Goblet of Fire, a quinquennial tradition during the Triwizard Tournament, a contest between the three largest wizarding schools in Europe.

The activities team encouraged attendees to dress in formal attire to experience the Yule Ball in full representation. Most attendees wore suits and dresses while others chose to wear their Hogwarts house robes.

Husband and wife Dave and Emily Rich attended the dance, looking forward to performing their signature moves and trying other dances as well.

“We’re huge Harry Potter fans and we have been dancing for a long time. Also, this is a fun opportunity to go out and dance and have fun,” Emily Rich said.

Aside from the music and dancing, students were greeted with various activities to partake in, such as a palm reader to receive insight into their future endeavors, Harry Potter themed airbrush tattoos, a photo booth, and a caricature artist who draws cartoon-like self-portraits through exaggeration.

Notable appearances from the Sorting Hat, the Goblet of Fire itself, and a wall print of Platform 9 ¾ were also available for students to pose and take pictures with.

Those who needed a snack throughout the night could enjoy an assortment of food, featuring Harry Potter themed treats such as Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and Butterbeer, a “reminiscent of shortbread and butterscotch” flavored soda. Other choices of food included loaded nachos and various types of beverages.

The Yule Ball’s Facebook page had over 400 people interested in the event and helped spread word of the dance.

Krystal Johnson, an attendee at the ball, came to the activity with friends from Weber State.

“We’re Harry Potter fans so we had to come,” Johnson said.

Because of the great success of the Yule Ball, the activities team looks forward to hosting another Harry Potter themed event in the future.

“The Yule Ball is one of those things that when you read the book and watch the movies, you think ‘man, that would be so much fun to be there,’” Fogleman said.