Washington residents saw an epic fantasy series come to an end early Friday morning as “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” had a midnight showing at Carmike Cinema 7 in Washington Square Mall.
Some Potter enthusiasts came dressed in wizard costumes and carrying wands. Others were offered special round Harry Potter 3D glasses to wear while watching the movie.
The movie follows Harry and his friends as they hunt dark magical objects or horcruxes that contain fragments of the dark Lord Voldemort’s soul. The quest leads Harry into unexpected territory as he finds out more about his family history and a devastating personal secret.
Roughly 160 people attended the midnight showing on three screens, according to Carmike Cinema 7 manager Victoria Brown, who explained that having movie events is something that brings the community together.
“We do try to have activities around our movies. I know that when we had Hop, which is the little Easter movie, we threw a party for kids. It was a free party, and they could come and make crafts before they saw the movie. When we had Kung Fu Panda, we had a karate demonstration. When we have Puss in Boots, we are going to get a no-kill shelter for homeless cats to come out. We also had a reading contest for the Judy Moody movie. We were giving away free books through the library and the book store.”
Brown said that Carmike Cinemas usually has local events specific to the community that they are based in.
“When I worked at a Carmike location in Greenville, Petsmart was invited out. They brought a bearded dragon to show to people.”
Movie goers left the theatre around 2:30 a.m. with satisfied smiles despite the late hour.