News
Quidditch Championship Coming to Henrico, Virginia This Weekend
The best of the Mid-Atlantic region compete in a co-ed full-contact sport
This Halloween weekend, brooms leave the realm of witches and wizards to enter the world of sports. The real-life collegiate and club quidditch teams of the Mid-Atlantic will gather at Dorey Park in Henrico, Virginia to determine the regional champion. Twenty teams and almost 400 players from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington will all be in attendance. The top 10 teams will also qualify for the US Quidditch World Cup 8, to be held in Rock Hill, South Carolina this spring.
Real-life quidditch has swept the nation as an intense, co-ed full-contact adaptation, with more than 170 official teams, 4,000 players, eight annual championship events, and hundreds of thousands of fans. The sport is played with seven active players on each team: three chasers who attempt to move, pass, or score with the quaffle (a volleyball) by shooting it through their opponents’ three hoops, and two players who hurl bludgers (dodgeballs) to temporarily knock opposing players out of the game. There is also a keeper to defend the hoops, and a seeker on each team to chase the snitch, a velcro tail attached to the shorts of a swift runner dressed in yellow. The game ends when the snitch is caught, and the winning team earns an extra 30 points, equivalent to three goals.
Games will run this weekend at Dorey Park in Henrico, Virginia, at 2999 Darbytown Road, from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2. On Sunday, Nov. 2 from 1 - 4 p.m. there will be a Quidditch Fest for the entire family at Dorey Park. This event will feature music, food trucks, children’s activities, a bounce house, and games. Admission and parking to the tournament and festival are free and open to the public. To learn more about the event and to view attending teams, click here.
This event is supported and co-hosted by Henrico County Recreation & Parks and Visit Richmond. Home to Richmond International Airport and within one day's drive for half the U.S. population, Henrico County is an accessible and exciting destination. Millions of visitors enjoy its history through sporting events, parks, and cultural attractions each year, including Civil War battlefields, thrilling NASCAR races and hundreds of other attractions. To learn more, click here.
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship is organized by US Quidditch, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to governing the sport of real-life quidditch and inspiring young people to lead more active and engaged lives. US Quidditch is not affiliated with JK Rowling, Warner Bros., or Time Warner. To learn more about US Quidditch, click here.
