![{CREDIT: Rob Borkowski] Warwick Mayor Joseph Solomon donned Harry Potter inspired glasses and tie Tuesday to announce Warwick's hosting of the 2019 Northeast Regional Quidditch Championship Oct. 26, 2019. The championship will return in 2020.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Quidditch-Warwick-1.jpg)
![{CREDIT: Rob Borkowski] Announcing Warwick's hosting of the 2019 Northeast Regional Quidditch Championship Oct. 26, are, from left: James Scott, Warwick Parks and Recreation director; Kristen Adamo, president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau; Warwick Mayor Joseph Solomon, John Gibbons, executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Commission and Karen Jedson, director of Tourism, Culture and Development for Warwick, at the Warwick Public Library.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Quidditch-Warwick-2-336x172.jpg)
Announcing Warwick’s hosting of the 2019 Northeast Regional Quidditch Championship Oct. 26, are, from left: James Scott, Warwick Parks and Recreation director; Kristen Adamo, president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau; Warwick Mayor Joseph Solomon, John Gibbons, executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Commission and Karen Jedson, director of Tourism, Culture and Development for Warwick, at the Warwick Public Library.
WARWICK, RI — Warwick Mayor Joseph Solomon joined city and state tourism officials at the Warwick Public Library on Sandy Lane Tuesday to announce the city will host the US Quidditch Northeast Regional Championship Oct. 26 at the Bend Street Sports Complex.
The championship will return to Warwick in 2020.
Solomon made the announcement with Kristen Adamo, president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB); John Gibbons, executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Commission, Karen Jedson, director of Tourism, Culture and Development for Warwick, and James Scott, Parks and Recreation director in Warwick to make the announcement.
“We are so happy that, for the first time ever, the US Quidditch organization has chosen Warwick to host their Northeast Regional Championships,” Solomon said. The mayor credited the development to the strong relationship between the city, PWCVB, and Rhode Island Sports Commission.
“One of my goals has been to continue to market Warwick on a national level and bring visitors here from across the country. It is my hope that the teams and spectators headed to Warwick for the upcoming tournament will see all the beauty, history and convenience that our city has to offer.”
The tournament, free to the public, will bring college teams from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The two-day event is expected to generate $210,000 in direct spending for the local economy. including about 200 hotel rooms already booked for the weekend, according to Solomon’s office.
“This is our first opportunity to work with this group, and I am confident that the community will wholeheartedly support this event,” Gibbons said.
Quidditch, inspired by the J.K Rowlings’ Harry Potter novels and the movies they inspired, is one of the nation’s fastest growing collegiate sports. The sport mimicks many of the elements of the sport of the same name described in the novels. Seven player teams straddle brooms as they work to score points with a volleyball, or quaffle, in game terms, and the snitch, a player dressed in yellow who aims to avoid capture during the game.
Since its inception, the sport has gathered 170 official teams, 4,000 players, nine annual championship events and thousands of fans.
The URI team, while not yet confirmed for this event, made an appearance at the recent Hogwarts Open House at Warwick Public Library.
LOCATION
80 Bend St
Warwick, RI 02889
DATE
Oct 26 – 27, 2019
09:00 am – 07:30 pm EDT
ATTENDING OFFICIAL MEMBER TEAMS
Friday, Oct. 25:
All Day —Teams arrive at hotels.
Evening — Player check-in and captains meeting happen at each hotel.
Check-in schedule will be released 3 weeks before the event.
Saturday, Oct. 26:
Schedule will be released a week and a half before the event.
Sunday, Oct. 27:
Schedule will be released a week and a half before the event.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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