A magical Harry Potter display is a hot attraction in Calgary this Halloween
If you’re looking for some Harry Potter magic this Halloween, a couple of homes in Calgary have you covered.
Two Calgary homes are transforming into Harry Potter’s Hogwarts and Hogsmeade for the sixth year in a row, complete with new additions to the magical Halloween display.
The tradition started in 2021 when Jo Alcock and her husband, Kirt, were chatting with their neighbours, Pam and Greg, about how they could take their usual Halloween decorations up a notch.
“We usually had 25 to 30 kids come trick-or-treating, and we thought it would be fun to really level up our decorations, to be two of those houses that you really can’t forget,” she said when speaking with Daily Hive.
“We decided to start it that year, and decided on Harry Potter as our theme. It’s family-friendly, magical, and different from your usual haunted house.”
@hphalloweenyyc/Instagram
The two families split the experience between their properties, with Hogwarts set up in Pam and Greg’s yard and Hogsmeade Village in the Alcocks’.
Now in its sixth year, the display continues to grow, with several new additions for Halloween 2026. Over in Hogsmeade, visitors can check out the new Hogs Head Pub, while Hogwarts has an expanded Dumbledore’s office, a Thestral, and a Grindylow displayed in a tank in the Herbology area.
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Alcock says the families spend more than 200 hours combined each year bringing the magical world to life, with some props taking weeks of work to complete. Buckbeak the Hippogriff, which was added in 2025, took more than 50 hours to build, with work starting in the spring.
Despite the time and effort that goes into the display, the experience remains free for visitors.
“Heading into year six, we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built. The entire premise of this was just to create joy, and trying to monetize it would take that away,” she said
The display has grown from a neighbourhood tradition into a popular Halloween attraction, with Alcock estimating around 1,000 visitors each night in 2025.
@hphalloweenyyc/Instagram
For anyone looking to help, Alcock says visitors can make a donation, with all proceeds going to the Calgary Food Bank for the past two years. Last year, the families donated 1,000 pounds of food and $375 in cash, and they’re hoping to exceed that total this year.
This year, visitors will have two opportunities to check out the Harry Potter houses in Calgary at 2820 and 2824 Oakwood Dr. SW.
The display will be open on Oct. 24 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. and again on Halloween, Oct. 31, from 6 to 9 p.m.