Let Your Nerd Flag Fly and Drink With Harry Potter and Pikachu

What a time to be alive. Ours is an era where it’s not only socially acceptable but downright encouraged to gather in large groups, dress up as your favorite character from a fictional universe, and/or run around with your phone in front of your nose all day trying to catch imaginary little creatures through a virtual reality game. Even better? You can do all of these things while getting roaringly drunk at the following events.
If you’ve been climbing into other people’s backyards to capture Pikachu…
The NYC Pokémon Go Bar Crawl
July 23, 7pm, at Barcade, Williamsburg.
There are multiple Pokémon Go bar crawls taking place throughout the city this summer, so you have plenty of opportunities to work on increasing your level and maybe expanding your arsenal beyond the seven Pidgeys you currently have. The organizers of this Williamsburg one have promised to post a route map in the next couple of days, so check the Facebook page. The route will pass plenty of gyms along the way, so you can simultaneously “catch a buzz while you catch ’em all.” The event page also promises a “grand finale” with live music at the last stop. Just remember to look up from your phone at least once in a while.
Pokémon Go North Brooklyn Pub Crawl
July 23, 1pm, starting at Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. on N 15th Street, Greenpoint.
Jeff Ramos, the organizer of this crawl, wrote on the Facebook event page that the tour will include a stop at Transmitter Park (apparently a veritable Pokémon hotspot) and a number of gyms, with stops at bars such as Bar Matchless, Enid’s, No Name Bar, Sunshine Laundromat & Pinball, and Black Rabbit. A fully detailed route will be posted on the page soon. There will also be prizes (mini Pokémon figures) for everyone attending.
The Froth + Pokémon Go Bar Crawl
July 13, 7pm, starting off at Turntable5060 at 235 E 4th Street, East Village.
This mini crawl goes on to Sons of Essex and ends at Botanic Lab Bar NYC. There will be drink specials and Poké-swag along the way.
If you’re more into swinging a wand than a Pokéball…
Pottercon 2016
August 6, 2pm, at Irving Plaza; tickets are $10 advance, $15 at the door. You can buy tickets here.
Last year’s Pottercon was a smashing success, with almost 1,000 Hermiones and Luna Lovegoods and Bellatrix Lestranges lining up to attend a full day of Harry Potter-themed boozy extravaganzas. (Check out our video of last year’s festivities here.) This year’s event promises to be just as packed. The festivities will include a sorting ceremony (so you can confirm once and for all that you definitely are not a Hufflepuff, despite what that BuzzFeed quiz said), a costume contest (cue a mad rush to dig out that unused button-up, your dad’s old ties, and a pleated skirt you haven’t worn for the last five years), some hardcore trivia, and more. It goes without saying that the Butterbeer will be flowing freely throughout.