ABOUT O.W.L. SOCIETY

Mission Statement

The Obscure Weekender Leisure Society (O.W.L. Society) is a community for fantasy and sci-fi fans, including (but never limited to) wizards, hobbits, Doctors, Disney, pirates, vampires, high fantasy fae, and space adventurers. As such, we’re dedicated to creating an inclusive, accessible, safe space both online and in person for fans to geek out about everything they love.

We believe that folks of every size, color, age, ability, orientation, religion, and gender are magical. Moreover, we are committed to inclusivity and stand with our trans Potterhead family. Always.

A picture of seven people dressed in Harry Potter cosplays posing in the Honeydukes alley in Hogsmeade at Universal Studios, Hollywood. The people all are holding wands and pointing them at each other as though ready for a wizard's duel. This is the first known group picture of O.W.L. Society, formerly known as Hogsmeade Weekenders. the picture was taken circa 2017.

Our History

In 2017, JoJo Mrgich founded Hogsmeade Weekenders, which would later become the O.W.L. Society. Initially, the group was solely dedicated to all things Harry Potter, focusing specifically on trips to the Wizarding World at Universal Studios Hollywood. As our community grew, we began venturing farther afield, so to speak, bringing our wizarding flair to many non-wizarding events, such as the Pirate Dinner Adventure in Buena Park. However, all of our adventures came to a halt in March 2020, when we were suddenly quarantined at home. During that time, it became clear that, like so many others, our group members needed an online support system to help them stay mentally and emotionally healthy in such a strange, isolating, and challenging time.

So, we pivoted to meeting online to play games, host competitions, fundraise for good causes, entertain each other, and offer general support. We even organized Zoom parties and started a thread that paired extroverts for phone calls to ensure they got the social interaction they needed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, by making a concerted effort to stay connected, we began forming deeper bonds. Acquaintances became best friends, admins became leaders, and we learned so much more about one another beyond the characters we enjoyed dressing up as at Harry Potter events.

During this period, we also realized that our core value of inclusivity does not align with the views held by the creator of our beloved wizarding series. While the characters and stories that inspired the creation of Hogsmeade Weekenders will always hold a place in our hearts, we are now so much more than just a Harry Potter group. Today, we celebrate every fandom—from the Shire to galaxies far, far away—and the beautiful community we’ve built: a group of weirdos and misfits who support one another far beyond casual greetings at events.

Since 2017, we’ve witnessed new lives brought into the world, new careers launched, cross-country moves, and evolving passions. We’ve celebrated birthdays together, mourned losses together, and, most importantly, learned to lift one another up whenever we can.