The Snitch on The Middlebury Classic Quidditch Tournament

Each Sunday at noon, the familiar, sleepy view of Battell Beach is disrupted as tens of cloak-wearing, broom-carrying, Snitch-catching students march onto the field. Middlebury’s favorite Muggles have been hard at work, preparing to compete at the annual Middlebury Classic Quidditch Tournament this Saturday, Sept. 29. The Classic, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will feature 13 competing teams and hundreds of fans from all over New England.

“[The aim of the Classic is] to have a family-friendly and community-focused event that celebrates our sport and the fantasy of the Harry Potter series,” tri-commissioner Andrew Plotch ’18.5 said. “[The Classic] focuses on the literary components [of the series] and not just the sport.” 

True to Plotch’s sentiment, the Classic will feature Harry Potter-themed face painting and yoga, magic potion demonstrations and a green screen photo booth where participants can “fly” over the field. Food trucks featuring beloved Muggle foods, including the likes of Skinny Pancake and Lu-Lu Ice Cream, will be open during the competition. 

According to Plotch the Middlebury Quidditch team has been working hard to prepare for the festival since March. 

“Our goal is [to have] 1,200 to 1,500 people,” Plotch said enthusiastically. “We are advertising more aggressively this year. We are reaching out to school districts around Vermont, and we have posters out…[from] Middlebury to Burlington.” 

Treasurer Anne Loewald ’21 sounded equally excited, though she said the journey to the Classic has not been easy. 

“[The budget has] been pretty restrictive,” Loewald said. “Trying to get the budget for the events has been pretty challenging [because] we have a [budget] cap that we are figuring out. Luckily, we [didn’t] have too many expenses in the Classic in the end.” 

All five residential commons teams will be competing at the Classic and the recruitment of players has been intense. In Ross Commons, each first-year walked into their room to find a red advertisement featuring Rocky the Rhino riding a Quidditch broom, in addition to emails asking them to join the team. 

Anne Staab ’21 was especially passionate about newcomers joining the Quidditch teams. According to Staab, the Quidditch community is like “a home away from home” and all students are welcome. 

Be sure to join the magic and cheer for the Middlebury teams on Saturday at the Classic.