The return of Harry Potter If you go

To fans who have waited for nearly a decade for a new entry in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world of Harry Potter, midnight Saturday, July 30, can’t come quickly enough.

That date marks the release of “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child — Parts I& II,” the script to a play by the same name, which is set to premiere that night on London’s West End.

The play’s plot represents the eighth official mainline story in the beloved fantasy series. Fans will be able to catch up with Potter and his friends with CIVIL WAR PROGRAM — Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, 3370 LaFayette Road, Fort Oglethorpe. Special, 90- minute, car caravan to battlefield site of Gen. George Thomas’ headquarters to mark 200th anniversary of his birth, 1 p. m. Sunday, July 31. 423821-7786. CLOUDLAND CANYON STATE PARK — 122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road, Rising Fawn, Ga. 706- 657- 4050. › Saturday, July 30: Nature Arts ‘n’ Crafts, drop by Interpretive Center between 1 and 3 p. m. for kids make-and-take craft. Activities change week- ••• events that pick up after the epilogue of the last novel, 2007’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which is set 19 years after a dramatic final showdown between the lightning-scarred boy wizard and series antagonist Lord Voldemort.

Based on an original narrative written by Rowling in coordination with British dramatists Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, “The Cursed Child” finds Harry a father of three and “an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic.”

“While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son, Albus, must struggle with the weight ly. $ 5 parking. › Saturday, July 30: Rock Talk and Stroll, $ 5 parking. Hear about the park’s geology during one- mile hike. › Saturday, July 30: Sunset Stroll to Sunset Point, 8: 309:15 p. m., $ 5 parking. Short walk with naturalist to Sunset Point to see Lookout Valley at sunset. › Saturday-Sunday, July 30-31: Wild Cave Tours, 10 a. m., $ 30-$60 plus $ 5 parking. Get muddy and wet climbing and crawling through cave. Reservations required: www. GeorgiaGirlGuides.com. DALTON GHOST TOURS — Across from Wink Theatre, West Crawford Street, Dalton, Ga. Ninty- minute walk to explore city’s legendary past and haunted present, 8 p. m. of a family legacy he never wanted,” reads the official plot synopsis. “As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: Sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”

The Barnes & Noble at Hamilton Place mall and the Books- A- Million in Hixson both have events planned on Saturday leading up to the script’s mid- Saturday, July 30. Free to law enforcement, firefighters and EMT personnel; $ 12 all others. Reservations not necessary. 706-275- 4416. DESOTO STATE PARK — 7104 DeSoto Parkway, Fort Payne, Ala. 256- 997-5025. All times are Central. › Saturday, July 30: Rappelling adventure, 80-foot sandstone wall near DeSoto Falls, 2-5 p. m., location given at registration. $ 45 ages 12 and up, fee includes all gear. 256- 634- 8370. › Friday, Aug. 5: Stories around campfire ring, 6 p. m. Free. › Saturday, Aug. 6: Nature observation through fairy houses, 10 a. m.; nature observation skills activity, 11: 30 a. m.; campfire circle, 6 p. m. All night launch.

“We’ll have all sorts of different stuff going on, from wand making to trivia games … [to] live singers and dancers. It’s going to be a huge party,” says Kyle Dagnan, the kids specialist at Books-A-Million.

Every year, Books-AMillion hosts a “birthday party” for Potter on July 31, the date when Rowling has said the character was born. ( Naturally, it’s also the author’s birthday.)

“[The script’s release] just happened to coincide perfectly,” Dagnan says. “I think there’s just a general consensus of excitement and anticipation f rom everybody, both the people who work here and the patrons. … It’s going to be a huge thing coming out, I think.”

Despite bucking Rowli ng’s l i terary trend by appearing as a bound copy of the script used in Saturday activities free. FOODORAMA — Coolidge Park, 200 River St. City’s first food truck festival with 16 food trucks, music, Makers Market with 20 artists and kids zone, 11 a. m.-7 p. m. Aug. 6. Wristband required to purchase food and alcohol, $ 5 if purchased in advance online, $ 10 at gate; portion of sales benefiting Second Helpings Chattanooga. www.freshtix. com/events/food- o- ramacoolidge- park- chattanooga. FRIDAY NIGHTS IN THE PARK — Angel Park on University Avenue, downtown Sewanee, Tenn. Sewanee Business Alliance sponsors block party with food and drink vendors and live music, 6 p. m. Fridays. 954- 830- 4760. HIGHWAY 27 YARD SALE — rehearsals for the play, the new story has Harry Potter fans rabid with excitement.

Jeff Hickey is a member of local costuming troupe Chattooine, who will be putting in an appearance, robes donned and wands in hand, during Barnes & Noble’s celebration.

Harry Potter is a series whose fanbase transcends the young demographic it supposedly was written for, says Hickey, who will attend the Barnes & Noble event dressed as the series’ love- to- hate- him potions professor Severus Snape.

“It’s just one of those things where you know these characters so intimately, that you want to know what happens next,” the 47-year-old says. “You want to see more of them.” Outdoor rummage sale from Noble, Ga., along Highway 27 through Georgia to Kentucky, 6 a. m.- 9 p. m. Aug. 4-7. Began in the late 1990s for tourists lost from the World’s Longest Yard Sale on Highway 127. 404649-1841. HIKES — Led by Soddy- Daisy Hiking Club. Bring water and snack. Carpool locations given for those who want to meet group. 423- 842-3619. › Saturday, July 30: Prentice Cooper, strenuous 10 miles. Meet in Red Bank Food City parking lot at 8 a. m. › August: No hikes scheduled. LADIES NIGHT OUT — Georgia Winery, 6469 Battlefield Parkway, Ringgold, Ga. Sip wine while being pampered and listening to music; try out › › Where: › Admission: › Website: HARRY POTTER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AND MIDNIGHT RELEASE PARTY › When: › Where: › Admission: › Website: a 30- minute belly- dancing class, 6- 9 p. m. Friday, July 29. georgiawines.com MAGIC MEN LIVE — Track 29, 1400 Market St. Male revue produced by Premier Gentlemen in cabaret style with visual storylines, choreography