HARRISBURG, Pa. — In Australia, Erin Williams started her own company to create magic for kids in July 2018.
This magic being entertaining children with Disney-inspired characters and activities.
The Allentown native returned to Pennsylvania from Australia after missing family and friends, but she didn't leave her magic formula, also known as Magic and Munchkins Entertainment, behind.
The company is now starting to hover its wand over the Central Pennsylvania area by hosting birthday parties and events for children featuring some of their favorite characters.
Magic and Munchkins Entertainment has partnered with the Manor at Mountain View in Harrisburg for their debut event, Royal Fantasy Faire.
During the event, there will be two socially distanced sessions that will include 60 minutes of interactive activities, singalong performances, dancing, character meet and greets, refreshments and more.
The event will include the frog and mermaid princesses, Cinderella and Rapunzel, among others.
Ashley Tietje, chief operating officer, said the company strives to feature characters that reflect the race and ethnicity of different Disney princesses.
Tiana, Raya and Yasmine will be included in their list of inspired characters.
All performers who embody these characters participate in an extensive audition and training process to ensure they match their character's mannerisms, physicality and vocal animations, according to Williams.
"A lot of Starbucks is what keeps us fueled," said Williams."We do a lot of rehearsals almost every weekend we get the girls together. We practice our choreography, we have choreographers behind the scenes."
Williams said quality is important to the company. Princess costumes can range from $1000 to $3000, and it can take nearly a year to bring their characters to life.
Royal Fantasy Faire was originally set for Sunday but was pushed back to July 11. Organizers said this decision was made so more people could get vaccinated before the event.
Session one, which is also VIP, runs from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and is $50 per guest with a full meal included.
Session two is general admission will be from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. and is $35 per guest with light refreshments provided.
" I mean how often is it that you get to meet your favorite characters, the real character because that's what we're all about. It's not just people dressing up. We're actually creating magical memories for families, people of all ages," said Williams.
You can sign up through Eventbrite to attend Royal Fantasy Faire.