Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is going to have its first real life event at the end of August, and the location will surprise you. For, you see, Niantic didn't choose to kick off its game's in-person presence in a city important to the Wizarding World. London will not be turned into some kind of Diagon Alley replica, nor will an English castle be used as a facsimile of Hogwarts. Instead, the magic is being brought to Indianapolis, Indiana.
Information is scarce other than the dates and location. Indianapolis will be hosting witches and wizards from August 31st to September 1st, Labor Day weekend. There's also special hotel rates in effect for that weekend. Other than that, we don't know what Niantic has planned.
Fans of Niantic's other big game, Pokémon GO, have somewhat of an idea of what to expect. Pokémon GO is going on its third year and has had several live events, including an annual GO Fest that started out tragically but has since become a proper celebration. Those gatherings tend to introduce certain rare Pokémon for the first time, as well as offer an abundant amount of the coveted shiny Pokémon. There's also friendly competitions between in-game teams that offer bonuses for players worldwide.
Going off of that, this Wizards Unite fan festival will probably feature some rare Foundables. There may even be Foundables that can only be found at the event to reward those who made the journey. Also, there definitely has to be some way to reliably refill on Spell Energy, as shortage of that is a problem in the game.
On the live side of things, there will probably be a lot of Harry Potter cosplay. Special themed tents will also likely be a thing, something like a real inn where attendees can get water. Those who can't go will probably still be able to join in the fun with something like bonus XP or extra rewards for battling in Fortresses.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has had an interesting launch, to say the least. On one hand, its playerbase is a fraction of its big brother Pokémon GO's. On the other, many are praising its production values and faithfulness to the Wizarding World, something Pokémon GO gets flak for. Depending on which gaming sites you follow, you've probably already seen an essay on why one is better than the other. It seems that Indianapolis will be the stage where the fledgling game will have a chance to prove itself.