According to the Chestnut Hill Local, the Chestnut Hill business district lost $50,000 from the festival last year, largely in part because it had to pay the city for police to help with traffic. But compared with the chaos of the 2016 festival — which unexpectedly went viral when it brought more crowds to the neighborhood than it could handle — last year's festival was a resounding success. The board thought it had finally figured out a plan to continue holding the internationally recognized festival, where Potterheads have enjoyed hayrides through festival grounds, taken Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and participated in Sorting Hat demonstrations. One of the most popular events at the festival was the annual Quidditch tournament at Chestnut Hill College, which regularly attracted teams from nearby colleges including the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and Villanova University.