Barnes & Noble Announces HARRY POTTER Countdown to Midnight Parties at Stores Nationwide

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the nation's largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced that it will host a month-long celebration in advance of the publication of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two. The events will kick off on Friday, June 24, at 7 PM when all stores nationwide will feature activities designed to give participants of all ages the opportunity to relive the magic of Harry Potter, and enter the Barnes & Noble exclusive Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints Sweepstakes for a chance to win a set of 7 Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints, available exclusively at Barnes & Noble, up until the July 30 Countdown to Midnight Party. On Saturday, July 30, starting at 8PM, customers can visit their local Barnes & Noble for the fan-favorite Countdown to Midnight Party leading up to the midnight release of the epic eighth story, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two. At the Countdown to Midnight Party, two customers from each store who entered the sweepstakes will be chosen at random. Then, on Sunday, July 31, customers can return to their local store to share their perspectives on the new book and participate in additional Harry Potter-themed events, with activities and giveaways.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The new book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two, is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series. There's still time for customers to pre-order their copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide and online at BN.com. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two is also available to pre-order on NOOK devices and the Free NOOK Reading App for Android; for more information visit NOOK.com.

Relive the Magic of Harry Potter-Friday, June 24, at 7PM

Barnes & Noble customers will have the chance to relive the magic of Harry Potter on June 24 at 7PM with special events and activities that are sure to conjure a magical experience for the most modest Muggles to the wisest Wizards. Starting on June 24, customers can enter the Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints Sweepstakes for a chance to win a set of 7 Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints, available exclusively at Barnes & Noble. Customers can continue to enter for a chance to win (one entry per store, per day) up until the July 30 Countdown to Midnight Party, when two customers per store will be chosen at random. Customers can ask a knowledgeable bookseller at their local store for complete details and Official Rules and to find out more information on the other events and activities that will take place.

At the June 24 event, Barnes & Noble stores across the country will set up a coloring station where participants will have the opportunity to color various Harry Potter-themed materials including the 4 House Crests (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin) and a special Owl Post Postcard exclusive to Barnes & Noble that they can send to friends to invite them to the Countdown to Midnight Party. In addition to trivia and activities for Harry Potter fans to enjoy, many giveaways will also be available at the event while supplies last, including Harry Potter vintage posters, bookmarks and more. Stores will also host a robust Harry Potter trivia event. In addition, the Barnes & Noble Café will be offering special Harry Potter-themed treats including The Cheesecake Factory Bakery's fun and delicious Chocolate Witchout Cupcake (a Barnes & Noble Café exclusive), The Decorated Cookie Company's delightful Witch Hat and Cauldron Decorated Shortbread Cookies, and the Passion Potion Iced Tea, a bewitching shaken blend of brewed passion tea, raspberry and vanilla flavors.

All stores nationwide will also host a Wrebbit 3D Harry Potter event, in celebration of Harry Potter's arrival at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, during which Harry Potter fans of all ages are invited to participate in the assembly of Wrebbit 3D Hogwarts Astronomy Tower, an 875-piece 3D puzzle. In addition, Barnes & Noble will put on display a fully-built, first-to-market Wrebbit 3D Hogwarts Express 3D puzzle in all stores for customers to marvel in and enjoy.

Countdown to Midnight Party-Saturday, July 30, at 8PM

Harry Potter is back, and on Saturday, July 30, at 8PM, Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will host a special Countdown to Midnight Party leading up to the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two, a special rehearsal edition script book, which goes on sale July 31 at midnight. The party will feature a special Muggle Wall where customers can share their favorite memories of Harry Potter as well as several amazing giveaways. On Sunday, July 31, customers can return to their local store to discuss the new book and participate in special Harry Potter-themed events and activities, as a follow-up to the Countdown to Midnight Party the night before.

Customers can pre-order their copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two today in stores or online at BN.com. The Harry Potter celebrations will continue on into the fall, as Barnes & Noble commemorates the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The Illustrated Edition in October and the highly anticipated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie, which arrives in theaters in November. More details on these events will be announced in the coming months.

Customers in attendance at Barnes & Noble's Harry Potter events are encouraged to upload pictures of themselves having fun to their social media channels using the hashtags #BNHP and #ReadTheMagic. For more information, they should visit bn.com/harrypotterevents.

Customers should follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and like Barnes & Noble on Facebook for the very latest information on Barnes & Noble's Harry Potter events.

*Two (2) Winners from each store will be chosen at random on or about July 31 at 12:00AM to receive a set of seven (7) Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints (ARV $140.00). No Purchase necessary to enter or win. Must be 13 years of age or older and a resident of the U.S. to enter. Void where prohibited by law. See a Bookseller for complete details and Official Rules.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS) is a Fortune 500 company, the nation's largest retail bookseller, and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 640 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web's premier e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com). The Nook Digital business offers a lineup of popular NOOK tablets and eReaders and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store. The NOOK Store features more than 4 million digital books in the US (www.nook.com), plus periodicals and comics, and offers the ability to enjoy content across a wide array of popular devices through Free NOOK Reading Apps available for Android, iOS and Windows.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the Company's corporate website at www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Barnes & Noble.com and Discover Great New Writers are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. or its affiliates. NOOK and the NOOK logos are trademarks of Nook Digital, LLC or its affiliates.

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