Thursday, September 1, 2011

more Pennsic photos

 It's difficult to pick what's representative of the 'Pennsic experience' when I just photographed whatever took my fancy. I'll try to provide some context.
About 12000 people attended the Pennsic War, most camping onsite. The Cooper's Lake campground was long ago filled, and I think they rent surrounding fields to cover the overflow and allow room for fighting fields etc.
There are two large marketplaces with about 300 merchants, a dozen tracks of classes (hands-on, seminars, etc.) running every day, performances of music, dance and drama, processions, craft demonstrations, ...
oh, and a war, with battles and stuff. Somewhere. But it was really hot.


 Various groups, from kingdoms to households, prefer to camp together, and there's a complicated system for allotting space. Having won their land, most groups mark it with fabric walls and gates made of anything from fabric to plywood to stone. I liked the paint job on this one, a pretty decent trompe l'oeil.


 Midweek there's a late-night shopping spree called Midnight Madness. Merchants drop their prices, offer odd bargains, and sometimes do silly things like shave their heads. The markets are full of people, it's a great night for buskers (three very young ladies outside our booth performed 'What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor' and Leonard Cohen's Alleluia, an odd juxtaposition), very carnival atmosphere. This photo is of some 'dead' being carried out, complete with Monty Python quotes.
 "I'm feeling better!"



 One of the many streets at Pennsic, photographed towards the end of the event. This area is residential, so not many people are about. They're either napping in the heat of the day, or off taking classes, or fighting, or wandering the market.
Hoping this gives at least a hint of how big the event is.


Artisan invasion! A number of artisans arrive in the market street with their tools and materials, and work through part of the day, then vanish, reappearing elsewhere another day.
Mark points out that almost everything they do is 18th century, but it's still fun to watch.


3 comments:

Phoenix Sullivan said...

Oh, what a feeling of nostalgia just kicked in. I played in the SCA 20 years ago, and while I never made it to the Pennsic Wars, I did go to war with a couple of thousand elsewhere. I used to dream of owning enough land to hold small events. Now I have the land but I'm away from the SCA due to other commitments and priorities. I still have all my beautiful garb, though. Maybe I still fit in it :o)

Thanks for the pangs, Barbara! Good luck on your 3-Day Novel. Hope you're reading this on Day 4.

batgirl said...

Just a quick look-in on Day 2 so I can post my wordcount!
We had that dream too, of building a Great Hall for feasts, with flat space for tents and fighting field - but reality and parenthood kicked in, and now we live in a small city. Still play SCA though. Which kingdom were you in?

Terri-Lynne said...

Such fun!!!