Bards are invited to bring any piece to perform (song, story, poetry, etc.) with copies enough to share so that at the conclusion of the showcase, each of the participants will have additional materials to add to their bardic repertoire. We will allow bards to share multiple pieces if time permits.
Students should bring copies of the work that will be performed.
Beginner, 1 hour

Beginners' class dealing with the basics of cordial-making, including flavor selection, spirits, sweetening, and use if time.
Beginner, 1 Hour, Class size: 25

Hand-on button making for those times when you need 50 matching buttons for your garb! We will make two kinds - thread-wrapped and woven with a wooden core, and fabric-stuffed.
Beginner, 1 Hour
Student Supplies: A thimble if you use one for sewing.

Learn how very easy it is to do flat gilding! This is a hands-on class.
Beginner, 1 Hour, Class Size: 10

This is a basic class on Knitting. You will learn how to knit, purl, increase and decrease stitches
Beginner, 1 Hour, Class Size: 5, Fee: $2 (for handout)
Student Supplies: Please bring yarn and needles if you have them. Supplies will be available to borrow if needed.

Learn the basics of tablet weaving with practice threading and weaving a simple threaded in pattern. I am bringing several looms to use.
Beginner, 1 hour, Class size: 4, Class Fee: $25 if you keep the loom

A view of three staple food items- from the perspective of medieval dietary theory. Let's examine how these foods were viewed in the context of a medieval diet, how they were acquired, and how their values and usage changed from different times and places.
Intermediate, 1 Hour

Old World Meets New World. Part one on a series discussing how the New World affected the peoples coming from the Old World in terms of brewing.
Intermediate, 1 Hour, Class Size: 25

Rounds are an excellent and very accessible way of introducing people to singing period music. This class will briefly focus on learning about Thomas Ravenscroft and the use of rounds in general, but the balance of the class will focus on providing participants the opportunity to learn (and sing as a group) several rounds of Ravenscroft. At the conclusion of the class, participants will be able to teach and lead others in the joy of singing these rounds. Handouts of music will be provided.
Beginner, 1 hour

Learn how to do cartridge pleating and learn how easy it really is! This is a hands-on class; participants should be able to use a needle and thread. You will leave with an exemplar for future use.
Beginner, 1 Hour, Class Size: 10

An overview of chests, caskets, boxes in the late medieval period. Then going over the construction of a modern equivalent that an efficient use of plywood for a practical chest for war and a small casket - box - to fit inside. And finishing with the metal straps on both that were decorative and structural. I will also go over a simple rotary lock as used on chests of the period.
Beginner, 2 hours, Class Fee: $1 for handouts

One of the primary duties of running a Gallery is providing hospitality to those who come to enjoy the day with you. We will talk about the importance of food at tournaments, the place of food in medieval society as it pertains to galleries, and how to provide an inviting table at every budget. We will be using training materials from Penn State University's food safety guide, "Cooking for Crowds: A volunteer's guide to safe food handling" as part of this class.
Beginner, 1 hour, limited to 20, no fee

Intermediate, 1 hour

Open to all levels of arts and sciences participants. Open forum designed to help beginners understand documentation, what is needed, what judges are looking for, and how to find information.
Beginner, 1 Hour, Class Size: 25
Student Supplies: examples of documentation and sources

This class will examine the evolution of Western attitudes towards death in the Middle Ages. Topics discussed will include, but not be limited to: locations of burial, costs for burial, rituals before and after death, and the importance of the soul.
Beginner, 1 hour

Come join us for a brief look into the history and use of this uncommon lace! Students will receive hands on instruction on the construction of the foundation net and stitches used to decorate the finished net. A handout of instructions and stitches and a sampler will be made in class to take home.
Beginner, 2 hours, Class Size: 5, Donations to offset printing costs accepted.

A historic look at the gallery and the important role that spectators played in the development of the medieval tournament.
All levels, 1 hour, Fee: 50 cents for handout.

This class is a slide presentation introducing the court culture surrounding Henry VIII, his wives, and their use of clothing as a necessary piece of political expression. Discussion will present different regional female clothing styles and the uses of portraiture in the early 16th century.
Beginner, 1 hour, fee $1.00

Trouble getting patterns found on the web and in books to work for you? Learn to draft some tablet weaving patterns from pictures. Feel free to bring a pattern to exchange or a mess on your loom to ask for help.
Intermediate, 1 hour

The French Hood is usually thought of as a 16th-century English head-dress. However, forms of this head-dress were worn in several countries. In this class, we'll see where this head-dress was worn as well as how it evolved from a simple veil in the late 15th century to the more elaborate layered head-dress of the middle to late 16th century.
Beginner, 1 Hour, $1 handout fee

A study of Pieter Bruegel's painting "Children's Games" focusing on the toys of 1560 from the painting. Open discussion on period and modern children's toys for events to follow.
Beginner, 1 Hour, 20 person maximum, $1 handout fee,

Using examples from the Cheapside Hoard, looking at common motifs in 16th century Jewelry design. Discussion topics on replication using modern costume jewelry, how to craft jewelry replicate period styles, and uses of jewelry accessorizing with period garb.
Intermediate, 1 hour, Class Size: 20
Student Supplies: Notebook, writing implement, and questions

The Italic hand, the dominant script in Italy in the fifteenth century, can be very simple or very elaborate. We will look at examples of the hand as seen in Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta. After learning the essential strokes of the hand we will have fun ornamenting these basics with some flourishes.
Bring your favorite calligraphy pen or marker. Don't have one? No problem! Markers will be available for use in the class and afterward for purchase.
Some calligraphy experience is helpful but not required. 1 hour, limited to 10, no fee.

Shippou with 8 strands is actually two 4-strand braids that interlock after every three steps. That sounds more confusing than it is. There are two ways to do this braid on the marudai braiding stand. The easy way makes this braid quickly and simply. The better way teaches you a valuable set of motions for future braiding. I'll be teaching both methods, with an emphasis on the better way. This is a fine beginner braid, so don't let any of that technical talk intimidate you if you are new to kumihimo and just want to learn more about braiding on the marudai.
Equipment and material will be provided, but please bring your own if you have some you want to use.
Beginner, 1 hour, limited to 8

Learn how to complete the detached button hole, an embroidery stitch for filling space that was popular in Elizabethan history.
Beginner, 1 Hour, Class Size: 5, Fee: $2 (handout)

In this class you will make a heraldic silk fan to take home with you.
Beginner, 1 hour, Class Size: 10, Class Fee: $5, includes silk and coloring materials.
Student Supplies: If you have a design you wish to use and cannot free hand it bring copies of it in several sizes 2" by 3" to 4" by 4"

Calligraphers gush when describing this virtuoso model book of calligraphy, written in 1561-62 by one Renaissance master and illuminated 30 years later by another. Find out why it's so amazing and what it offers SCA scribes.
Beginner, 1 hour, Class Size: 20, Fee: $3 for handout
Student Supplies: Note-taking supplies.

Painting: advanced brushwork and shading techniques used to create the flora displayed in Mira Calligraphiae.
Hands on class, bring your favorite detail brushes and be prepared to paint. All other supplies will be provided.
Advanced, 2 hours, limited to 10, fee $2.00

If you've always wanted to cook your Pennsic meals over an open fire but didn't know where to start, see first-hand how it's done. This class will show you how to make several dishes over a fire as well as covering care and feeding of your fire, tools and equipment, and fire safety.
If you are interested in attending, please contact the instructor at in advance.
Beginner, 2 hours, limited to 10

How to tool leather with medieval vegetative decoration, using arguably period tools and techniques.
Scrap leather and a limited number of tools will be provided. Students wishing to begin a project should bring a piece of vegetable tanned tooling leather. A stylus, deer-foot modeller, and swivel knife or incising knife would be very useful. A medium or large cutting board would be helpful as a work surface.
Intermediate, 1 hour, limited to 12, no fee.

A modern botanist looks at medieval herbals. Do they depict realistic plants, or stylized images? What identification features were used to distinguish species in illustrated herbals, and how do those differ from modern identification manuals? Many medieval manuscripts are now available online, making it possible to trace plant images through time.
Beginner, 1 hour

An overview of the 1527 sack of Rome by Spanish, German, and Italian troops of the Holy Roman Empire. The class will look at the political and military events leading up to the sack, the campaign itself, and the political results.
Beginner, 1 hour

This will be a hands-on class to teach students to make a 12" x 8" x 14" market basket.
Beginner, 2 hours, limited to 10, fee $10

A guide to the absolute basics of beverage-making in the SCA.
Beginner, 1 Hour

In the 13th century Thomas Aquinas sought to reconcile the writings of Aristotle with the doctrines of the church, carrying scholasticism to its ultimate conclusions. His ideas continue to influence both philosophy and theology to this day. We will review the events of his life and briefly explore some of his most important ideas, including his arguments for the existence of God, the relationship between reason and faith, and the concept of the just war.
Beginner, 1 hour

An overview of pilgrimage with emphasis on why one would go on pilgrimage, important centers of pilgrimage, and practical considerations before undertaking such a journey.
Beginner, 1 hour

Woodblock printing was used to embellish clothing, fabric hangings, and other items and illustrations in books, leaflets, and as stand-alone pieces. This is a hands-on class where students will learn to carve and print their own small woodblock.
If desired, students can bring a 3" square simple design (such as their badge) for their woodblock
Intermediate, 1 hour, limited to 10, fee $1

Have fun while learning basic heraldry terms! This class is geared for children, but anyone is welcome to attend.
Beginner, 1 hour, limited to 10

In this hands-on class, you will use a calligraphy marker to create a personalized bookmark and then illuminate it with "gold" leaves. This class is designed for teens and 'tweens, but anyone who can write in cursive may attend!
Beginner, 1 hour, limited to 10

From fairy tales to ghost stories to Beowulf, Lord Conrad can spin a tale that will keep you wanting more! All ages welcome to attend!

Class instruction will start with the basic stances, blocks and shots, and progress as time permits.
Students should bring armor, heater-style shield, and rattan sword blanks.
Beginner, 2 hours, limited to 8, no fee.

A fencing drill designed to work on form, balance, stance and transitions by using the six primary guards as found in Capoferro's plates. A handout will be provided with the respective plates and the movements as choreographed.
Students should bring a one-handed sword and dagger.
Intermediate, 1 hour, limited to 15

A beginner fencing drill created by Don Christian Delauney to build fundamentals of form, stance, and balance in straight line attacks and parries.
Students should bring a single one-handed sword.
Beginner, 1 hour, limited to 15

A beginner fencing drill created by Don Christian Delauney to build fundamentals of form, stance, and balance in straight line attacks and parries, with some lateral parries and attacks as well.
Students should bring a single one-handed sword.
Beginner, 1 hour, limited to 15

In the 16th century, the treasurer of Augsburg both bankrupted himself and embezzled from the city to produce a complete manual-of-arms. They hanged him for it, but the resulting work was a complete system for armored and unarmored combat. We'll be looking at several of the polearm techniques from the manual, with special attention to applying it to heavy list combat.
Students should bring polearm or staff, ideally slightly shorter than you are.
Beginner, 4 hours

This class will teach students a sequence of six parries that serve to protect the four major quadrants of the body against an oncoming attack that then leaves the defender in position to deliver a return attack. This drill can be done in solo practice to build muscle memory to reduce the frequency of wide and wild parries, and it can also be done with a partner to develop skill with a counterattack. This class will introduce students to both the role of both attacker and defender.
Students should bring a Single rapier
Beginner, 1 hour

Class will cover the history of the Iberian two handed sword from 1472 until 1675; then students will be instructed in its methods to play against one or many opponents and disparate weapons - spears, sword and shield, etc.
Students should bring a large two-handed sword.
Beginner, 2 hours, limited to 20, no fee

A brief introduction of polearm fighting stances and moves.
Students should bring a polearm.
Beginner, 1 hour, no limit, no fee

Tired of only getting to work on fencing at practice? Want to try some new ways of improving your fencing at home...but you don't have the space or any luck with standing pells? A wall pell is an excellent way to maximize space usage while working on different aspects of the game. I will show you how to make one, then show you ways to use it.
Beginner, 1 hour, 20 person maximum