Back from my first SCA Event - Pentathlon

I had a busy weekend. I spent Friday with old friends from craft night. We used to meet once a month to play with rubber stamps, making cards, etc. That evolved into scrap-booking - however, since I have no children I didn't scrapbook. So, I knitted instead. The monthly meetings ended a year or so ago, and now we get together twice a year for weekends.
Since my friend Tonwen/Rae was going to be honored at an SCA event on Saturday, I decided to go to my first SCA event. Renata arranged for Kim to lend me a dress. Thanks Kim! I traveled to Van Nuys on Friday night with Medb/Renata. We were staying on Friday and Saturday nights at Howard Johnson's in order to take some of the stress of the event away.
It's called Pentathlon, and it covers all the Arts and Sciences covered by SCA - Society for Creative Anachronism. This group is devoted to recreating the best of Medieval and Renaissance life. People enter their items on Saturday for judging. They have 1 hour to set up their exhibit/exhibits. You can enter one item or many. To win the First Prize, you need to have the highest score from at least 5 items in 4 categories. So, people who wish to win, enter several items. There were also dramatic presentations, musical presentations, dance, etc. Those were going on during the day and anyone could attend as audience. Alas, the food competition was only for the judges. After the setup, those not judging were over in the Artisan's area where people set up pavilions and pop-ups to present their crafts. I was with Medb/Renata at the calligraphy/costume pop-up. I sat and knitted during the day and talked to Serafina/Sabrina. (I've tried to put their SCA name first, then their real name).
The winds were heavy and broke a pole on the tent next door which happened to be owned by the King and Queen. So, their tent lay on the ground for the rest of the day. Then, JonThomme/Thomas had barely set up his pavilion, when a plastic tent-stake broke and in seconds his pavilion was down. Luckily no-one was in it, and there wasn't a flame going at the time. At that point, Conchobar/Ric took his ropes and stakes and tied down the pop-ups we were under.
The Whole Hogs of Damocles was the name of Tonwen's team - Medb, Conchobar, Elidh/Cat, JonThomme and his wife Eva (sp?). They created a model of a bog and buried a doll in it. The doll was made of balsa wood and rawhide and clothed in garb complete with miniature shoes (Conchobar). Also included in the burial area were miniature beads (Conchobar), a spindle (Elidh), Nalbinded socks and hat (Medb) and a miniature comb (Jon Thomme). Eva did a castle complete with cabbage fields and six sugar pigs for the pastry competition. Tonwen did a research paper. Each person did full size items for entry in the appropriate category also. They won the People's Choice award and the Team competition. Yeah! Jon Thomme also won a Queen's Favor for his full size version of the comb - made from horn.
Saturday supper was at Red Lobster after Claim Jumper said it would be a 3 hour wait for a group of 8. Red Lobster has the best biscuits.
Sunday I went to church, taking Renata to see her first Catholic Mass.
Sunday morning was for viewing the exhibits and placing small tokens (beads, etc.) by those exhibits you like the best. We stopped in Michael's to pick up tokens. I used small strings of seed beads - purple. Sunday afternoon was Court when the awards were presented.
Sunday supper was at Claim Jumper - since we got there at 4pm there wasn't a very long wait. We were back at Rae and Renata's by 8:30 or so - I helped unpack the car and then drove home.
It was a great weekend, I had lots of fun, and no, I do not plan to join the SCA. :-)