A fun-filled day of education and enjoyment of the arts & sciences
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2025, 8:30am – 6:00pm
Lake Villa Township Community Center
37850 N. IL. Route 59
Lake Villa, IL 60046
Less than a quarter-mile south of IL Rt 132
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Brewing/vintning classes will be at the adjacent Church of the Holy Family, 25291 W Lehman Blvd, Lake Villa, IL 60046.
Both sites are mobility-accessible (ramps, paved parking, elementary-school-type restrooms).
Registration (includes lunch)
| Adult (16+) | $25 | Adult with Member Discount | $15 |
| Youth (6-15) | $8 | 5 and under | $0 |
| Family (2 adult members + 2 or more youth) | $46 | Merchant (1 8×8 space w/table & 2 chairs) | $15 |
Alcohol is permitted ONLY in the brewing/vintning classes – the rest of the site is BONE DRY. IDs will be checked at the Gate for B&V activities and wristbands for persons age 21+ will ONLY be issued there.
NO SMOKING IS PERMITTED AT EITHER SITE.
Please note: Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to ensure the health and safety of our event participants, we cannot eliminate the risk of exposure to infectious diseases during in-person events. By participating in the in-person events of the SCA, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks. You agree to take any additional steps to protect your own health and safety and those under your control as you believe to be necessary.
THE SCA PROHIBITS HARASSMENT AND BULLYING OF ALL INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS.
Participants engaging in this behavior are subject to appropriate sanctions. If you are subjected to harassment, bullying, or retaliation, or if you become aware of anyone being harassed or bullied, contact a seneschal, President of the SCA, or your Kingdom’s Board Ombudsman.
NO SMOKING IS PERMITTED AT EITHER SITE. THE MAIN CLASS/SALON BUILDING (COMMUNITY CENTER) IS BONE DRY. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Staff
Event Stewards: The Honorable Metylda of Ravenslake (she/her) Co-Steward email and the Honorable Margrett Norwoode of Bristol (she/her) Co-Steward email / 847-525-1997 evenings
Class/Salon Coordinator: Mistress Maggie of Cnoc Cait (she/her) Class & Salon email / 815-403-1965 evenings
Lunch: the Honorable Seathan MacDhabhidh (he/him) Lunch email / 847-321-5600
Longshoreman: Master Alexander de Seton (he/him) Facilities & Equipment email / 815-403-1964 before 9pm
Merchants: the Honorable Seathan MacDhabhidh (he/him) Merchant Liaison email / 847-321-5600
Royalty Liaison: HE Baroness Umm Iskandar Mihri (she/her) Royalty Liaison email
Gate: the Noble Eilaswintha Buchwald (she/her) Gate email
Youth Activities: Lady Susanna Merrybegot (she/her) Youth Activities email
Webster: Dame Marie la Fauconniere (she/her) Webster email
Lunch:
Your choice of lunch is included in your site fee.
Lunch 1: Choice of soup with bread or crackers, choice of side and dessert.
Lunch 2: Sandwich and chips, choice of side and dessert.
Lunch 3: Small soup, 1/2 sandwich, choice of side and dessert.
Soup/sandwich options and ingredients lists will be added here when available and will be posted in the lunch area.
Lodging:
No motel blocks have been arranged for the event. Several motels in varying price ranges are available in Gurnee (I-94 at Grand Avenue/Rt 132), approximately 30 minutes from the event site.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Royalty Retainers: Her Majesty Queen Kemma is planning to grace our event with Her presence. Please consider helping us welcome Her by signing up for a shift as a retainer. The signup link is Retain for HRM Kemma at Artisans’ Day
Mugs for Newcomers: It has become a well-loved custom in the MidRealm for Their Majesties to present a mug or goblet to each newcomer in Their Courts as a symbol of welcome. Not surprisingly, They go through a lot of them!
Dame Marie will be collecting donated mugs, tankards, beakers, and goblets to restock Their Majesties’ supply. Items should be clean and in good condition, plausibly Period-looking, in wood, ceramic, glass, metal, or leather (no plastic, please!), without text, logos, branding, or other modern decoration. (If in doubt, consider whether you would be willing to be seen in your best garb at a feast, using the item yourself.)
There will be a collection point at the event, or contact Dame Marie at Newcomers’ Mugs if you have any questions
General Schedule:
| Site Opens to Populace | 8:30 AM |
| Classes and Salons Begin | 9:30 AM |
| Quiet Room Available | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Lunch | Noon to 1:30 PM |
| Bardic Circle & “Bard of the Midlands” Competition | 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM |
| Classes End | 4:30 PM |
| Court | at Her Majesty’s convenience |
| Site Closes | 6:00 PM |
Classes (updated as of 7 October)
| CLASS NAME | TIME | LOCATION | INSTRUCTOR | CLASS DESCRIPTION | CLASS SIZE LIMIT | MATERIALS COST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counted Cross-Stitch | TBA | TBA | Dame Nicholaa Halden (she/her) | Beginner hands-on class with discussion on general use and applications. Simple practice kits (not Period but good practice) and hoops will be available. Students are welcome to bring their own materials. Please bring a small scissors. | Limit 10. Youth age 8 or older welcome with adult supervision. | optional donation for materials |
| Bead Fibula | TBA | TBA | Dame Nicholaa Halden (she/her) | Very early pins for securing clothing and for decoration. Beginner hands-on class with discussion on general use and applications. Wire and various beads will be available. Students will be able to make one or more pins using hand tools, wire (can be sharp), and beads. | Limit 10. Youth age 8 or older welcome with adult supervision. | optional donation for materials |
| Spanish Fencing Masters: An Overview | TBA | TBA | The Honorable Filidh Siobhan an Einigh of Connacht (they/them) | In this class we will discuss 6 Diestros behind classical Spanish fencing, La Verdadera Destreza de la Espada (Destreza). Who they were, how they were situated within the culture, and what they each added to the Destreza model. This class will also provide an overview of Destreza terminology, and students will walk away with a bibliography/resource list that can point them to English translations of the Spanish texts for their own future study. No swords needed – just the mightier pen if you want to take notes! | 10 printed handouts available (QR code also available for digital version) | no cost |
| An Apple A Day | 3:00PM – 4:00PM | Church social hall | Master Oswyn Swann (he/him) | A brief lecture on cider and cider styles, followed by a tasting of various styles of cider. | 12 | MUST BE AGE 21 OR OLDER TO PARTICIPATE IN TASTING |
| Multi-Harness Weaving Workshop | All Day (begins 9:30AM) | Maitresse Audette la Tricoteuse de Saint Denis (she/her) | Have you ever wondered how to dress your loom? Or what that means? In this workshop, we will focus on multi-harness horizontal looms, and get them warped and ready for weaving. Examples of the looms intended are LeClerc Voyager or Dorothy looms, Louet Erica or Jane looms, Structo Artcraft looms, Mountain Looms and Ashford table looms. This workshop is not intended for rigid heddle looms or tape/inkle/card looms. This will be a hands on workshop with participants bringing their looms and working on them through the day. Attendees may come and go as needed during the workshop, but the more time spent in the workshop, the more we can get accomplished on your set up. Folks interested in learning about multi-harness weaving are welcome to drop in and observe, but the primary focus will be getting the looms on site set up for weaving. The instructor plans to bring some cones of yarn for attendee use, along with a warping reel, a warping board, and some additional tools to assist with the warping process. Any questions folks have prior to the workshop can be directed to Audette, at Weaving Workshop questions | |||
| Early Period Pyrography | TBA | TBA | The Honorable Malina an Eich Gil (she/her) | Ever wondered if those pretty wood-burned pieces extended beyond your summer camps as a child? Love the smell of a good campfire? Want to make your kit look more period? Come learn about Pyro-engraving/Pyrography and how it has existed since early times. Students will get a chance to see some of the newest research into early period pyro-engraving from the Nazca Empire, learn about its uses throughout history and even get a primer on how to start pyrography. A small gift will be given to students to get you started on your journey. All ages welcome. | no limit | optional donation for materials |
| Bardic Consultation | 10:00AM – 12 Noon | TBA | Magister Hilla Stormbringer (she/they) | Do you have a bardic piece you’re working on and need feedback? Are you wanting to write a piece but you’re not sure where to begin? Do you have questions about, or do you want to just talk about Bardic Stuff? Hilla Stormbringer will be available for bardic consultation. Everyone welcome! Sign up for a time or just walk up! | N/A | no cost |
| Target Archery Arrow Making 101 | TBA | TBA | The Honorable Forester Reimar Erikson (he/him) | Basic arrow making for SCA target archery. Will cover equipment and techniques. | 15 | no cost |
| Bayeux Stitch | TBA | TBA | The Honorable Grainne inghea Donnchadh | |||
| Medieval Gardens | TBA | TBA | The Honorable Grainne inghea Donnchadh | |||
| Tactics in the Battle of Hastings | TBA | TBA | Lord Stephen Westbourg of Flanders (he/him) | A discussion, based on research, of the unit tactics used in the 1066 CE Battle of Hastings, including the use of miniatures to demonstrate them in tabletop form. |
Salons (updated as of 7 October)
What’s a salon? In pre-Revolutionary France, intellectuals and artists (and those who aspired to be known as such) were hosted by the social and cultural elite at gatherings known as salons. People of ideas and ability used these gatherings to network, exchange knowledge, and read from, perform, or otherwise show off their latest creations.
Artisans’ Day will offer a variety of 3-hour-long themed salons: time and space to gather with others who share your interest, to work on your own projects and share your knowledge, research, and resources. These are not structured, nor are they workshops – there’s no defined outcome or goal, other than the camaraderie of shared time and space working with others who have a common interest.
| THEME | SESSION | LOCATION | HOST | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bardic Circle | Afternoon | TBA | The Honorable Filidh Siobhan an Einigh of Connacht (they/them) | Beginning with the Bard of the Midlands competition, then continuing as a general-participation bardic circle |
| Calligraphy and Illumination | TBA | TBA | HE Baroness Hillary of Langforde (she/her) | |
| A Gentle Teatime | TBA | TBA | HE Baron Akiyama Kazuhiko (he/him) and HE Baron Akiyama Hiroaki (he/him) | The Barons of Carraig Ban will host a gentle teatime, with Baron Kazuhiko knowledgeably rambling about tea history, horticulture, optimum brewing, and more! Smallfolk allowed with supervision (hot liquids involved). Limit 20 participants. Optional donation appreciated. |
| Have a Fit: Personal Measurements for Early Period Garb | Afternoon | TBA | Dame Marie la Fauconniere (she/her) | Planning on new garb? Clothes that fit correctly are more comfortable, waste less fabric, and look better on you, too. Sign up for a measurements session and walk away with all of your key measurements from head to toe, on one easy sheet! Taking measurements will be easier and more accurate if your current garb is somewhat close fitting, but we’ll work with what you have on – NO disrobing required. Each session should take no more than 30 minutes; the last session will begin at 4:00PM. |
| Instrumental Music | TBA | TBA | Master Robyyan Torr d’Elandris (he/him) | Bring an instrument, any instrument, and we’ll see what kind of music we can make. Or bring a question about an instrument, and we’ll see if we have answers. Or a discussion topic on instrumental music or composers. Let’s hang out and do music things together! |
Also Occurring
| ACTIVITY | TIME | HOST OR CONTACT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Activities | the Noble Susanna Merrybegot (she/her) | ||
| Quiet Room | 9:30AM – 4:30PM | A room in which to catch your breath and reset. Not hosted; please be respectful of other gentles also in need of quiet time in the space. |
Youth Activities
Please remember that youth under 12 years of age are expected to be accompanied by their parent or guardian when participating in classes or activities.
Combat
There are no combat activities planned for the day. However, if weather permits and you bring your own marshal, there is plenty of space on the lawns for pickup fighting.
Merchants
A few spaces are available at $15 for an 8’x8′ space with 1 table and 2 chairs. Please contact the Merchant Coordinator listed above to reserve a space. Weather permitting, merchants may also set up outdoors at no additional charge.