A fun-filled day of education and enjoyment of the arts & sciences
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2026, 8:30am – 6:30pm Central Time
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 (if any) will be held 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 is cash or check only – we are unable to accept any form of electronic payment.
| 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) – 1 charge per merchant, in addition to regular registration cost per person | $10 |
Alcohol is permitted ONLY in brewing/vintning classes – the rest of the site is BONE DRY. If there are B&V activities, IDs will be checked at the Gate 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: Dame Marie la Fauconniere (she/her) Co-Steward email and Magister Hilla Stormbringer (she/they) Co-Steward email
Class/Salon Coordinator: Mistress Maggie of Cnoc Cait (she/her) Class & Salon email / 815-403-1965 evenings and the Honorable Metylda of Ravenslake (she/her) Class & Salon email
Lunch: the Honorable Seathan MacDhabhidh (he/him) Lunch email / 847-321-5600
Longshoreman:
Merchants: Dame Marie la Fauconniere (she/her) Co-Steward email
Royalty Liaison:
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 (INFO TO COME!):
Your choice of soup and/or sandwich lunch is included in your site fee. Ingredient lists will be updated closer to the event date and will be posted in the serving area. Disposable plates will be provided – feast gear is not needed, except for your drinking vessel.
If you have any questions or allergy concerns please contact the Lunch Steward Email
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:
We are very much in need of a few hands to help serve lunch. Please contact the Event Steward or check with the kitchen during the morning.
General Schedule (updated 21 September):
| Site Opens for Merchant Setup ONLY | 8:00 AM |
| Site Opens to Populace | 8:30 AM |
| Classes and Salons Begin | 9:30 AM |
| Quiet Room Available | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Merchants Close for Breakdown | 5:30 PM |
| Site Closes | 6:00 PM |
Classes (updated 18 October)
| CLASS NAME | TIME | LOCATION | INSTRUCTOR | CLASS DESCRIPTION | CLASS SIZE LIMIT | CLASS AGE LIMIT | MATERIALS COST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergers are scary! Let’s fix that! | TBA | TBA | Baroness Umm Iskandar Mihri | This class will attempt to demystify how to operate a serger and apply this absolutely-not-period technology to your Garb project. A serger will be on hand for demonstration and practice. If you have a serger please bring it. | 8 | teen and up | none |
| Thread Woven Buttons | TBA | TBA | Baroness Umm Iskandar Mihri | Learn to make buttons in any 2-color combination you want. Class will include kit with supplies to make 2-3 buttons. | 15 | under 12 must have adult supervision | small donation accepted but not required |
| The Roman de Fauvel and You | TBA | TBA | THL Margrett Norwoode | How a 14th c. anthropomorphic horse story about corrupt, lovesick Fauvel inspired hundreds of pages of art, music and snide remarks. Lecture class with music excerpts played, handout available. | no limit | teen and up (a little bawdy but not explicit) | none |
| 11th c. Anglo-Saxon Women’s Clothing | TBA | TBA | THL Margrett Norwoode | An exploration of clothing, seam techniques, dyes, fiber, and context for an 11th century pre-Norman Conquest typical Anglo-Saxon woman, with examples from the presenter’s hand-sewn wardrobe. | |||
| The History of Playing and Tarot Cards | TBA | TBA | Master Heather Hall | ||||
| Tea Appreciation, History, and Tasting | TBA | TBA | Baron Akiyama Kazuhiko | Enjoy a fresh-brewed cup tea while learning about the nature and history of the beverage, the plant, and its trade. | 20 | under 12 must have adult supervision | |
| The Fibula | TBA | TBA | Dame Nicholaa Halden | Very early pins for securing clothing and decoration. Beginner hands-on class with discussion of general use and applications. Wire and various beads will be available. Students will be able to make one or more fibula pins. Will be using hand tools wire and beads. Wire cutters and wire can be sharp. | 10 | 8yrs (with adult supervision) and up | optional donation for materials |
| Jewelry History and Research | TBA | TBA | Dame Nicholaa Halden | What jewelry goes with my garb? A look at resources for jewelry research and construction. Will go over resources and look at extant and pictorial evidence. Focus is Western and later period but some early work. | |||
| Basic Turkish Coffee | TBA | TBA | THL Sergeant Quenild of Mercia | ||||
| Fun Court Dances | TBA | TBA | Countess Jalida al-Hasanah | We will learn several common SCA dances and have some fun together! Musicians also welcome for accompaniment. Bring your friends because the more people we have, the more choices there are! | |||
| Whitework Illumination from the Luttrell Psalter | TBA | TBA | THL Mikhail of Lubelska | Whitework is a technique where fine white lines are added atop a base color, forming highlights and complex designs. This hands-on class will show how these techniques are done, using the Luttrell Psalter, a 14th century manuscript, as an exemplar. | 12 | none | |
| Gesso for Panel Painting | TBA | TBA | THL Sergeant Quenild of Mercia | ||||
| Queens of the War of the Roses | TBA | TBA | Lady Kateryn Styllngflete | Hear the job descriptions of a medieval queen, experience possibly one of the fastest summaries of the Wars of the Roses you’ve ever heard in your life, then learn about the three queens that ruled England from 1445 to 1485 during that period of civil war. | |||
| Norman Haiku – Made-Up Poetry Form From The West Kingdom | TBA | TBA | The (Wrong and ) Honorable Master Dahrien Cordell | Long ago, Master Gerald of Ipsley told me that someone in the West taught him about this uproariously silly and fun form that really has little to do with any medieval poetic endeavors I’ve ever heard of. This class has even been taught at Pennsic University and the Known World Cooks Collegium And Bardic Symposium, which should lend it absolutely no additional credibility. So hide your rank, wear a mask, don’t tell the Laurels, then laugh when they sit beside you! We *will* be creating our own in class, so come prepared to participate. (Battery not included.) 1 hour (but come and go as you please, no harm, and it’s easy to go longer as we create and share examples.) | all ages | ||
| Designing Molds For (Metal) Casting, The Basics | TBA | TBA | The (Wrong and ) Honorable Master Dahrien Cordell | Learn how to design casting molds and sprue placement to give the best chance of filling completely with your molten metal (or other liquids). And learn about multi-part mold design to allow casting of more complex shapes, like buttons, pins, and more. Bring existing molds for Show & Tell or discussion, if you like. (If you actually make a mold, we can arrange for actual casting later — supplies are usually available from certain regular WW merchants, and grocery and pet stores often sell cuttlefish bone, which works as a fast-to-work & cheap, though fragile, mold material.) | all ages | ||
| The Duel of the Century | TBA | TBA | Maestro Raphael di Merisi | When the great condottieri Guido Rangoni and his cousin Hugo Pepoli met to cross blades, the people of Italy came out do bear witness. Come learn about how dueling worked in 16th century northern Italy and what this famous moment can teach us about European honor culture. | |||
| Beginning Dumbek Drumming | TBA | TBA | Sir Sabah al Rashid | ||||
| Medieval Women Warriors | TBA | TBA | Lady Suzanna Merrybegot | In this class, we will discuss women who donned armor, picked up weapons, and fought alongside their male counterparts. Were they really so unusual? Why did they choose to forgo traditional women’s roles? What’s fact and what’s fiction? Come and hear their stories and learn more about these wondrous warrior women. | |||
| Women Pirates | TBA | TBA | Lady Suzanna Merrybegot | Piracy – it’s not just for Jack Sparrow anymore. We will discuss women who chose to take up the profession of piracy. What did it take to be a woman pirate in an occupation dominated by men? What were their motivations? What happened to them? Come and learn about these bold women through their stories and we’ll try to separate fact from fiction. Let’s dish out the dirt on these dastardly damsels! |
Salons (updated 9 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 Salon | TBA | TBA | Baron Cerian Cantwr | Come to perform, or drop in to listen to songs, stories, poetry and more! |
| Embroidery/Fiber Arts Salon | TBA | TBA | Noble Grainne inghea Donnchadh | A space where people can try stuff. Bring your own project, or there will be some to share (threads, fabrics, needles, etc.). |
| Gaming Salon | TBA | TBA | Master Etienne le Couteau des Roches | |
| Cold-Metal Salon | TBA | TBA | THL Katriina Turkulaiinen | A space for wire-weaving, chain mail, and similar cold-metal projects. |
Also Occurring (updated 9 October)
| ACTIVITY | TIME | HOST OR CONTACT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Activities | |||
| Quiet Room | 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 scheduled for the day. However, if weather permits, there is plenty of space on the lawns for pickup fighting. Baron Gintaras will be available to marshal Armoured Combat.
Merchants (updated 21 September)
Please contact us in advance to make sure we can supply a table and chairs for you. Space is limited – please plan on bringing no more than one additional table of your own.
You are welcome to set up outside at no charge if weather permits, but we cannot supply tables/chairs for outdoor setup. (The site owner does not permit them to be used outside.)