Shrewsbury Harvest Faire 2014

There is a new tradition being started in southern Trimaris: Shrewsbury Faire. This event quickly got itself on my “do not miss list,” because of its laid back attitude, huge variety of classes and contests, and just generally being a great time. Shrewsbury is a market town in England that people would visit from all parts of the island to trade there. This was the original idea behind the bi-annual faire that Sangre del Sol proposed, and then they asked their neighbors to the south, Southkeep, to work together to make it great. Sangre hosted one in the summer that was a great success: the fighting was well attended by some of the best warriors in Southern Trimaris, and the contests gave the populace many things to take part in and see. The weekend of October 11th was the second faire, meant to be about all things harvest. The coordinators did a great job bringing the theme together. The list of events included: a burning man contest, a cordial brewing contest, a baking contest, a runway fashion show, apple bobbing, and a whole slew of classes that ranged from fiber arts to heraldic presentation.

My personal favourite part about the Shrewsbury events is the fact that while there is a ton of things going on, there is no sense of rushing. The whole event has a very relaxed feel, which allows you to move through it and enjoy it all. I think this has to do with the fact that it is concentrated on a relatively small site, which means that most of the activities are being done within eyesight of each other. If one is in the center pavillion enjoying a class, one can see where the fighters are practicing and where the archery competitions are going on. Normally, since I spend all of my time on the field, I don't get to see anything at kingdom events, as the only thing close to the lyst field is fighter support. Here, I could be practicing with the fighters and, if a break is called, I can easily walk over to the central pavillion and see what was going on there for a little bit.

This event also had the distinction of being the first time my father, Kjaran Issjor, and second time my brother, Ruik, had the chance to attend an event. It was amazing seeing that newcomer’s look in my dad’s eyes. Everything caught his interest as he tried to take everything in. I would really like to extend a thanks to the Autocrats, and everyone at the event for making my family feel so at home, even though they are still new to everything. My brother, after sometime perusing the various contests and merchant stalls, spent his day on the archery range mastering those deadly skills. They have both told me they had an amazing time and can't wait to do it again. Hopefully they will be able to make it to the event that Southkeep is running in February, Tourney of the Three Ships.

The fighting at Shrewsbury was more practice than anything rigid, we armoured up and got a chance to fight with 6-7 fighters visiting from other parts of Southern Trimaris. It was particularly nice to see Sean, who was one of the shieldmen I fought with at war, who I hadn't seen in a long time. The fighting itself was very good; I am continuing to work on perfecting my range, and some of the moves that are very specific to axes. The main move I’m trying to practice is the punch block that his Grace Duke Mittion was talking to me about at Seamarch Anniversary. I still haven’t gotten the hang of it, but the hope is I will be able to get some time to work on it at half speed in the not too distant future. I think I fared well throughout the practices, and I didn’t get quite as tired as I have been getting. The weather is starting to shift for the better, and I think that made a big difference. I will be starting a workout routine very soon, which should also help me keep up my endurance. Stay tuned for details in a future post.

Since I spent most of the day in armour, I didn’t get the chance to take any of the classes, but my Lady told me that she particularly enjoyed the class on medieval etiquette that was taught by the wonderful Eilionora Michelle O’Keefe, a dear friend of ours. I also didn’t get to try the baking competition, which my Lady tells me is nearly a sin against sweets on my part. I did, however, get to vote in the cordial competition, and that was amazing! There must have been 13 different entries varying from pomegranate-infused rum to a variety of meads. I’m not sure that all the entrants were cordials per se, but they all certainly leaned towards the sweeter side. In the end, I voted for a berry-flavoured drink that was a little sweet to be a normal drink for me, but certainly made a great dessert drink.

Finally, as the evening ran down, it was time for us to leave all our friends behind and go home. During the last Shrewsbury, we had the opportunity to camp, and we will likely do so again at the next one, as we find that going home after a great event is rough. We said goodbye just as the sun was going down, and the tantalizing scents of feast were starting to fill the air. It was a great day filled with close friends, and activities to fill the dance card of even the smallest attention span. Thank you very much to everyone who worked so hard to make this possible, I can’t wait until next time!