SCA gatherings generally fall into the three categories of events, demos, and meetings. The largest of these gatherings are events. Held throughout the year, events are a great way to discover who we are and what we do. Some events are larger than others. Attendance can range from 11 people to 11,000. Events ca be hosted by cantons, baronies, kingdoms, and even multiple kingdoms. Nimenefeld hosts Midnight at the Oasis, which is a single day event. Our barony, Windmaster’s Hill, hosts a weekend birthday celebration event called Ymir. Atlantia, our kingdom, hosts several yearly events including War of the Wings that runs for almost a week each October. The ‘Super Bowl’ of SCA events* is called Pennsic. It draws thousands from around the world to spend two weeks of August in western Pennsylvania. Event activities generally include camping, shopping, classes, competitions, feasting, battles, and court.
Demos are single day expositions designed to showcase the SCA to a public audience. The main goal of a demo is to ignite interest and possibly recruit new members. Like an event, the size of a demo can vary. A demo can be hosted at any level, though cantons most often do.
Meeting happen most often in the SCA. Frequently referred to as ‘A&S’ or ‘practice’, canton meetings happen weekly. A business meeting is required of each canton monthly. Canton level meetings sometimes include socials, movie nights, and outings as well. Baronial meetings happen monthly, and generally include fighter practice as well as A&S. Kingdom level meetings most often involve only officers.
Lastly, there is the special case of University. Held three time per year at various locations throughout Atlantia, University offers the opportunity to expand SCA knowledge. University consists of one day of in-person classes, and the following day of online classes. All classes are free, but pre-registration is required.
* Technically, Pennsic is not strictly an SCA event. However, it is managed, mostly staffed, and widely attended by SCA members.
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