The site we had originally chosen was booked sight unseen because there was too much snow on the road to go investigate. I turned out to be not at all what we needed when we were finally able to get out and see it, and thus began a last minute struggle to find a new location. We found a new site less than two weeks before the event, thanks to a suggestion from a friend and the site just happening to be free the weekend we needed it (thanks to road construction on the way there).
The event was themed War Games, and focused on period games and sports. Our site tokens were gold colored coins from Oriental Trading Company distributed in silk organza bags. Attendees were encouraged to engage in the very period practice of gambling to amass the greatest fortune possible. There were classes on the peer-like qualities and translating them into everyday life, period embroidery, and making period shoes. We had a Laurels' Display event where the attending laurels could show off their arts, our baronial thrown weapons and archery competitions, rapier and heavy fighting, a bardic, a fundraiser dinner, a potluck,, oh, and a baronial investiture.
Attendance was a bit smaller than expected, but I was very proud that every event ran on time, save the childrens' armored combat, which we delayed so that more kids could arrive to participate. I had time to shoot in the archery championship and participate in the thrown weapons championship. I was honored to be awarded with the Terpsichore's Moufle award (a barony-level arts and sciences award) by the outgoing Baron and Baroness, and a S.P.U.D. (Service Performed Under Duress) by the incoming Baron and Baroness. My husband and I were given some lovely largess by both sets of Excellencies as well as by the King and Queen, and honestly, all the notice really blew me away. We just wanted to have fun, and wanted to run the kind of event we like to go to.
The best reward of all was seeing how much fun everyone had, but there were some other really magical moments. It was a beautiful site, and really, a pretty good time. That said, it was a lot to juggle, and with all the craziness. bugs, inevitable injuries, etc. we're still sort of recovering from an overabundance of fun. Here are a few photos.