Your First Event: What to Bring

To attend a regular fighter practice or some of our informal project sessions, you don’t have to come in garb (although you are welcome to!) But when it’s time for your first SCA event, here are some things that can make your day more fun!

Documents

If you’ve purchased a membership (it gets you discounts to most events), make sure you bring your card. Right now, you’ll also need to bring proof of your Covid-19 vaccine or proof of a negative Covid test taken within 48 hours of the event. If you’re not a member, you’ll be asked to sign a participation waiver at the check in gate.

Garb

There is no requirement for accuracy or authenticity in our group–we are here to have fun and learn! That being said, it is fun to dress up and it certainly helps you get into a medieval frame of mind. Our Chatelaine is the officer who helps newcomers get set up with loaner garb.

You can also purchase or make your own garb (check out our Garb page for ideas and our Garb Resources page for where to buy). Keep in mind that you might change your mind about what era or region you want to dress in once you see everyone’s costumes (in other words, don’t spend a lot of money right away!)

Comfortable shoes are important (especially as there is often court dancing!). Boots or flats are great modern shoes to help with your look.

Feast Gear

If you are attending a day event, you’ll want to make sure you have water and perhaps snacks. No one will complain if you bring a plastic water bottle, but you can also bring a pottery mug or beer stein to drink out of .

If you’re attending a feast, you’ll want to bring a plate or bowl and utensils. Thrift stores are great places to find inexpensive wood or pottery plates and even silverware! If there are merchants at the event, they might have feast gear accessories. If you’ve forgotten your feast gear at an al-Barran feast, come say hi to your Baroness–she has extra to tide you over!

It’s also a good idea to bring a bag to stash your feast gear in so you can wash it at home. And if you want to be fancy, you can bring a tablecloth and some LED candles (many sites don’t allow real candles) but don’t stress about these your first time–we always have plenty.

Kids

The SCA is family-friendly and we frequently have kids’ activities at events. You might want to check the event description to see if there will be something for your young one to do besides watch. If there are arts classes, older kids are welcome to participate and young ones are welcome if their parent accompanies them.

Other Essentials

Many of our events have tournaments or other outdoor activities.  Here are some good things to bring with you:

• Sunscreen
• A chair (your folding camp chair is fine! If you’re buying one anyway, there are lots of affordable wooden folding chairs out there too!)
• Water
• Snacks