The Canton of Appleholm invites you to join us for a celebration of spring at our May Day festival!
In the spirit of a traditional May Day gathering, we will mark the change of the seasons and rejoice in the return of warm weather with period music and dancing, decoration of a maypole, garlands of flowers, fruity drinks, picnic finger foods, and cheerful company.
Our merriment will begin at noon on Saturday, May 4; if you’d like to help with setup you are free to join us at 11:30 AM. (If the weather is inclement, we will reschedule to our rain date one week later on May 11.)
We will gather in Sakura Park, a lovely city park located on Riverside Drive at 122nd Street, adjacent to Grant’s Tomb, a few blocks north of Columbia University. (See below for directions.)
All are welcome to join us. Feel free to RSVP or just show up. No Society membership or previous experience required. If you’re new to the SCA, we’d love to meet you!
This event is free. If you would like to contribute to our potluck picnic, please bring a shareable snack or beverage. (We’ll provide a serving table as well as paper plates and cups.) Flowers and other springtime decor are also welcome; contact the event steward to coordinate.
To heighten the experience, please wear clothing evocative of some era before 1600. Strict historical accuracy is not necessary; we just ask for you to make an attempt to step out of the modern world. If you don’t have period garb, we can provide an outfit for the day; send us an email with the sizes and genders in your party and we’ll do our best to outfit you.
Public restrooms are located across the street in the Federal Memorial Visitor Center, which is open until 4 PM.
Mathghamhain will be the day’s event steward — if you have any questions, please send an email to events@appleholm.eastkingdom.org, or contact me via Messenger, Discord, or SMS to 917-502-7795; on the day of the event, you can also call that number to reach me on-site.
We look forward to seeing you soon at our celebration of spring!
Event Site Directions
Sakura Park is located on Riverside Drive at 122nd Street, adjacent to Grant’s Tomb and just north of Columbia University.
By Car: This park is just two blocks from the West Side Highway and features plenty of free street parking along Riverside Drive within easy walking distance of the park.
By Subway: Take the 1 to 116th Street, then walk between along Broadway between the Columbia and Barnard campuses to 120th Street, take a left to reach Riverside, and proceed two more blocks further north. (The 125th Street station is half a block closer but the walk is steeply uphill).
By MetroNorth: Take any Grand-Central-bound line to 125th Street. Go downstairs to exit the station and walk west along 125th Street for one minute to reach the M60 bus stop. (You can pay for the bus with a smartphone or a “tap” of a credit card.) Take the bus to 120th Street and Amsterdam and then continue three more blocks along 120th to reach Riverside Park.
By Bus: The M5 bus stops just outside the park. The M60 stops on 120th Street at Amsterdam and on Broadway at 116th Street.
By Bike: There are CitiBike docks at 120th Street.
Our Inspiration: Pre-Modern Village Festivals
