Please join local members of the SCA in a visit to the Cloisters museum on Sunday, November 28.
(If you’re new to the Cloisters, it’s New York City’s immersive museum of medieval art and architecture, constructed from several medieval European buildings which were purchased piecemeal a hundred years ago and relocated to upper Manhattan, then filled with a variety of period artworks.)
We’ll meet in the park right across the street from the main entrance and enter at 1:00, and plan to stay for three or four hours. (If folks are in the mood afterwards, we might also walk down the hill and get a bite or a drink at a local restaurant.)
[Update:] Unfortunately, museum policies prohibit visiting in historical clothing; this policy is not consistently enforced, but to avoid problems we encourage modern dress.
To reach the Cloisters by transit, take the A train to 181st Street, then use the elevators to exit on Fort Washington Avenue and transfer to the uptown M4 bus which ends at the Cloisters. (Sadly, the otherwise-convenient 190th Street station is closed for repair work.) Alternately, take the A or 1 trains to Dyckman Street and be prepared for a very, very steep climb up the 180-foot hillside.
If coming by car, I believe you should be able to find parking spaces within walking distance in or around Fort Tryon Park.
Online reservations are required to enter the museum. Please RSVP ASAP to seneschal@whytwhey.eastkingdom.org so that we can reserve sufficient spaces.
The “general admission” price is $25, but residents of New York State with a valid ID may pay what you will. (If the cost is a barrier, please contact the seneschal for assistance.)
Face masks must be worn throughout the visit. Like many New York City venues, the Cloisters requires visitors aged twelve or over to show proof of vaccination. The East Kingdom requires participants aged twelve or over to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result from the prior three days. Both organizations require photo ID for those aged eighteen or over.
Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to try to ensure the health and safety of our event participants, we cannot eliminate the risk of exposure to infectious diseases during in-person events. By participating in the in-person events of the SCA, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks. You agree to take any additional steps to protect your own health and safety and those under your control as you believe to be necessary.
(Cloisters photograph by Christopher Down licensed under Creative Commons.)
The Crown Province’s weekly practice has been bustling this fall, with fencing, armored combat, and dance lessons happening on the field, as well as engaging with the many passers-by who stop to learn about our activities.
A number of folks from our fair canton are typically in attendance — now’s a great time to join us!
We gather on Tuesdays starting around 7:00 at McCarren Park in Brooklyn, in easy walking distance from the L train — see directions here, or email the seneschal if you’d be interested in catching a ride out by car. (Activities may be cancelled due to weather or the availability of our marshals, so get in touch via email or social media to confirm our schedule.)
Whyt Whey banner on display at a recent Provincial practice.
Topics for discussion include reports from the canton officers, recent policy changes and possible in-person activities over the coming months, and a proposal to consider changing the canton’s registered name.
If there are items you’d like see added to the agenda, please let me know.
Denizens of Whyt Whey and the surrounding lands, join us for a park picnic to celebrate the summer and spend time in good company after so long apart!
We will gather on Sunday, July 25, starting at 2:00 PM — unless the weather is inclement, in which case we will announce a postponement to the following Sunday, August 1.
[UPDATE, July 25: the weather forecast for this afternoon has been downgraded to “scattered thunderstorms,” so it looks like we need to push our picnic back to the rain date, next Sunday, August 1. The long-range forecast suggests next Sunday will be dry and pleasant — I look forward to seeing you all then!]
[UPDATE, August 1: Today’s weather is looking pleasant — comfortable temperatures and no rain until late in the day — so we’re moving ahead with our picnic plans for this afternoon. Pack your lunch and join us at 2:00 on the Great Hill!]
Please meet us on the Great Hill in Central Park, near 105th Street at Central Park West. (You can take the B or C trains to 103rd Street, enter the park and take your first left to climb the hill. Alternately, the park entrance at West 106th Street offers both stairs and a sloping path up to the top.)
On Sunday, September 29th, 2019, from 11:30 to 6:00, the New York City chapter of the S.C.A. will once again be participating in The Medieval Festival at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park, the largest event of its kind in our area, with an audience of approximately 60,000.
Please join us as we exhibit the wide range of Society activities to the public, including medieval arts and sciences, crafts and clothing, fencing and armored combat, dance and song, chivalry and pageantry.
We’ll post additional information about the event here soon, including a schedule for the fighting and performance areas.
In the meantime, please consider volunteering to assist, as we are in need of many hands for set up, take down, organizing, and hosting for this demonstration.
If you have items or skills you wish to display at the demonstration, please contact the event stewards so we can organize space and logistics with you. We are keen to demonstrate many forms of art & science including music, fiber arts, scribal arts, arms and armor, blacksmithing, jewelry making, games, clothing & millinery. If you’d like to demonstrate a skill that is not listed, please let us know.
We welcome fencers and fighters from near and far! Our fencing champion and heavy fighting champion will be hosting their respective provincial championship tournaments at the festival this year. Come to demonstrate your skills before an eager audience, and receive recognition and glory within the Province!
We are also seeking chatelaines and other volunteers to help staff chatelaine tables. These tables will make it easier for onlookers and those curious of our crafts to come and discuss more in depth what the Society of Creative Anachronism does and how they can get more involved.
If you wish to volunteer with any of the needs above, or in general, or simply wish to come and have fun with us, please contact the Event Stewards! You can reach out to us through email or Facebook:
On Thursday, June 6, 2019, the Canton of Whyt Whey held a meeting of its officers to consider the new provincial bylaws recently approved by the officers of its parent group, the Crown Province of Østgarðr.
A quorum of four of the canton’s six rostered officers was present, and one additional officer submitted their vote by written proxy.
The officers unanimously voted to approve the ratification of the new provincial bylaws.
Present and voting to approve: • Mistress Vika Grigina z Prahy, Seneschal and Webminister • Lord Ibrahim al•Rashid, Exchequer • Lady Godiva de la Mer, Minister of Arts & Sciences • Bóaire Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin, Youth Marshal
Absent and voting by written proxy to approve:
• Lady Angelica di Nova Lipa, Chatelaine
Absent and not voting: • Lord Erich Guter Muth, Herald
The best way to reach the festival is to take the “A” train to the 190th St. station, then follow the crowds up the elevators and into the park. (This is the way many of the other 50,000 attendees will arrive, so the elevator up from the subway to the park can be fairly crowded, but it only takes a few minutes.)
When you reach the park, walk through the main gate and continue down the road for another minute until you see an open field on your left; our encampment is in a cluster of tents on the top of that little hill.
Alternately, you can reach us via a less-trafficked walkway by entering the park just to the left of the main gate, and then taking the first right, as shown in the map below.
Park Entrances And Paths
The M4 Bus
You can take the Cloisters-bound M4 bus north to its last stop at the entrance to the park. (Accessibility note: unlike the subway, this route does not involve any stairs.)
Intercity Transit
For those coming from outside the city via Amtrak, NJ Transit, or regional bus, you can transfer to the New York City Subway’s “A” train at Penn Station or the Port Authority bus terminal; from MetroNorth or LIRR take the “S” Shuttle from Grand Central to Times Square to connect to the A train.
Carpool
If you know several people who are coming in separate vehicles, it may be worth the effort to meet up somewhere just outside the city where parking is easy and then car-pool in from there to reduce the parking hassle.
Driving Directions
The event organizers discourage driving to the site because traffic and parking will be challenging, but if you’re bringing a significant amount of gear, or if you have limited mobility and can not climb the multiple flights of stairs from the subway station, read on for details about getting to the site by car.
The place within the park where we will be set up is just south of the “New Leaf” restaurant at 1 Margaret Corbin Drive.
If you’re traveling to the site by car, you may find police barricades directing traffic away from the site, but you can tell them that you’re a performer working at the festival and they should allow you through.
The map attached below highlights some areas to give you a sense of where we’ll be within the overall site area, and where the parking and transit options are.
Region of Cloisters Demo
Loading And Unloading
If you want to drive into the park to drop off gear, you must arrive before 9:30, as all vehicles must be cleared from the park by 10:00.
There is ALWAYS a traffic jam of entering vehicles. We are conveniently located just inside the south entrance, which eases our loading. Please take care not to block the roadway for others who are attempting to drive further into the park.
Alternately you can stop your car outside the park, unload on the sidewalk and have passengers walk your gear to the site while the driver stays with the car.
If you are delayed in transit, and arrive after 10:00, you will not be able to drive your car into the park. Instead, find parking and haul your stuff in manually. If you need unloading assistance, come to our demo location and ask for help.
Cars will be allowed back on site to load gear once the crowd clears, around 6:30 or 7:00. We must wait for the public to walk out before we start driving in. The festival ends at 6:00. It takes time for 60,000 people to exit the very large park.
Parking Passes
For a limited number of participants who contact us in advance, we might be able to arrange a pass for parking near the site. If you’re interested in a parking pass, contact the event steward ASAP: Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin, at 231060@members.eastkingdom.org or via phone/SMS to 917-502-7795, and provide your full name, a description of your car, and your license plate number.
You do NOT need a parking pass to drive your vehicle on & off site at the beginning and end of the day. The parking pass also does not guarantee you a spot. It simply allows you to look for parking in the cordoned-off parking area nearby. Folks with parking passes should arrive early to increase your chances of finding parking in this area.
Even with a parking pass, be prepared for delays getting on and off site, because it can take a long time to get vehicles into the parking area, you may have to park some distance away from our field, and when the event is over and you’re ready to leave you will find yourself in the middle of a miniature traffic jam that takes a while to clear.
Public Parking
If you don’t have a parking pass, or if the cordoned-off parking-pass area is full when you arrive, you may need to drive several blocks away to find free street parking, or use a paid parking lot. Street parking nearby fills up quickly, but if you are early you may be able to find something.
Below is a map of nearby parking garages. Garage #3 is not as useful as it appears in this aerial view, because to get into the park from there you need to walk up a very steep hill (almost a cliff); the other two are an easier walk.
Parking garages near Fort Tryon Park
If you’re not carrying a lot of gear and you don’t want to deal with this parking hassle, you might want to stop at some distance from the event and look for on-street parking then take a taxi the rest of the way, or find parking near a station of the “A” train and take the subway for a few minutes to reach the site.
This Sunday, September 30th, from 11:30 to 6:00, the New York City chapter of the S.C.A. will once again be participating in The Medieval Festival at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park, the largest event of its kind in our area.
The best way to reach the festival is to take the “A” train to the 190th St. station, then follow the crowds up the elevators and into the park. Walk through the gate and continue down the road for another minute until you see an open field on your left; our encampment is in a cluster of tents on the top of that little hill.
Here’s a summary of some of what we’ll be exhibiting to the public:
The Society of Creative Anachronism will host a medieval village on the south lawn re-creating many aspects of life from the end of classical antiquity through the renaissance.
Learn how you can join our society, master these skills, and immerse yourself in living history, so you can experience “the middle ages as they ought to have been.”
Fine Arts & Practical Crafts:
Visit throughout the day for displays of fine arts and practical crafts, including calligraphy and illumination, spinning and embroidery, glass and metalwork, weapons and armor.
Performance & Pageantry:
Get an up-close look at the music and dance, clothing and ceremony of the middle ages.
• 1:00 Musical Performances And Medieval Sing-Along
• 2:00 Historical World Fashion Show
• 3:00 Medieval and Renaissance Dance
• 4:00 Musical Performances
• 5:00 Crown Provincial Court
Fighting Arena:
Armored fighters protected by steel and leather fight brutal battles with heavy weapons, while fencers engage in rapier duels that are more elegant, but just as deadly.
Youth Activities:
Discover the kinds of games kids would have played five hundred or a thousand years ago. Watch our trained child warriors fight to the (pretend) death, or let your own youngsters try some target practice with our foam-padded swords and spears.
