Friday, November 15 – Sunday, November 17, 2024
Concerning Hobbits
Hobbits have been living and farming in the four farthings of the Shire for many hundreds of years.
Quite content to ignore and be ignored by the world of the Big Folk – Middle Earth being, after all, full of strange creatures beyond count. Hobbits must seem of little importance being neither renowned as great warriors, nor counted among the very wise.
In fact, it has been remarked by some that the Hobbits’ only real passion is for food. A rather unfair observation, as we have also developed a keen interest in the brewing of ales, and the smoking of pipe-weed. But where our hearts truly lie is in peace and quiet, and good tilled earth. For all hobbits share a love of things that grow.
* Written on the 22nd day of September in the year fourteen hundred by Shire-reckoning at Bags-end, Bilbo Baggins
Hobbiton
Welcome to Hobbiton – A Buckston Birthday! When we talk about Hobbits’ passion for food, we speak of all those important meals of the day: 1st Breakfast, 2nd Breakfast, Elevensies, Lunch, Tea, Dinner, and Supper!
Come join us for a weekend, or a day, in the life of the Shire. Cooks will be preparing unique, historically adjacent meals for EACH repast. That’s right different cooks for seven different repasts!
Brewers will be on hand to help complete your meals with good ale, cider, beer, and more.
There will be A&S competitions, a bardic, and much more; even for our tiniest residents.
While the Shire is a place of peace, Middle Earth is still in danger from evil and the Big Folk must continue to fight against the impending doom. Our brave fighters and archers (target/combat) will defend the Shire from the darkness!
Schedule
Arts & Sciences
Costume Competition
Be you Hobbit, Elf, Orc, or Man…what is your aesthetic? Are you a literature purest, a costumer, or historical dresser? It wouldn’t be a birthday without a competition for best costume.
- Full LOTRs cosplay – dress as any character from the movies, books, etc.
- Character Mash-Ups – 2 or more characters in 1 costume, examples of Orc/Elf, Hobbit/Dwarf, Aragorn/Eomer, Bilbo/Treebeard, Denethor II/Orc
- Historical garb with a LOTR theme – Take a historical garment and give it a LOTR theme (documentation not necessary)
- Kids – Best hobbit costume
Which Realm Are You?
- Elvish – Giving your A&S an elvish feel. Artwork, poetry, music and song, needlework, etc.
- Orcish – Poetry SLAM! – Write a poem about any subject from LOTR in Orcish! Could be the joys of gardening hobbits, the travels/chase of Treebeard, making Faramir jelly or turning Boromir into a kabab… up to you.
- Man – Setting up a fantasy feast kit. What would your table setting look like?
- Hobbit – What would your hobbit pipe look like? Bring your funniest looking vegetable.
- Dwarves – Jewelry and metalworking.
- Kids – Best Smaug puppet!!!
Static display theme – Bilbo’s Birthday Party
This can be anything that could be found at Bilbo’s party. Documentation is optional.
- Are you an artist? Do you make cheese? Do you brew? Do you make bread? What decorations do you think would be a table centerpiece?
Class
Hobbit Kitchen Gardens – Medieval kitchen gardens would be very similar to a Hobbit’s kitchen garden, containing all the delicious herbs, vegetables, and fruits Hobbits love to eat, except for the PO-TAY-TOES! Nay! Our medieval folks had turnips instead! Come learn about medieval kitchen gardens and hour to start your own Hobbit garden at home. (run by Mistress Lorelei Greenleaf)
Tree Identification Walk About – Know the names of the great Ents and lesser Ents! Have a walkabout and learn how to name the friends in the forest even in the winter! (run by Lady Merwenna Maycock)
Feast
Who wants to be stuck in the kitchen on a fine fall day when you can hear the sounds of laughter and have a pint as you put your feet up?! Welcome to the day-long feast at Hobbiton! We have challenged our cooks to create comfort food Hobbit style. We asked for historically adjacent, comfort food you might find at any respectable tavern in Middle Earth.
Courses
- Breakfast – The Squirrels: Lord Galfrid De Couentre – Head Cook (with Lady Lif Linnadottir, Lady Muirenn inen ui Daire, Lord Declan mac Aodhagain) *Breakfast Casserole – eggs, potatoes, onions, peppers, salt, pepper, milk, cheese, pork
*Porridge – oats, honey, apples, B sugar, rasisins, pecans
*Lembas Bread – flour, baking powder, salt, butter, B sugar, cinnamon, milk, vanilla, honey
- Elevensies: Armiger Griselle Dhai cook *Savory whipped ricotta tart *Sweet whipped ricotta tart *Beef summer sausage slices *Lite salad with herbed vinaigrette w/optional quail eggs
**tarts contain wheat and dairy
- Lunch – Elrond’s Lunch: Lady Catherine Windsor – Head Cook (with Lord Malgwen Morgant)
*Ori’s “I don’t like green food” zucchini boats – zucchini, diced pears, gorgonzola, honey
*Berry Salad – salad greens, fresh black, blue, and raspberries, vinaigrette (vinegar made from Catherin’s own Ciser Mead), apple with cinnamon, clove, allspice
*Focachia
*Fordo’s Strawberries – mascarpone cream, strawberries, mascarpone cheese, cream
- Afternoon Tea – Fait Accompli: Patronne Murienne – Head Cook (with Lady Margot, Lady Gwenhwyfar Weale, Lady Juliana Robertsone, Father Aelfric Ecgling)
*Beggar’s Purses – ham and cheese baked in dough
*Spinach Tart
*Scones with clotted cream, lemon curd, and fig jam
*Shortbread
*Various hot teas
*Hot apple cider
- Dinner – Taberna Diana: Lady Diana of Veroconium – Head Cook (with Master Gaelan Mac Cuinnega’in)
*Beef & Barley Soup
*Chicken Medallions with buttermilk dill ranch sauce, whipped potatoes, Italian green beans with bacon and onions.
*Dessert tea cakes with orange marmalade
Costs
| Course | Cost per person | Times available |
| Breakfast (1&2) | $8 | 7:30-9 am |
| Elevensies | $5 | 11 am |
| Lunch | $10 | 1 pm |
| Tea | $5 | 3 pm |
| Dinner/Supper | $10 | 6 pm |
*If all 5 feasts are purchased, the total is $35.
- We will place a cap on the number of servings each meal will provide. Should requests exceed the cap, a waitlist will be created.
- There are no refunds on the pre-registered meals.
- You will be handed meal tokens at Martial Activities
Defend Helm’s Deep!!
Man & Elf stand on the wall – at the ready – as rain pours down and the the directive of “SHOW NO MERCY” is given! The Uruk-hai are terrifying and their gwols, rage and hate fill the air. In the darkness, amid the melee, a lone Uruk-hai warrior brings the torch that will light the explosives that breach Helm’s Deep.Our wall has been breached and we must defend!! Fighters will try to take the Deep but wait, our Combat Archers are at the ready to defend those inside!
Other Activities
Bardic
Tolkein Bardic – Bring your best Tolkein representation 1 pm to 3 pm (run by Father Aelfric Ecgeling)
Firepit Bardic – st the firepit after dinner Saturday
Dancing
What’s a party without dancing?! Kick up your heels as you learn a new dance or enjoy your favorites.
Games
Make sure to come and play games with Baroness Mor the Merry! Fun for all ages and you will not want to miss this!
- A 3 legged Hobbit Race – no matter your size, once you put on the Hobbit Feet, it’s a changed game!
- Potato sack race
- Spoon and egg relay
- Coits (Ring Toss
- TAK – for those who prefer board games!
- Bubble pipes will be available for the kids
Nine Men’ Morris – Baron Simon de Spaldyng will be teaching. A simple strategy game which is found throughout Eurasia and Africa. Open to as many as would like to participate and instructive handouts will be there.
Stone Throwing – Think you’re as good as Merry and Pippin with a stone? Join us as we attempt to pick off a few Orcs, just as the Hobbits did during the storming of Isenguard! (run by Mistress Lorelei Greenleaf)
Merchants
Red Tree Leather Works – Roderick W. Nehrenz Voyages Through Time – Sara Spaulding
Barter & Trade Town
Barter/Trade station will be available so if you have something you’d like to rehome, please bring it. All items left at the end of the event will be donated.
Gold Key
Don’t have anything to wear? Come visit our
Site Info
Site: Optimist Farm
Address: 2908 Optimist Farm Road, Apex, NC, 27539
Site Hours: Opens 5 PM Friday and closes 11 AM Sunday
Restrictions:
- the kitchen is off-limits to the populace
- no explosive ordinances (sparklers only)
- no firearms
- no firepits except the inground firepit already on site
- no smoking in building – no butts or unused tobacco left on ground
- all garbage is to be taken with you at the end of the event
- Only service animals and/or well-behaved and leashed pets allowed on property.
- Pets that also qualify as farm animals are not permitted per the policy of the venue.
Accessibility: This is a primitive site. Gravel, grass, uneven terrain. Seems to be “scooter” friendly.
Directions:
Map
Directions:
From areas North: Make your best way to I-885 S towards Raleigh, then keep right on NC-885S towards Sandford. Take exit 54B onto NC-55 Bypass East toward Holy Springs, Fuquay-Varina. In .7 miles make a U-turn and then in 900 ft a right onto Old Smithfield Rd. Turn left onto Optimist Farm Rd and go 3.4 miles. From Areas East: Make your best way to I-40 E towards Raleigh. Take Exit 279A onto Triangle Expwy, NC-885S. Stay on NC-885 S toward Sandord, NC 540 S. Take exit 54B onto NC-55 bypass East toward Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, make a U turn. In 900 ft turn right onto Old Smithfield Rd. In 3.4 miles, turn left onto Optimist Farm Rd. From areas West: Make your best way to US-70 East, US-401 S toward Garner. Turn Right on S Saunders Street. Keep right onto Fayetteville Rd toward Fuquay-Varina, Fayetteville. Turn Right on Ten-Ten Road. Turn Left onto Lake Wheeler Road. Turn right onto Optimist Farm Rd. Go one mile. From areas South: Make your best way to I-95 BS N then take exit 81 to merge onto I-40 towards Raleigh. Take the exit onto Cleveland Road, keep right to stay on Cleveland Rd. Bear left to stay on Cleveland Rd.
Registration
Day-Trip
Feast
Camping
Adult, Member Discount Event Registration
$10
see above
$5
Adult, Event Registration
$20
see above
$5
Youth (6 – 17)
$5
see above $5
Child (0-5)
$0
see above $0
NOTE: Minors attending with an adult other than their legal guardian must present a notarized Minor Medical Authorization Form.
Cost Notes:
- Family Max Gate Fee: 2 adults and 2 children
- All meals are by pre-registration only.
- 5 meals being prepared: breakfast (1&2), elevensies, lunch, tea, dinner/supper. These will be available during the day at the appointed times.
- There is limited space for modern RVs (significant-length travel trailers and those with attached motors) – no generators allowed. Tear drop campers, pop-up campers are allowed in tent camping areas. If you are traveling with a modern RV, it is recommended to pre-register to ensure accommodation.
Registration
Make checks payable to: SCA, Inc., Canton of Buckston-on-Eno
Please send your checks to Buckston Exchequer:
Ríoghnach inghean Uí Clerigh (Amy Pennachi) at:
1028 Alexander Stewart Drive, Hillsborough, NC, 27278.SCORES is Live! Register online open October 1st to November 1st. After November 1st – online registration will be closed as will the option to purchase feast courses.
Refund Policy
Event refunds shall be provided as follows:
- No refunds shall be provided if the event does not make profit. This requirement may be waived for any single event if so approved by a simple majority vote of the regular Financial Committee according to the procedures and definitions stated in section 4.
- There are no refunds on the pre-registered meals.
- The Exchequer must receive refund requests in writing no later than 5 days after the event.
- All refunds shall be paid by check from the group’s checking account.
- No refund shall be issued until the event books have been closed and all reservation checks have been cleared or returned for insufficient funds.
Title SCA Name Mundane Name Email Autocrat Lord Karl Hohn Wayne Pennachi wayne.pennachi [at] duke.edu Deputy Autocrat Lady Caitrina inghean Fhearghuis Veronica Yoshida caitrinasca [at] gmail.com MIC Lord Rufus Barbarossa A&S Coordinator Lady Bene Tessa della Leonessa Sharon Walker Feast Coordinator Lady Caitrina inghean Fhearghuis Field Coordinator Lord Karl Hohn Hall Steward Lady Bene Tessa della Leonessa Deputy Hall Steward Lady Audreyanya Rzyszczewski MOL Lady Dýrfinna Freyviðardóttir Steph Taylor-Morgan Registrar Lady Ríoghnach inghean Uí Clérigh Amy Pennachi exchequer [at] buckston.windmastershill.org