Photo by Sean Sreamach
By Maggie Rue
The Pennsic Independent
Wednesday of War Week has a focus on one of the most important aspects of our Society: The children. Because without them, the SCA falls by the wayside. It grays out. It fades into obscurity. We don’t want that; therefore, Wednesday is a multi-department undertaking to ensure that the kids’ Dream of the SCA comes true as well.
At the 23rd Annual Knowne World Children’s Fête, held in the Great Hall this year, kids of all ages were taken on an adventure. Set up by the front door was a brilliant facepainting studio where the young ones were allowed to transform into a creature or concept—several children had butterfly wings, unicorn’s horns, or even octopuses lounging on their heads. In another corner a lightning-fast balloon sculptor was creating dogs, cats, and even swords and other inanimate objects before the kids’ eyes.
On the crafting side, the volunteers provided fabric totes to paint, beads to make, mosaics to fill in, and weaving cards to manipulate. The tattoo artists were also very popular with a number of interesting and entertaining temporary pieces.
However, the most popular attraction by far was a “beat up the fighter” tournament. Over a dozen adult warriors faced down their biggest fears and allowed the young children to take them out in dramatic and life-ending battles. There was a lot of laughter and cheering; everyone was having a great time.
Merely a few hours later, the best children’s water battle ever was held. Pennsic volunteers provided a seemingly endless supply of water, with buckets of water balloons lined up along the fence. A number of strange beasts came to drench children and spectators alike, putting the cap on an event-filled day for our most precious resource.