The Pennsic War

06/05/2026

Merchant Gate Update!

Thank you all for the feedback. We want you to know we are listening. Things are rarely, if ever, done for a single reason. Even more rare is Coopers or Pennsic doing anything without discussing it together and no decision is made lightly. Pennsic now is not
the same Pennsic of 30 years ago. Things change and things happen to cause those changes. This is a much different world. This post is about keeping Merchant gate open and will not be about the Sally Port. This post is about keeping the most accessible
path in the center of things, open and usable for as many people as possible.

Here are the details as they stand for the use of the Merchant Gate and a link to the updated map:
https://land.pennsicwar.org/maps/53/T02_S.png

The Merchant Gate will be open 7am to 9pm. It will open starting the Monday of Peace week, July 27 through Friday of War week, August 7.

Due to resourcing issues, the only way this can happen is to use volunteers – similar to the way Pennsic uses volunteers in other critical locations. Your assistance on this is invaluable and you
will be helping ensure your fellow attendees are able to continue to access critical assets.

The Merchant Gate will be staffed by volunteers working 2-hour shifts. You are more than welcome to sign up for more than one shift in a row. Partnering with a friend to share a shift or two is all good. We will have shade, a radio to call if needed, and at least two chairs, but you are welcome to bring your own seating for comfort. We will need at least seven volunteers per day (or less if folks are covering multiple shifts) in order to accomplish this.

During your shift, you will be checking for proof of admittance (e.g., medallions, etc.) on everyone coming through the gate. If there is an issue, you will be provided with a radio to call for the Watch to assist (we will train in its use). We also ask that you use a counter for every person who comes through the gate so we can better understand usage for future analysis.

Volunteer opportunities (sign-up sheets) will open around July 1st. There will be ways for you to sign up online in addition to having a sign-up sheet for the next day’s open shifts at Accessibility Point in Town Hall. If we have unmanned shifts, we will be posting them with the Town Cryer announcements as well as social media the day Prior. Please keep an eye out for them if you are looking to help fill in open spots.

What about Midnight Madness? I’m glad you asked. There will be normal shifts going until 9 pm. We will then have special guests on duty, rotating every hour, so everyone gets a chance to do some shopping.

We are committed to working together to keep Merchant Gate open and staffed with volunteers. To do this, we need your help to make this a success.

For additional questions or concerns, please reach out to me or the Mayor directly.

YIS,
Tree of the Forest
[email protected]

06/04/2026

In-Camp Armor Inspections for Pennsic 53

In-camp armor inspections will be available during Pennsic 53 under the process outlined in the Pennsic 53 General Armored Combat Conventions. https://www.pennsicwar.org/2026/05/28/pennsic-53-general-armored-combat-conventions/

Please note that this service is a privilege, not a right or a guarantee that a camp will be visited.

Important details:
• In-camp inspections must be arranged and coordinated with your Kingdom KEM and Pennsic MoL (Marshal Point)
• These inspections will only occur on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of Peace Week due to tight scheduling with other martial business.
• The KEM or representative must be accompanied by a Pennsic MoL to verify each fighter’s authorization status.
• No paperwork means no inspection.
• Armor only will be inspected in camp.
• Weapons must go to Inspection Point.
• This process applies to all fighters equally, regardless of station.
• If multiple helmets are being inspected, all helmets must be checked and logged.
• If there is any issue or discrepancy with an authorization card, the fighter will need to report to Marshal Point to sort it out.
• This process is a partnership with the Pennsic MoL office and will be enforced according to these guidelines.

Additional authorization note:

Authorization rules and availability may change, so please watch for additional announcements from the appropriate Kingdom and Pennsic channels.

At this time, authorizations are currently allowed by the Kingdom of the East, and secondary authorizations are expected to be allowed by Æthelmearc on site. However, it is strongly recommended that AE fighters complete any needed authorizations before Pennsic if possible, ideally at Bog Day on July 12 for Æthelmearc, or at a practice before July 12.

Yours in Service,
Bruce
Master Alessandra Brucioli
DM Martial Activities, PW53

06/04/2026

We have received several emails that people are still using the old form. Please use this link to fill out the new form. The header looks like the picture below.

To date, we have requests from the following groups and we are moving through our emails as quickly as possible.

Reminder that this form will close on WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 2026 at 11:59PM CENTRAL TIME.

Flaming Gryphon
Aethelmearc combat archery
West
Kingdom of the East
Vito's Minions
Bogatyr
Kingdom of Trimaris

link to form:

Please fill out the form to request a pavilion space around the Pennsic battlefield. Any questions please contact us at [email protected]. We will confirm your registration and space as soon as possible once we receive the completed registration form. Deadline to complete is Wednesday 1 Jul...

06/03/2026

Mayor Missive #4

Greetings to all good Gentles,

To say that we got a lot of feedback on the new Gate Rules would be an understatement, you broke the record for number of emails in 24 hours. But, I’ve read them all and we have heard your concerns. In fact we share many of them, so we have diligently worked on a solution to try and soften the impact.

Let me begin by explaining the “why” of the closure. With the new registration building operational there will be no more attendees entering Main gate, which will also no longer have an attendant. Said attendant used to also keep an eye on the Merchant gate which would now be completely unmonitored. As a result the difficult decision was made to close the gate.

The only option left is for us (Pennsic) to cover the task of monitoring, and we are talking a lot of volunteer hours here, which initially seemed prohibitive. Fortunately, the Event Resources division (these are the people that take care of a fair part of the accessibility at Pennsic) has stepped up to take on this major task and provide limited opening hours, based on volunteer availability. We can’t thank them enough for this. Details are still to be ironed out and further information will be forthcoming. And, if at any point in time this solution proves more trouble than it’s worth we may have to turn back the clock on it. I am hopeful that it will work. All that said, for safety reasons it was strongly suggested that we have ONE pedestrian crossing and not two in that location. Also it would not be fair to the volunteers securing the merchant gate if we left the back door wide open. Therefore, the Sally Port (fighters gate) will be closed 24/7. This means you HAVE to have your medallion on you to enter main site from Battlefield/B-Blocks at any of three the entry points………Please remember this.

I cannot emphasize enough that it will be fellow attendees who will give of their precious vacation time to maintain this valuable convenience for those whose lives it will make easier. Please, thank them when you enter/exit and possibly consider volunteering yourself.

In the end it’s not a perfect solution but I believe it is the best compromise we could achieve at this time. Stay tuned, there will be more information coming from the Event Resources department.

Yours in Service to the Dream,

Oscar, Pennsic Mayor 53

05/31/2026

Land Agents Only July 24th 9am till Noon.

ONLY AUTHORIZED LAND AGENTS WILL BE PERMITTED TO PAY AT Registration AND ENTER SITE FROM 9:00 AM TO 12:00 NOON ON FRIDAY, JULY 24 (including their single vehicle land agent, their assistant and minor children). If you are not a land agent (including assistant and any minor children) or designated proxy for your group, you will not even be allowed to walk through Registration and pay your site fee until 12:00 noon. As in the past few years we will be checking names against the most updated list Land can provide.

We will do our best to expedite those with medical issues but please be patient. This is a busy, hectic day and we are just getting back into the groove of things after a year off.

The process takes time. Please bring a couple of bottles of water and sunscreen or umbrella to help with the sun. The new building does have an awning, and we will do our best to get as many folks under it as possible.

Those Land Agents or Proxies with disability plates or hang tags on their vehicles will be allowed to drive to the great hall to complete land grab as we have done in previous years, after you have completed Registration. All others will leave their vehicles on the battlefield and walk onto site. These will be the only attendees allowed to drive onto site until their land has been signed off on.

After 12:00 noon, even after you pay your gate fee, you may STILL not be allowed to enter site until either:

• You receive one of five passes that are given to land agents once their entire block has been approved by the Land Office staff as complete (given out by the land agents at their discretion); OR
• Land Grab is deemed sufficiently/mostly complete by the Land Staff and Registration is informed the passes are no longer required. This will likely be well after 12:00 noon!

Note that there WILL still be blocks that have not been finalized until sometime Saturday. If your ENTIRE block has not yet been approved as complete (i.e., ALL the groups on the block have signed off on the block map and the map has been accepted by Land Staff), even if you have paid your site fee and are allowed to enter the gate, you are NOT permitted to begin setting up your camp.

ANYONE CAUGHT SETTING UP THEIR CAMP BEFORE THEIR BLOCK MAP IS APPROVED MAY BE EJECTED FROM SITE at the Land Office staff's discretion. Shade flys are permitted during the Land Grab process for the health of the land agents involved, but personal tents, trenching, etc. will be considered setting up and you could be told to leave.

As in past years, single campers should not plan to arrive until Sunday, July 26, at which time Land Grab will be over and the single camping spaces will be clearly marked on each block for you to choose from.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact DM Event Resources at [email protected].

05/30/2026

Gates and Access to Pennsic

There are some important changes at Pennsic 53. Please take note so you are not caught unprepared. The biggest change is that starting with Pennsic 53, the gates which were known as the “Merchant” and “Main” gates in previous years will be closed and locked for the entirety of the event. (Note: the “Main” gate will be open on land-grab Friday to allow land agents who require it, disability parking access to the Great Hall for purposes of Land Grab and only for this purpose. After Land-Grab, the gate will be closed and accessible only to Cooper’s Lake personnel, emergency vehicles, and delivery/service vehicles.)

So, in summary, the following gate access will be the standard for Pennsic 53:

Battlefield Gate:

Open to vehicle traffic 24 hours a day.
Pedestrians should not be walking outside of the fences on Currie Road and should thus not be accessing the Battlefield gate on foot.
Access to the Battlefield from the southern half of camp across Currie Road can be managed by crossing north from the West Gate towards Registration Parking and then walking INSIDE of the fences on the battlefield side of the road.

West Gate:

Open to vehicle traffic during daylight hours. Close to vehicles during nighttime hours.
Open to pedestrians 24 hours a day.
Access to the battlefield along the southern side should be accomplished via the West Gate during all hours.

North Gate:

Open to vehicle traffic 24 hours a day.
Open to pedestrians 24 hours a day.
Access to the battlefield along the eastern side can be accomplished via the North Gate during all hours.

Sally Port:

The Sally Port will be open to pedestrian traffic during daylight hours. Pedestrians may use this gate to access to the battlefield’s eastern side in addition to the North Gate during daylight hours.
The Sally Port will be closed and locked during nighttime hours.
Reminder to all, tampering with or circumventing gate controls is a violation of Pennsic policy and anyone observed attempting to circumvent (open) a closed gate is subject to sanctions up to an including removal from the event.

05/30/2026

Pennsic Registration Traffic Flow

There is a detailed post on the Pennsic Website with instructions and all of the general procedures for attendees arriving for the first time at Pennsic 53. You can find the instructions here: https://www.pennsicwar.org/2026/05/30/pennsic-registration-traffic-flow/

Please read the post in its entirety and note that as this is a new procedure for Pennsic starting this year, it is subject to change. When in doubt, pay attention to the directions you are given upon arrival. Staff will be available at the point of entry to guide you.

The attached image is a reduced detail map of the Pennsic Registration parking area with cues for direction of travel and entry/exit to the site.

05/30/2026

Mayor's Office

So what does the Mayor do? I’ve been asked, together with heads of the various divisions, to introduce ourselves and explain how Pennsic works. I have been on staff for a decade or so, and have filled various positions until someone said “You won your bid for Mayor” and here I am.

In short, together with the Emergency Mayor and various dedicated assistants the Mayor is the Event Autocrat responsible to the Kingdoms and the SCA for the safe and orderly progress of the event, in compliance with modern law, SCA policy, Pennsic Rules and agreements with our land lords: Cooper’s Lake Campground. Together with the Exchequer the Mayor shall also maintain a financial budget for the event and make reports to the financial stewards as required.

And, unfortunately, sometimes when people don’t play by the rules the Mayor may un-invite them. Assisting the Mayor in the ex*****on of this grandiose plan are the 8 Deputy Mayors, or division heads: Tech Services, Transportation, Event Safety, Cultural Affairs, Information, Land and Martial Activities. Over the next few months each one will come here and say a few things about their division.

Our aim is to make the organization as transparent as possible, as well as to provide clear pathways in for those who would like to help out. We’re a family within the family and we’re always looking for people that could be happy and helpful in the organization. If you want to get a sneak preview, navigate to the staff pages on www.Pennsicwar.org. And, if you want some more in depth intsight into “How PENNSIC Works”, come take my 1 hour class by the same name, both Wednesdays at 1pm somewhere in the University. I’ll be having office hours every day from 9-11. Stop in (check in at the Watch) if there’s a question you can’t get answered. Thank you, safe travels and have a great Pennsic War!

Baron Oscar Goerijs Goriszoon, OP
Pennsic Mayor 53

05/29/2026

New Watch Telephone Number

Greetings! There is a new telephone number to reach the Watch starting with Pennsic 53. The new number is: (540) 428-9630. This number is also linked in the tag line just below the banner on the Pennsic website.

Remember, the Watch number is not an emergency number. All emergency calls should be directed to 911. The Watch number is for use by attendees to report potential concerns or ask questions about site rules or other issues which may be of interest to staff or require a staff member’s attention.

Reminders:

The Watch phone number is only active during the event itself.
The Watch phone number is for use of onsite attendees to request assistance from the Watch. We cannot assist people calling from offsite and will not be able to locate attendees for anyone calling from offsite.

https://www.pennsicwar.org/2026/05/23/new-watch-telephone-number/