Trial By Fire & Lochmere Arrow: Alba gu bràth!
2025-09-26 @1700 to 2025-09-28 @ 1200
How Loud can you Dress?! Come celebrate Scotland by wearing Plaid!
Can you make a kilt out of a scarf? Check out A&S!
Calling all Archers and Cooks for the FIRE!!!! Fire of Cooking and of Archery!
Come witness cooks from the Known World Compete for Bragging Rights (And Prizes!) for our famous Trial by Fire Cooking Competition!
Watch the Mightiest of Archers test their skills against each other as they contend for the Coveted Lochmere Arrow! (This is a Same Local Group, Team of Two Effort!)
There will be a fund-raiser luncheon provided (cash only, menu will be posted closer to the event).
General Activities
Archery, the Lochmere Arrow Competition
Cooking, the Trial by Fire Competition.
Bardic
A&S Challenge
Archery:
Teams of two archers compete in the Lochmere Arrow Competition. Targets will challenge skill and teamwork.
All archers may shoot this course for fun.
Cooking:
Trial by Fire 2025
The Challenge: To create a period dish under the conditions found at the PENNSIC WAR.
The Categories:
1) Best Main Dish (Includes fish and shellfish)
2) Best Vegetable
3) Best Grain (Includes Bread)
4) Best Dessert
5) Grand Champion – This prize is to be awarded at the Judges’ discretion.
The Rules:
1) The recipe must either be:
- a) Published between 650 and 1650 AD. (For the empirically inclined Apicius will be accepted.)
- b) Have all ingredients and cooking methods documented in period. *
2) Recipes must be brought to the competition. Please bring at least three copies.
Do not label these with your name as judging is blind.
3) Competitors must bring all ingredients to site and prepare the dish in situ. An ingredient requiring more than four hours preparation is acceptable ONLY if it is an ingredient and not the entire dish. **
4) Dishes must be prepared under conditions as found at PENNSIC. No electric appliances. Acceptable examples: Grill, Smoker, Dutch oven, battery-operated tools, or Spit over an open fire. If you have questions, please ask.
5) You must bring all cookers, pots, pans, utensils, dishes, etc. necessary to prepare your dish.
(NOTE: Please mark all your utensils, dishes, etc., so that the orphans left behind can be reunited with their loved ones.)
6) Dish must be sufficient to serve 8 to 10 healthy adults. (No penalty for making more.)
7) Each competitor may enter only one dish per category but may enter as many categories as desired.
8) All competitors must register by 3:00 pm on the day of the competition with the Registrar.
9) The site will open at 9:00 a.m. for set up and registration.
10) Preparation and cooking will begin at 12:00 noon.
11) Dishes must be completed and ready to serve at 4:00 p.m.
The Judging:
Judges will be chosen from impartial Notables present. Judging will be blind and will use these criteria.
1) Presence of and completeness of Documentation. *** (do not place your name on your documentation)
2) Taste
3) Texture
4) Presentation
5) Bonus points based on the judges’ experience in the field of period cooking. For example: if a dish has been religiously copied from a period source despite complexity or cost or if a dish displays notable creativity within a recipe, etc.
Please contact the Bright Hill’s Cooks Guild if you have questions or need an ingredient verified. Please put “TRIAL by FIRE” in the subject heading. (Mistress Jeanne Tenneur de Bec- beckyritterhouse@yahoo.com)
* “Food” by Waverly Root will be used as the final arbiter for periodicity. There will be a copy on site.
** No advance preparation is permitted, UNLESS the recipe clearly states that the step requires more than four hours. Documentation is required.
*** Minimal documentation should include***
(1) The original recipe
(2) Your redaction
(3) Tell us why you chose this recipe, a bit about the ingredients, what you changed and why
and is there anything you would do differently?
Please do not label either the documentation or the recipes with your name.
Guidelines
The Bright Hills Cooks’ Guild sponsors this Challenge. The challenge is to create a period dish under the conditions found at the PENNSIC WAR. This is an opportunity for all those interested to come and cook and compete and socialize. It is also that rare opportunity to recognize that Cooking is a Spectator Sport!
Things to bring:
- Your recipe (3 copies) and any additional documentation. (NOTE: Minimal documentation should include (a) the original recipe; (b) your redaction or translation; and (c) any notes related to changes you made in the recipe and why, information on the dish or ingredients, the cooking method, etc.)
- All your ingredients.
- All the pots, pans, utensils, etc., necessary to prepare your dish. This includes knives, cutting boards, serving dishes, etc. NOTE: please mark what you bring.
- A table or other surface on which to prepare and cook your dish(es).
- Chairs (if you wish to be seated).
- Appropriate cooking accessories – your grill, Coleman stove, smoker, hot pads, towels, etc.
- Your favorite liquid refreshment (the Guild will provide ice water).
Things to remember:
- This competition is open to all.
- Spectators are welcome.
- Garb Please!
- Any medications you need (bee sting kits, allergy, and asthma supplies, etc.)
- This is an outdoor event that includes camping. Dinner on Saturday night will be a combination of leftover contest entries and pot-luck dishes. Plan to make a dish that will feed 8-10 individuals.
A&S:
Can you make a kilt out of a scarf? It CAN be done! It doesn’t have to be full sized, UNLESS you want it to be! Show up with your best “Scarf Kilt!” The populace will determine the winner, and a prize will be awarded!
2025 Trial By Fire Schedule, Alba go bragh (Scotland Forever!)
All times subject to change
(Please check in with troll before setting up personal spaces; if closed, please do so as soon as it’s open)
Friday, 26 September
5PM Troll (Gate) opens (by flagpole)
8PM Troll closes
Saturday, 27 September
8AM Troll reopens
Registration opens for Cooking opens (Under Pavillion)
9 Archery inspections begin (tent diagonally right of big grill)
Open A&S drop-off (Inside clubhouse)
10 Morning Court (Under Baronial Tent in front of Clubhouse)
11 Archery Clout shoot, immediately after court
Bardic competition Starts (Under tree to left of clubhouse)
1130 Registration ends for cooking
12PM Fundraiser luncheon starts: CASH ONLY (inside clubhouse)
Cooking competition begins
3 Bardic competition ends
A&S ends, please pick up displays
330 Troll closes
4 Cooking ends, please prepare dishes for Judging
415 Judging begins
5 Evening Court
6 Pot Luck feast (under/by pavilion)
7 Clean up
8PM Fire Pit Bardic by camping
Sunday, 28 September
12PM Site Closes
Site Info
Site Name:
Baltimore Bowmen, 10301 Harford Rd, Glen Arm, MD, 21057
Directions:
From the north and west: From I-695 E, take Exit 31A for MD 147/Harford Road towards Parkville. Turn left at the light at end of ramp onto Harford Road N. Continue on Harford Road approximately 2 miles to Graham Memorial Park entrance on right. Go past the equestrian center and through yellow gate, downhill to parking.
From the south and east: Via I-695 N, take Exit 31B for MD 147/Harford Road towards Carney. Turn right at end of the ramp to Harford Rd N. Continue on Harford Road approximately 2 miles to Graham Memorial Park entrance on right. Go past equestrian center and through yellow gate downhill to parking.
Please note, the entrance to the Bowmen is obscured until you are right on it, and you will need to slow down to make the right-hand turn into the driveway. The driveway is gravel, filled with potholes and shared with the equestrian center, so please observe the 10 MPH speed limit.
Restrictions:
Site restrictions: no alcohol is permitted on the archery range.
Pets are permitted but must be leashed and waste picked up.
No smoking or vaping in public areas.
Accessibility:
Site Accessibility: Site is primitive, unpaved and hilly. Handicap accessible parking and porta-potties. There are no charging stations available.
Event Steward
Wanda the Wanderer 4wandathewanderer@gmail.com
Reservationist Name:
Clara von Wonsiedel
Reservationist Email:
brighthills.exchequer@gmail.com
Checks Payable To:
SCA, Inc., Barony of Bright Hills
Cost for day trip
Adult, Member Discount Event Registration $20.00
Adult, Event Registration $30.00
Youth (5 – 17) $5.00
Child (0-4) Free
Camping is free
Cost Notes: Family cap of $50 for family with minor children and the member discount (2 adults and 2 children)
Event Cancellations/Refunds:
If someone else trolls you in and you don’t attend (show up), there will be no refund.
Refunds must be requested in writing to the Baronial Exchequer (Reservationist) within 5 business days after the event closes.
No refunds shall be issued until the event books have been closed.
All site fee refunds shall be paid by check from the group checking account.
Reservationist:
Please send all reservation requests to Michelle England, 219 Grindall Street, Baltimore MD 21230. Email: brighthillls.exchequer@gmail.com
All Mail-in reservations must be post-marked by Friday, 12 September.
S.C.O.R.E.S: Is Active