Canterbury Faire

2009 Provisional Dates: 31 January - 9 February with the first weekend being non-garbed setup days. These dates will not be confirmed until we have a stewaard. These pages will also be updated at that time.

TOTAL DISTRICT FIRE BAN IN EFFECT as of January 19. No candles or flames, open or enclosed, with the single exception of gas barbeques which may be used only in the concrete-floored shelter behind the Tui Centre.

Imagine the scene: 250 or more gentles garbed in soft wools and linens. Banners and pennons fly gently in the breeze that stirs the firs. Nearby is a coffee house, where stories of past renown and future conquest are spun, while spindles twirl a more tangible yarn. To one side, knights and nobles practice the arts martial, while consorts discuss bruise remedies. Flocks of charming children run errands when not playing on the lush green grass. A short walk away there is singing beside the waterhole and splashing in the cool deep waters. A hedgehog snuffles idly by.

Peter Jackson couldn't direct Canterbury Faire more perfectly than Southron Gaard. For six days, fairegoers step away from the mundane world to a place where clashes of arms see honour showered on victor and loser alike; where the gentle arts are taught and practiced at a pace that allows for true learning; where the Mangy Mongol coffee house keeps even the grumpiest in morning trim; and where theatre and music is always just about to happen.
...Canterbury Faire as seen by Dame Yolande Kesteven

2008 Highlights

Pirate Challenge running throughout
Equestrian display
Heavy fighting, rapier and archery almost every day
Half-Circle Theatre, an Elizabethan theatrical extravaganza
A Masqued Ball
Nocturne readings
Market Day
All-arms Warfare
An event-long meal plan
Fighter auction tourney
Combat of the Thirty
Superlative feast
Children's activities
Fine A&S classes and workshops
The notorious Mangy Mongol
Book NOW
See images from an earlier Faire in this gallery. and don't miss Taztorien's excellent five-minute video sampling of Canterbury Faire 2007.

Come join us for feasting, fun and frolics at Canterbury Faire, hosted by the Barony of Southron Gaard. No mud, no dust, no venymous fauna!

Comfortable bunkrooms, hot showers, shady tent sites, optional meal plan, real toilets, and more enjoyable medieval pastimes than you can shake a stick at.

Canterbury Faire 2008: February 1-6 inclusive, 2008
Waipara, 45 minutes north of Christchurch, New Zealand (see Google-Earth)
An ideal opportunity to relax and play in the finest of medieval company...

Faire Stewards: THL Terese and Lord Gavin

Please note: the Faire is a private function rather than a public entertainment, hosted by the Barony of Southron Gaard. Guests and day visitors are most welcome so long as they observe our customs and wear medieval costume while attending. More information for people new to the SCA is available here, and you'll find these notes on common SCA conventions handy.