Weapons Policy

• No weapons will be permitted on the Faire grounds. This also applies to costume pieces made of wood, plastic, etc. Only wooden swords or shields will be sold on School Days. No swords or shields will be sold without the permission of a chaperone and will be wrapped at the time of sale and must remain wrapped throughout the day. Unwrapped swords and shields will be confiscated and held until the end of the Faire day.
• Students are permitted to carry backpacks on the grounds. However, they are subject to search at the discretion of Faire staff and security.

Other Important Information

• School Days events are rain or shine. Please come prepared for the weather and instruct students to dress appropriately.
• Her Majesty hath declared a NO SMOKING (and no lighting of incense) policy on School Days. Please inform all chaperones and students of the smoke free environment.

Renaissance Music Competition • Globe Stage

This wondrous showcase of talent includes musicians, as well as madrigal singers. Both musicians and singers will be judged on the same criteria. During this special segment of the Faire day, students will be invited to represent their school by performing a 16th to mid-17th century Madrigal or musical piece. Each school is limited to one group and each group is limited to one song only. Groups must pre-register for this competition using the online Event & Competition Participation Form two weeks prior to your trip date to participate (no late entries will be accepted). Copies of the judges' scoring sheets and contest results will be available for pick up approximately 1 hour after conclusion of competition at the Informistress Booth.

1. Group Size: Any group size is eligible for the competition and will be judged according to size. (Example: Is the entire group on key? Is the projection good for the size of the group? Etc.) Soloists are also welcome. Please indicate the size of the group performing on the Student Participation Form: Small Group (10 and under), Large Group, or Instrumental.
2. Judging Criteria: The Renaissance Music Competition will be judged on a range from one to ten in the following categories: intonation (accuracy of pitch), clarity (clarity of lyrics, notes, accuracy of pronunciation, crispness of sound), blend (quality of group’s overall vocal/instrument tone and voice/instruments blend) musicality (creative and cohesive use of dynamics, tempo and phrasing) difficulty (suitability of the piece to the group, challenging, but not exceeding group’s abilities), presentation (engaging stage presence, proper vocal posture, appropriate emotional investment). Whether or not the group is led by a director will be taken into consideration when awarding points.
3. Costumes: Students are not required to wear costumes in order to perform, nor will costumed groups be awarded additional points. While the judges enjoy seeing costumes, it is more important to them to use the “best foot forward” concept and dress as one would to perform in front of an audience.
4. Live Performances: All competitors must perform their piece live for the judges at School Days at the Faire. Recordings will not be considered for the competition.
5. Order of Performances: Judges will determine the order of performance and expect all participating groups to be present for entire competition.
6. Performance Time: Performances will be limited to five minutes. A stop watch will begin immediately following the group's introduction. Performances will be stopped at the five minute mark.

Theater Competition • Globe Stage

Only one entry per school. Groups must pre-register for this competition using the online Event & Competition Participation Form two weeks prior to your trip date to participate (no late entries will be accepted). Please have group check in with Faire staff at the stage when they arrive for their performance. Copies of the judges' scoring sheets and contest results will be available for pick up approximately 1 hour after conclusion of competition at the Informistress Booth.

• The scene must be a classical piece by an author prior to the 1700's. No modern pieces please.
• Each group must have a representative announce the school name and the title of the performance piece leading into the group's performance.
• Performances will be limited to five minutes. A stop watch will begin immediately following the group's introduction. Performances will be stopped at the five minute mark.
• Students should be dressed in costumes (if they are used) before checking in at the competition. There are no changing rooms available except for the public privies.
• Props are permitted, but there will be NO time alloted to set the stage. Any set up must occur during the group's introduction. Remember, performances are limited to five minutes.
• In the event of a tie, the winner will be decided by the highest score obtained in Overall Execution.
• Theater Comeptition Judging Criteria: Performances will be judged on a scale of one to ten on the following: Scene Cutting, Costumes, Physicality, Vocal Clarity, Storytelling, Blocking, Group Ensemble, and Overall Execution

Poster Competition • Display Area in Front of the Anchor & Mermaid

Students are invited to try their hand at an original art/marketing poster for the Faire, and should incorporate some of the prominent themes of the Faire into the design of the poster. Entries will be disqualified if they do not meet the following requirements:

1. Overall Poster Size: 24" high by 18" wide. POSTERS MUST BE VERTICAL.
2. Any paper stock can be used, including poster board.
3. Acceptable types of media that can be used: water color, oils, pastels, tempera, acrylics, colored pencils, applique, etc. PLEASE DO NOT USE COMPUTER GENERATED GRAPHICS.
4. The poster's theme is to be centered around the joust, music, theatre, or romance. Pick one topic and make that the overriding message of your poster.
5. The poster must incorporate the words "Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire" and a marketing slogan of your choice into its design.
6. Juding Criteria: Posters will be judged on overall creativity, difficulty, originality, and design. Posters will be judged by grade level. The Faire reserves the right to combine judging of grade levels if there are not enough representatives from a particular grade level to warrent a competition.
7. Work must be completed entirely by one student. ONLY ONE poster per school, per grade can be entered into the competition.
8. Posters should be covered in plastic to protect against the elements. The Faire assumes no responsibility for the poster while on display or left behind after the day's end. Posters can be taken from the poster display area after 1PM.
9. The top 1/2" of the poster should be left blank to allow the poster to be hung for display.
10. Student's name, school and grade level must be displayed on the bottom 1/2" of the poster.

To get a better count of participants, we ask that you please pre-register for this competition using the online Event & Competition Participation Form. Posters can be submitted at the registration table on the day of your field trip. Results and awards will be afixed to the posters and can be picked up after 1PM.

Heraldry Competition • Display Area in Front of the Anchor & Mermaid

History of Heraldry: During the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, noble knights fought covered from head to toe in chainmail or steel plate for protection. Often they could not be recognized when in armor, so they adopted the “Coat of Arms” for their clothing and shields to be readily identified on the field of battle and at tournaments. The Coat of Arms, or Heraldry as it is also referred to, is a visual language that was originally used to identify warriors. To distinguish himself from the others, a knight would choose a specific symbol and color, which he wore on his shield. These coats were passed down from one generation to another. Today, many individuals researching their ancestry will find a Coat of Arms with their family name and adopt it as their own.

Heraldry Competition Guidelines: Students are encouraged to participate in the Faire’s Heraldry Competition. The Heraldry Competition allows your students to work together to create a Coat of Arms that best represents their school. These Coats of Arms are displayed on the Red Fence adjacent to the Anchor & Mermaid Tavern in Swashbuckler Grove during your visit to School Days at the Faire and awards are presented to the most artfully and thoughtfully created shields. In class, instruct your students to identify characteristics, mottos, accomplishments, etc. of your school. List these items on the board along with items such as school colors and mascot. When the list is complete, decide which elements the students would like to represent on their competition banner. The design they decide upon is, in essence, the Coat of Arms of the school and can be displayed as such after attending “School Days”. Only one entry per grade level per attending school is allowed. The banner must have the Heraldry Form attached to the back of the banner in order to be judged. Prizes will be awarded on individual grade levels.

ENTRIES THAT DO NOT MEET ALL THE REQUIRED SIZE PARAMETERS AND DESIGN ELEMENTS (SEE BELOW) WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM JUDGING. NO EXCEPTIONS ALLOWED. THE HERALDRY FORM MUST ACCOMPANY BANNER TO BE JUDGED. Banners will be judged on elements, creativity and overall aesthetic appearance and are to be created by students only (with minimal adult supervision). Competition results and awards will be affixed to the Banner and can be picked up after 1PM. FROM THE FAIRE STAFF: We rely on the integrity of participating students, educators and parents, to ensure that the design and construction of the submitted banners are completed by the students.

Lord and Lady Ceremony

During a special ceremony, the King and Queen will bequeath knighthood and ladyship to one male and one female representative of your school for noteworthy accomplishments (i.e. academics, athletics or the arts). The honored knight and lady will be brought forward during the ceremony where their name and accomplishment will be proclaimed and their school identified. They will then be granted their title in a special ceremony and presented with a commemorative parchment.

Participants of the ceremony should take a seat near the front of the audience area. They will be called to the stage and have their achievement read for The King and Queen by a member of Their Court.

Your students must be registered no later than two weeks prior to your Faire date in order to participate in the ceremony. Late entries and changes will not be permitted. The Student Please register via the Event & Competition Participation Form. Remember to state the accomplishments of the students chosen as representatives of your school.

A Royal Interview

After viewing King’s Lineage to learn more about the Royal Family, remain for A Royal Interview, a “town forum” where students will have an opportunity to ask their own questions. As many questions as possible will be answered, but there may not be time to answer every question. Please indicate on the Event & Competition Participation Form if your school will be participating in “A Royal Interview”.

Photo Journalism Contest

Queen Elizabeth has decreed that students who visit School Days at the Faire are invited to participate in a post-visit Photo Journalism Contest. During their Faire visit, students can exercise their creative photography skills to capture the magic of the Faire in their "little black boxes", and employ their journalistic talents to pen a caption describing their photo entry.

All entries will be judged according to the grade level of the student. A Grand Prize, First, Second, Third and several Honorable Mention winners will be selected from categories ~ Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12. All placement winners will receive an invitation for themselves and their family to attend our winners picnic and a day at the faire in 2024. Please sort entries by grade level if you are sending more than on level in your package. Only 10 entries per grade level permitted for entry. All entries shall be sent postage pre-paid to: Faire School Days Photo Journalism Contest, 2775 Lebanon Rd. Manheim, PA 17545. Deadline for submission: All entries must be in our office by November 22, 2024. Judging will be completed by February 14, 2025. Winners will be notified by email.

School Days Photo Journalism Contest Rules:
Entries that do not follow these specifications will be disqualified.

1. Photos must be taken at the 2024 School Days at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.
2. Students' entries are to be submitted as a group by the Registering Educator in one packet and must include the Photo Journalism Contest Form with the students' entries.
3. One print (no smaller than 4" x 5") per student may be submitted.
4. Entries will be judged on composition, quality and how well the subject matter of the photo captures the magic of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.
5. Black and white or color prints qualify. If submitting a digital print, it must be a high-resolution (300 dpi or more) image printed at high quality on glossy photo paper.
6. The back of the photo must include: Student Name and Address, Grade, Teacher Name, and School Name. A brief caption, written by the student (no more than three sentences in length) describing the photo must also appear on the back of the photo.
7. All entries become the property of the Faire. Upon entering the contest, the photographer grants the Faire full rights to publish for any and all purposes, commercial, promotional, or otherwise.

Creative Writing Contest

All entries will be judged according to the grade level of the student. One Grand Prize Winner for Elementary (Grades 3-5), JR High (Grades 6-8) and SR High (Grades 9-12) will receive a prize of $50 and $50 donation to their school library. Winners for each grade level will receive a prize of $25. All winners, their families and teachers will be invited to a special day winners picnic at the Faire in the 2024 season!

Please sort entries by grade level if you are sending more than on level in your package. Only 10 entries per grade level permitted for entry. Please reivew the Teacher Checklist and Student Checklist to ensure compliance with Creative Contest Writing rules. All entries shall be sent postage pre-paid to: Faire School Days Creative Writing Contest, 2775 Lebanon Rd. Manheim, PA 17545. Deadline for submission: All entries must be in our office by November 22, 2024. Winners will be selected and teachers informed by email by February 14, 2025.

Creative Writing Contest Requirements:
Entries that do not follow these specifications will be disqualified.

1. Review your entry for contest:
   • Story is fictional
   • Story is student's original work
   • Story includes at least TWO CHARACTERS from the 2024 Faire
   • Story shows knowledge and understanding of characters
   • Story is historically connected to time frame of the Renaissance Faire
2. Review your entry format:
   • Entry form provided by your teacher is complete
   • Entry form is stapled to the back of the story facing outward
   • Review entry for correct length: Story is five double-spaced pages or less
   • Story pages show no student name, no school name, no grade level, no illustrations
   • If typed, story is on 8.5x11" plain white paper
   • If typed, story is in black ink
   • If typed, story is in an easy-to-read font, such as Times New Roman, size 12
   • If handwritten, story is on 8.5x11" white lined composition paper
   • If handwirtten, story is in dark blue or black pen
3. Review your entry for correct mechanics:
   • If using Henrician vocabulary and phrasing, be sure you have used them correctly
   • Use a spell-checker or dictionary to check spelling
   • Check your entry for proper use of punctuation and grammar
   • Read the story to someone to check that your writing makes sense, is organized, the relationships between the characters are local, and actions are clear
   • Give your entry a title that relates well to your story

Display Advertising Design Contest

All entries will be judged according to the grade level of the student. A Grand Prize, First, Second, Third and several Honorable Mention winners will be selected from categories ~ Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12. All placement winners will receive an invitation for themselves and their family to attend our winners picnic and a day at the faire in 2024. Please sort entries by grade level if you are sending more than on level in your package. Only 10 entries per grade level permitted for entry. All entries shall be sent postage pre-paid to: Faire School Days Display Ad Contest, 2775 Lebanon Rd. Manheim, PA 17545. Deadline for submission: All entries must be in our office by November 22, 2024. Judging will be completed by January 5, 2024. Winners will be notified by email.

Display Ad Contest Rules:
Entries that do not follow these specifications will be disqualified.

1. Challenge: Create a display advertisement for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire
2. Ad Size Specifications: 10" wide by 6" high - Must be submitted on 8.5x11" white paper
3. Items to Include: Headline (your creation), Faire Dates (August 17 - October 27, 2024), Name of the Event (Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire), Event Website (PaRenFaire.com), Location (Rt. 72, Turnpike Exit 266)
4. Display Ad can be designed in black/white or color
5. Display Ads can be designed in traditional media (pen/pencil, water color, acrylics, etc.) or be computer generated. If designed on the computer, all graphics must be designed and/or edited by the student (please do not use images straight from the internet).
6. Judging Criteria: Display Ads will be judged on overall creativity, difficulty, originality, and design.
7. Display Advertising Design Contest Entry Form must be complete and stapled to the BACK of the entry facing outward.