Preview of Pre-Event Workshops & Demos at The Brandywine Festival
In the weeks leading up to The Brandywine Festival, we’re thrilled to offer a series of Pre-Event Workshops and Demonstrations designed to prepare, inspire, and support our travelers as they step into the Shire this October. These sessions are the perfect opportunity to fine-tune your character, your costume, or simply peak your curiosity —so when you arrive at the Festival, you’re ready to dive fully into the Shire.
Here’s a look at what’s coming:
Folk Dance at The Brandywine Festival
Nothing brings Hobbits together quite like music and dancing! Under the guidance of Rachel Fraze and her talented team, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the traditional dances known to the Hobbits of the Shire. These step-by-step workshops will walk you through everything you’ll need to know to confidently join in on all the communal dances throughout the Festival.
Rachel Fraze (Amaranth) has been active in both the partner dance community and the running around in garb community since 2013. Her love of crafting and storytelling led her to win Burgschneider's Level up Larp competition in 2023. She's thrilled to be able to bring both her passions together so seamlessly, and share them with all the hobbits coming for the festival!
More details on dance and music will be released later this week in the upcoming “Dance and Music” article—so keep your eyes open!
Introduction to LARP with Skill Tree
New to LARPing, or just curious about how it all fits together at The Brandywine Festival? Join Kit Canidae from Skill Tree for a complete introduction to Live-Action Roleplay. This workshop covers everything from character creation and backstory integration to voice, physicality, and immersion.
Whether you’re finalizing your character sheet, refining your roleplay style, or simply looking for guidance on how to step into the world of the Shire, this hands-on workshop will prepare you for the adventure ahead.
Costuming Problems: Let’s Solve Them!
Got a costume project that’s giving you trouble? Bring it to this interactive session with Hazariel—The Merry Mender! Known for their croissant-loving tailoring magic, Hazariel will walk through participant projects one by one, offering suggestions, creative solutions, and tips from years of experience in costume design and development.
From sketches and accessories to nearly-finished pieces or tricky details, no project is too small or too big to workshop together. Not only will you leave with practical advice for your own outfit—you’ll also learn from the solutions given to others in the group.
A Look at 18th Century Tinsmithing
Step into the world of craftsmanship with Daisy Tinkerwell, a distant relative of the Tomten clan and renowned Tin-Hobbit, as she demonstrates the art of 18th-century tinsmithing. Before and during the Festival, Daisy will showcase period techniques such as crafting small tin objects—mugs, candle snuffers, and lanterns—while also offering practical demonstrations of repairing pottery with make-do tin handles and punching decorative tin lanterns.
Behind Daisy’s Hobbit guise is Jenny Lynn, a journeyman tinsmith for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia. Jenny began her apprenticeship at the Anderson Armoury Tin Shop in 2015, where she mastered the use of eighteenth-century tools and techniques to reproduce both military and domestic tinware. Today she is the Journeyman Supervisor of the Tin Shop, instructing two apprentices and carrying forward the traditions of this historic trade.
Fiber before Factories
Where did thread, yarn, and fabric come from before the age of industry? What goes into wool, and what is "retting" and why does flax hate us? In this accessible sampler of techniques, learn the basics of fiber in the pre-industrial age and how we went from natural byproducts to colorful garments, and find out how changes in production changed the world
While Lilly Higgs started her journey with embroidery as a teenager, she quickly found out fiber arts are incredibly infectious and known to cross-contaminate! She has been exploring hand-spinning, natural dyes, and fiber history for the last several years in her studies of Nordic folk garments and Viking-era fiber practices. Lilly finds deep meaning in the connection of the practice of fiber arts in every era into modern day. Through her job at the Embroider's Guild of America, volunteering with Nyr Jorvik in NYC, and the Louisville Vikings, she aims for everyone to know more about the worth of this special art form. At home she has three cats, Noodle, Peanut, and Soy, and yes, she's spun their fur before, it was very fluffy.
These workshops are designed with one goal in mind: to help every traveler feel prepared, confident, and inspired for their journey to the Shire. Whether it’s dancing, roleplaying, costuming, or witnessing living history through craft, these sessions bring our community together before the Festival even begins.
🗓️ Workshop schedules (times and locations) will be announced as we get closer to the Festival. Stay tuned for updates!
