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Japanese Iris Festival and Iron Comet Challenge

May 24 @ 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

service animals only pets allowed

Additional Notes on Alcohol Policy: No glass bottles

Pull out your Japanese clothing if you have some. Bring out your Japanese banners and crafts. All heavy fighters, fencers, archers, and thrown weapons enthusiasts, should be warming up for the tournaments. The Iron Comet Challenge has independent tournaments for heavy fighting, fencing, archery, thrown weapons, and Arts and Sciences for adults. For youth there will be archery, thrown weapons, and Arts and Sciences. There will also be an A&S display for those who prefer to just display rather than compete. There will also be lawn games to fill the time. In addition, there is the combined Iron Comet Challenge:

Here are words from Laerifadir Jorundr hinn Rotinn who ran the first Iron Comet 15 years ago: We challenge all martial participants to show how well you do in the disciplines of Heavy Combat, Fencing, Archery, Thrown Weapons, and Arts and Sciences. All entrants in the Iron Comet Challenge must participate in at least three martial forms and provide an entry for the arts and sciences competition.
If you participate in all four martial competitions you get to drop your lowest score for your final ranking. This competition for fun and glory shows just how multi talented our members are.

The icon skillet dessert competition is being organized by Lady Arthes MacLeod. Details will be coming soon. Please email arthesofbmdl@gmail.com to participate.

The date is Sunday May 24, 2026 and the site is the Barn at Old Economy Park, #5 Forcey Drive, Baden, PA 15005. Here is the location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1K2ZTiw4uqRvNu8i9. The site opens at 9 am and closes at 7pm. The autocrat for this event is Hara Shonagon, Sharon Booth, 1105 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, 412-441-1607 sbooth@sbooth.net. This is a land-line with an answering machine. Please leave a message. No calls after 9pm.

Accessibility Information:
The site is hilly. The site has a large outdoor field next to a barn. There is a second field behind the barn. There is limited parking next to the barn and a large parking lot a short distance from the barn. There will be reserved handicapped parking in the lot next to the barn. There will be outdoor changing pop-ups. The barn has two floors. Each floor has it’s own entrance. Each entrance has a step. The restrooms are accessible from the outside on the lower level and there are no steps to get into the restrooms.

There is a scrumptious boxed lunch planned to keep with the Iris Festival theme. The cook is Michi-san: mirakat60@gmail.com. Lunch is an additional $6.00 for youth or adult.
Here is the delicious menu that Michi-san has put together. This year’s menu is Korean:
Chicken Mandu (GF available on request)
Soy Pickled Garlic
Pickled radish and carrotKimchi (spicy)
Japchae (sweet potato noodles with vegetables) (no alliums, no gluten)
The whole menu aside from the Mandu is gluten free and meat free. I could definitely make tofu Mandu upon request.

Preregistration Cost:
Adult Event Registration: $20
Adult Member Discount Event Registration: $10
Youth 17 and under are free
Bento Box lunch: $6 – you much fill out pre-registation form to reserve a bento box.
Make checks payable to SCA PA, Inc. – BMDL. The reservations clerk for this event is Forveleth Dunde, Miranda Gavrin, forveleth@gmail.com. Please preregister using the online form especially if you want to reserve a bento box lunch. However, we ask that you pay at the door.However, we ask that you pay at the door.

Please preregister using the online form especially if you want to reserve a bento box lunch. However, we ask that you pay at the door. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGaF2F_AOzvcc2_nCD-vfEmHKlC6Cn6hFAeSQfUN5OdWANjA/viewform

Additional note for the site: Alcohol allowed; however, glass bottles are not allowed.
Tentative Schedule:
Setup: 8:00 am
Troll opens: 9:00 am
A&S display and competiton sign-in 9:30 am
MoL table opens for heavy: 10:00 am
Sign-in for Iron Skillet Competition: 10:30 am
Heavy Tournament Begins: 10:30 am
Lawn Games begin: 11:00 am
Iron Skillet Competition begins 11:00 am
Thrown weapons tournament sign-up: 11:15 am
Thrown weapons tournament: 11:30 am
Bento Box lunch available for pickup: 12:00 pm
A&S competition judging
Fencing MoL signup: 1:30 pm
Fencing Tournament: 1:45 pm
Archery Tournament signup with Archery MoL: 2:15 pm
Archery Tournament: 2:30 pm
Lawn Games end: 3:00 pm
Iron Skillet teams present desserts: 3:00 pm
Baronial Court: 4:30 pm
Site cleanup: 6:00 pm

Details

Event Steward

Other

Event Space
Mixed Indoor & Outdoor
Outdoor activity space & terrain
Lawn games, heavy fighting, fencing, archery, thrown weapons. Weather permitting court will be outside.
Activities in Indoor/Outdoor areas that require stairs
Yes
Areas requiring stairs, activities in these areas, and accommodations for access
The site is hilly. The site has a large outdoor field next to a barn. There is a second field behind the barn. There is limited parking next to the barn and a large parking lot a short distance from the barn. There will be reserved handicapped parking in the lot next to the barn. There will be outdoor changing pop-ups. The barn has two floors. Each floor has it's own entrance. Each entrance has a step. The restrooms are accessible from the outside on the lower level and there are no steps to get into the restrooms. We plan to have a ramp at each entrance.
Court is accessible without use of Stairs
Yes
Accessible restrooms/changing rooms
Yes
Designated Accessibility Parking Available
Yes
Parking lot terrain
Paved and flat from parking to door.

Venue