This is the info for attendees for Tudorcon 2023, September 8-10 at the PA Renaissance Faire! I can’t wait to welcome you to Lancaster PA for our weekend to nerd out on Tudor history with new friends, and lots of fun! On this page I’ll be posting the updates and information, FAQ, etc., that attendees will need. You can come back to check for updates, but I’ll also try to remember to email you as I update things as well. Thanks!
So here, in no particular order, are the things you need to know, and I need to communicate to you, as of October 11, 2023.
- Join the Mighty Network group if you haven’t already. We’ll use it to post more info and updates as we get closer, so hop on in if you’re not already. You can also use this group to post rideshare requests or questions about your travel, hotel recommendations, etc. (if you have any problems joining from that link, let me know and I can sort it)
PARTNER PASSES: Many of you who have purchased partner passes have asked for a confirmation of what events they may attend – basically, the short answer is, everything except the talks. The party on Friday night, and the feast on Sunday, plus Faire tickets, are all included.
I’ll be emailing you as we get closer to get the names for your +1 for their name tags. - Sign in procedures: You don’t have a physical ticket, obviously, but we are keeping a spreadsheet of all the names that have signed up, and when you arrive there will be a table with name tags, and a sign in form. Please keep any email communications you received just in case something fell through and there’s an error on my part (because I am human and screw up sometimes) and we’ll get your name tag made right away, and get it sorted out.
The address is: 2775 Lebanon Rd, Manheim, PA 17545
Because it’s a large complex, it might be confusing when you first enter. We will be in the large barn to the left of the driveway, and there should be good signage pointing the way, but look for the large tan and red barn, and the sign in table will be just outside the main door.
When you arrive and we give you your name tag and welcome bag, we will also ask you to sign in so that we can confirm you were there, and that sign in form will also act as a photo release. There will be a photographer around through the weekend, so if you don’t want your photo taken, please let me know so we can make arrangements.
COSTUME RENTAL: If you’d like to rent a costume for any part of the weekend, Karyn from Sherwood Fineries (her business does the rentals at the Faire) is offering a 10% discount for anyone using the code TUDORCON when you book. Go to https://www.sherwoodfineries.com/ to see what she has available. - The rough schedule will be:
Friday September 8: party starts at 7, but you can arrive as early 6 to sign in. (the photographer will also be around for portraits earlier – more on that in a minute).
CHANGING ROOMS: Many of you have asked whether there will be space to change in the barn before the party, or if you should come in costume. They host weddings in the barn regularly, so there is space for changing in various places. First, downstairs there are three large individual restroom/changing rooms. Upstairs there is a back room that caterers use when weddings are held there, so I’m sure we could find some space in there, too. Keep in mind that as things get started, the restrooms will start being in more demand, so if you plan to change in the barn, come early!
Saturday September 9: light breakfast at 9, talks start at 10. We’ll break for lunch sometime around 12:30-1, and the lunch break will be about 90 minutes. The final talk will end around 4.
I will distribute the tickets to the Faire for Saturday evening during the afternoon session.
I will confirm the final talk schedule as we get closer to the weekend, and you will have a program listing everything.
Sunday September 10: light breakfast starts at 9, then there will be talks starting at 10, and going until about noon. We’ll take our group photo, and then make our way to the private feasting grounds of the Faire for our feast. I will distribute those tickets on Sunday morning, so at any point after the feast you can enter the faire.
Basically, the feast is the last formal activity, and after that you’re on your own at the Faire with your new friends and lots of memories 🙂 - PORTRAITS: The photographer Adam will be available to do portraits for $40 on Friday before the party starts. Here is the link to reserve your time: https://tidycal.com/hteysko/portrait-with-adam-tudorcon-2023
- MEAL REQUESTS: I am keeping a spreadsheet of meal requests – vegan, nut allergy, vegetarian, etc – scroll to the bottom to fill in the form and I’ll do my best to make it happen (and let you know if there are any problems)
- TRAVEL: There is a Comfort Inn and Hampton Inn directly across from the Faire, but there are lots of other options, though including cute airbnb’s. When you’re searching around, look for anything near Manheim, Lititz, or even into Downtown Lancaster on any of the major corridors that head down there (Rt 72, or the Fruitville Pike) for example. You could also head north towards Lebanon or Hershey. In previous years a few people stayed over on the east side of the county where there are lots of hotels in the more touristy Amish spots, but it’s a pretty long drive.
Okay, I’m sure there are things I haven’t thought of that should be included here, but you’ll probably ask me, and then I’ll add them, so I’ll sign off for now. 🙂
Thank you again so very much for being here, and for being part of Tudorcon!
Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  the original Tudor history podcast, started in 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. In 2019 she created Tudorcon, which is now a yearly event, in addition to writing books, and running TudorFair.com - a whimsical Tudor Merch shop.
She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 30 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history (how exciting when she got to interview Alison for the first time!). In addition to history, she is passionate about travel, and has lived in 3 countries and 4 states (not counting her perpetual state of confusion), and her family (who help her host her YouTube channel occasionally).
