Sarah Applegate

Sarah Applegate,
Currently Reading:
Rook by Sharon Cameron

Summer Youth Day: The Basics
For those unfamiliar with the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire,  it’s basically a large carnival that happens every weekend from the beginning of August until the end of October on the grounds of Mount Hope Estate & Winery in Manheim, PA. There are themed weekends and an overall premise for each year, all within the atmosphere of the Renaissance time period of course. There are games, a few rides, actors walking around everywhere, stage shows, shops, food vendors, and more.

Every year there is a Summer Youth Day at Mount Hope Estate and Winery where various groups are invited to spend the day at the PA Renaissance Faire for a small fee per attendee. It’s almost like a practice round for the employees of the fair with all of the shows being presented, the street performers out and about and shops open for business as well as the many food stands. It’s a chance for groups of children and young adults to attend the fair in a safe setting and for the fair to work out any last kinks before the official opening day. It is a wonderful program and I highly recommend it.

How We Did It
Last year we took a group of 6 teenagers, 1 child and 3 chaperones. The library did not officially sponsor the event because we did not take a library vehicle and everyone paid their own way, but we did put it in our Summer Reading Club information.   Each teen was given a permission slip to return with names and phone numbers of their parents in case of emergency. One chaperone (the mother of two attendees) and I elected to be drivers for the day. We arranged to meet at the fair entrance with our carpoolers. Upon arriving at the fair and gaining entrance we went over the events of the day and what everyone wanted to do. From there we were able to split into groups based on what each person wanted to see and reconvened for the major events (Jousting, Human Chess, lunch, etc). 

In regards to literacy, not only were we surrounded by history but we also had to communicate with each other in order to plan the day according to what everyone wanted to do. We took stock of the events and their times and were able to work our schedule around them. Working together to create an itinerary in a group setting outside of the library, where meet-up times and following through are extremely important, was a great way to promote social literacy in a fun and unique way for the teen group.

Overall the day was a great success; everyone who attended had fun and learned a little about proper jousting etiquette.