More than 50 people dressed in medieval clothing will gather at the Izaac Walton League on Stagecoach Road for the first-ever Ames grape harvesting festival this Saturday at 10 a.m.

The Society for Creative Anachronism is staging this event as part of its annual harvesting feast. Dwight Gawehn, member of the Des Moines chapter of SCA, said the festivals traditionally are held at the end of the harvest to celebrate the completion of hard work.

“It’s sort of a pat on the back,” Gawehn said.

He said there will be dancing, singing, children’s activities and archery. An arts and sciences competition will be held indoors, and awards will be given for the best items. SCA’s king and queen will even be in attendance.

There also will be an armored combat event held during the day.

Tammy Hartmann, member of the Ames chapter of SCA and a self-described “feastocrat,” said since the king and queen will be present this year, court will be held prior to the feast.

“The assemblage of the populace is seated at tables [during court] with an aisle running down the middle,” Hartmann said. “The king’s and queen’s chairs are placed in the middle of the room, in front of the tables, and everyone rises when they enter and walk down the aisle to their seats.”

Hartmann said court is held to honor members and present awards to members for their service within SCA. For example, a member who put on a sewing or singing workshop would receive an award for that service. The award is presented for all levels of participation.

Each year SCA chooses a different harvest to celebrate, and this year the Ames chapter, The Canton of Axed Root, chose to celebrate the grape harvest. Hartmann, otherwise known as Lady Mairin Mac an Fhilidh, put together a menu appropriate to the region and time period of the harvest.

This year, the menu includes bread with seasoned butters, honey-glazed vegetables, fried pastas, pork loin and crepes, Hartmann said. She said the food is similar to what would have been eaten by the peasants during grape harvesting in medieval France.

“This feast is peasant by nature because we wanted everyone to dress down and have a good time,” Hartmann said.

She said all 50 seats have been filled, but others are still welcome.

“For people who have not made reservations, there will be an off-board where there will be bread, cheese and apples and possibly some stew leftover from lunch,” Hartmann said.

Another major event held during this festival is the armored combat. Gawehn, otherwise known as Otto, said anyone can fight as long as they have the proper protection.

Gawehn said the style of armor worn for these combats depends on the time period each individual chooses to represent. He said some wear full-body metal armor, while others wear a combination of leather and metal.

There are different types of combat, and this weekend’s festival attendees will hold a melee. In the melee, two sides fight each other using one-and-a-half inch sticks of rattan covered with strapping tape and duct tape.

Gawehn said all sharp-metal objects are put to the side during combat.

“We pride ourselves that no one has been hurt,” he said. “There may be some big bruises, but that’s it.”

He said safety is the society’s biggest concern.

“The best thing about it are the people you get to meet and hang out with,” Gawehn said.

Both Gawehn and Hartmann said the other members of SCA become an extended family.

The members biggest concern this weekend is to make sure everyone has a good time, Hartmann said.

For more information about SCA and upcoming events, people can visit their Web site at www.public.iastate.edu/~stu_org/SCA.