Next weekend is the OU Medieval Fair in Norman OK.
I have volunteered at this Fair for the last 35 years, doing all kinds of things from jurying in the vendors to sewing costumes for the Royal Court to manning the Office and Info booths to running the sound boards for the stages (I don't do that since my hearing got so bad I can't hear microphone feedback - everyone is very glad...), and now I run the Water Paws Pet Comfort Station booth, where all the critters that come to the Fair can come to get water, shade, treats, first aid care, and other little needs (pooper scooper bags! leashes!).
And it serves as a central location for people to meet up. I know that several groups plan to use Water Paws as a staging area for meeting. And I thought since, yanno, I am in charge of this booth, I could offer it as a central meet-up space for any Kossacks who wanted to attend the Fair.
Entry into the OU Medieval Fair is free (parking costs, but it's still just $5 per carload, so pack 'em in and drive 'em out).
The Water Paws booth is located in the middle of the Fair just slightly north of the Unicorn Stage and the main Fair Office Booth. It will look like this:
This is a view of the location of the Water Paws booth from the Fair Office during set-up Thursday morning, before the walls and decorations and all are added in:
And this is what we do most of the weekend:
This year, the weather promises to be much nicer than last year - sunny and 70's instead of 100+ . We have new water bowls donated, doggy treats, leashes, a fully stocked first aid kit, and more chairs. In case it's really warm, we have an ice chest filled with ice packs, a fan for a cooling breeze, and a space heater in case it gets chilly, not to mention the hoses for the water to refill the bowls and cool off hot dogs. We only cool off people if they bark for us. And they do bark!
If you're a Kossack interested in meeting other Kossacks (you don't have to be an Okie...) and you love craft/medieval fairs, do stop by.
There's no set time, but if there's enough interest, we could set a time. I'll be there all three days.
What other Kossack meet-up comes with thousands of dogs, turkey legs, and 3 days worth of entertainment? (last year we cared for over 2,000 dogs, plus a few cats, ferrets, rats, and snakes)