Thank you all for the feedback. We want you to know we are listening. Things are rarely, if ever, done for a single reason. Even more rare is Coopers or Pennsic doing anything without discussing it together, and no decision is made lightly. Pennsic now is not the same Pennsic of 30 years ago. Things change, and things happen to cause those changes. This is a much different world. This post is about keeping the Merchant’s Gate open and will not be about the Sally Port. This post is about keeping the most accessible path in the center of things open and usable for as many people as possible.
Here are the details as they stand for the use of the Merchant Gate:
The Merchant Gate will be open from 7 am to 9 pm. It will open starting the Monday of Peace week, July 27, through Friday of War week, August 7.
Due to resourcing issues, the only way this can happen is to use volunteers – similar to the way Pennsic uses volunteers in other critical locations. Your assistance on this is invaluable, and you will be helping ensure your fellow attendees are able to continue to access critical assets.
The Merchant Gate will be staffed by volunteers working 2-hour shifts. You are more than welcome to sign up for more than one shift in a row. Partnering with a friend to share a shift or two is all good. We will have shade, a radio to call if needed, and at least two chairs, but you are welcome to bring your own seating for comfort. We will need at least seven volunteers per day (or fewer if folks are covering multiple shifts) in order to accomplish this.
During your shift, you will be checking for proof of admittance (e.g., medallions, etc.) for everyone coming through the gate. If there is an issue, you will be provided with a radio to call for the Watch to assist (we will train you in its use). We also ask that you use a counter for every person who comes through the gate so we can better understand usage for future analysis.
Volunteer opportunities (sign-up sheets) will open around July 1st. There will be ways for you to sign up online in addition to having a sign-up sheet for the next day’s open shifts at Accessibility Point in Town Hall. If we have unmanned shifts, we will be posting them with the Town Cryer announcements as well as social media the day prior. Please keep an eye out for them if you are looking to help fill in open spots.
What about Midnight Madness? I’m glad you asked. There will be normal shifts going until 9 pm. We will then have special guests on duty, rotating every hour, so everyone gets a chance to do some shopping.
We are committed to working together to keep Merchant Gate open and staffed with volunteers. To do this, we need your help to make this a success.
For additional questions or concerns, please reach out to me or the Mayor directly.
YIS,
Tree of the Forest
dmeventresources@pennsicwar.org
