Author: Longest Night Midwinter Masque

In honor of the 2019 Vernal Equinox, we officially invite you to join us for the 2020 Longest Night Midwinter Masque on Saturday, January 4, 2020!

We have a little over nine months before the event, but we’re well on our way to planning what could be our best one yet.  We hope you enjoyed the 2019 Masque and will be joining us again in 2020 for a long night of revelry and merrymaking.

We tried hard to secure space in one of the ballrooms at the Palace in the City of Elua but, alas, our requests were denied.  Something about a visiting Alban delegation…or maybe it was a war with the Skaldi…a shadow government in exile…refinishing the marble floors?  It was tough to get a straight answer on why we couldn’t hold the ball there, just that we couldn’t.

But fear not, fellow D’Angelines!  We will, instead be returning to the Hyatt Regency Fairfax.  While it may not be the Courcel Palace, it is still a fantastic place to hold the Midwinter Masque – and we will be doing it up right.

So mark your calendars, buy your tickets, get your costume ready, secure your travel plans, and get ready to enjoy the 2020 Longest Night Midwinter Masque!

 

~Love As Thou Wilt

Private Reception with Jacqueline Carey – Presidential Suite, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

• January 4th, 7 – 9:30 p.m. ~ Private Reception

 

The Masquerade – Commonwealth Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

• January 5th, 1 – 5 p.m. ~ Vendor Check-In 
• January 5th, 5 – 7 p.m. ~ Will Call – Collect Your Tokens
• January 5th, 6 – 7 p.m. ~ Book signing by Jacqueline Carey
• January 5th, 7 p.m. – January 6th, 1 a.m. ~ The Main Event
  • 7:15 p.m. ~ Processional, Court of the Night Blooming Flowers
    • House Costume Contest
    • Individual Costume Contest
  • 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. – Divination Available with Dowayne of Gentian House
  • Midnight – The Winter Queen and the Sun Prince Enactment

 

The Dungeon – Virginia Suites, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

•  January 5th, 7:45 p.m. ~ Dungeon Orientation – MANDATORY for Dungeon Tokenholders
•  January 5th, 8 p.m. – January 6th, 1 a.m. ~ Dungeon open for Dungeon Tokenholders

 

Brunch on Night’s Doorstep – Dominion Suite, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

• January 6th, 2019, 8 – Noon ~ Brunch

Invented by Celts and adopted by Romans, chainmaille was an important part of a soldier’s ensemble until the emergence of the musket in 1520. Though antiquated as armor, the craft of chainmaille continues on in myriad aesthetics. One such craftsperson is The Metal Weaver.

On Etsy since 2009, The Metal Weaver specializes in handmade, high quality jewelry, strong craftsmanship, and elegant chainmaille design. The Metal Weaver enjoys working with various alloys and doing custom work, while keeping meticulous records of the metals used in any given piece. You can find The Metal Weaver on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/themetalweaver and the Masque this Saturday! Be sure to introduce yourself and get your custom chainmaille jewelry in the works!

Eglantine is a House that brings forth the spirit of Naamah’s creativity. “To Create Is To Live” are our words, and so we pay homage with every stroke of the pen, every note sung with grace, every garment made with a purpose. We give all of ourselves, pouring our soul into our craft. Our imagination and innovation is power! Who else but an Eglantine adept could write words to move men to tears? Where else can you find singers that could sway the will of rulers? Nowhere else but the House where creativity runs through our veins.

We pour our souls into our craft, whatever it may be.

To Create Is To Live.

For us, we aren’t living unless we create.

 

Hilde de Reneille no Eglantine

Dowayne of Eglantine House

Orchis House is one of the thirteen houses of the Night Court. The adepts approach Naamah’s Service with joy, laughter and gaiety. Fun is perhaps not the only purpose but it certainly can be the reason. Laughter is universal. It transcends all cultures, all languages, all creeds, and all times. The best thing about Joy in Laughter is how sexy laughter can be. There is no one, no matter how stunningly beautiful or ridiculously well endowed who is not instantly more attractive when they make you smile. When we are lost in laughter it is the time when we also allow others to see us at the best of who we are.

I think the best feature of Orchis is that it is compatible with all other houses. Joy and laughter, while sweet is not only sugar. Orchis can be the salt to life, where it enhances all other tastes. Laughter can sharpen Mandrake’s edge and ease Balm’s path to healing. Fun is why we seek out Eglantine’s art and Bryony’s games. All the pleasures of Jasmine and perfection of Camellia are experienced in joy. While taste can bring some together for a short time, the devotion of Heliotrope often comes with the partner who can make us laugh.

So on this the Longest Night of Midwinter, I hope that we find what we seek and we find them all in joy. Joy to you on the Longest Night.

 

Xixiliya no Orchis

Dowayne of Orchis and “Clown Princess”

From Lady Kalisa Shahrizai:

“I am pleased to announce that bottles of Joie will be available again this year at the Masque and will feature original artwork by my dear cousin, Lady Melusine. Due to liquor laws, we cannot sell it at the Masque this year. However! For every $25 donation made to Petapalooza PA by December 25, 2018, you will receive a bottle of Joie as a Thank You! There are even a few bottles from previous years available. If you are missing one in your collection, now is the time to get one. Contact me at mistressbitchella@yahoo.com (use “Joie” in the subject line so I don’t think it’s spam) with any questions or concerns, or to request a specific label.

To submit your donation, use Petapalooza PA’s online portal or checks can be made out and mailed to:

Petapalooza PA

attn: Bitsy McCann
105 Hunters Ridge Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17110

Can’t wait to party with everyone soon,

~Kalisa”

We are excited to announce, due to overwhelming demand, the extension of General Admission token sales through January 3^rd, 2019!

General Admission tokens are $100 through December 12^th. As of December 13^th, General Admission tokens are $125.

We look forward to seeing you!

 

From the frozen wastes of Skaldia, to the rocky desert of Khebbel-im-Akkad, from the wet, chilly isles of Eire to the exotic land of Ch’in—where would our heroes be without high-quality wool? Wool for blankets, wool for cloaks, for dry weather, for wet, for cold…

Founded in 1984 by a couple who likewise understood the timeless value of wool and an aversion to “fast” fashion, Half Moon Travel Clothing has built a reputation for quality garments that last all over the world. With a base of operations in Colorado, this family-owned enterprise took the Renaissance Festival Circuit by storm. You will be hard-pressed to visit a Renaissance Festival on a cold, rainy day without spotting at least a dozen garments crafted by these artisans worn proudly by their owners.

With buttons sourced through the Tagua Initiative and wool that is simultaneously water-resistant, biodegradable, recyclable, and energy efficient, purchasing a Half Moon garment supports small communities in Ecuador, helps conserve the Amazon rain forest, and keeps you warm and dry throughout all conceivable weather.

Visit  for their website  to view Half Moon’s extensive catalog! Have an idea for a custom garment? They will make it for you! Have a custom design? Send them an image and they will replicate it! Best of all, as we celebrate Jacqueline Carey and her extraordinary world at the Longest Night Masque, Half Moon Travel Clothing will be on site with gorgeous cloaks, capes, coats, jackets and vests for you to try on and take home! You can also place custom orders with the owner at the Masque!

Not so much into wool? That’s okay—they are working with other fabrics too, including silk, so drop them a line! You can contact Half Moon through their webpage here https://hmoon.com/contact/. You can also follow Half Moon on Facebook or any of their myriad Festival fan-pages.

(Editor’s note: “I own no less than six of their pieces. I can attest to their quality, beauty, practicality, dependability, and customer service. I would dare Skaldia in the dead of winter with a Half Moon cloak any day.” ~ Melusine Shahrizai)

 

Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy Trilogies follows protagonists prone to desires with a sharp edge. Phédre nό Delaunay is Kushiel’s Chosen, marked with a red mote floating in her bister eye, blessed and cursed to feel pleasure in pain. Later, her ward Imriel is a scion of Kushiel, son of the great villainess Melisandre and kin to the Shahrizai, who take their pleasure in giving pain. Through this groundbreaking saga, desire is explored in all its forms, but perhaps the most revealing is the transparency, tenderness, and profound love of the world of sadomasochism that Carey unravels for us.

In a uniquely similar way, a leather smith of Portland, Oregon is committed to providing exciting variation and safety to the BDSM community while also ensuring the highest quality of sexy and beautifully handmade leatherwork. We are extremely pleased to announce that House of Wolfram, founded by this innovative leather smith, will vend at this year’s Longest Night Masque!

Visit www.houseofwolfram.com to purchase your new kink accoutrement today or skim for your favorites to pick up at the Masque! You can also follow House of Wolfram on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram—or even email them directly via info@houseofwolfram.com!