If you happen to see a knight in shining armor walking through St. Regis later this month, there’s a good reason. 

He, or she, is headed to the Society for Creative Anachronism’s annual Archers Dream event, where the Middle Ages will come alive Sept. 24-27 at 1333 Fourmile Creek Road.

And while swords, bows, armor and medieval clothing might catch the eye, the Society for Creative Anachronism is about much more than simply dressing up and playing knight. The SCA is an international nonprofit volunteer educational organization devoted to researching and recreating the skills, arts, combat, culture and traditions of the pre-17th century world. Members, affectionately known as “SCAdians,” gather at thousands of events on five continents each year to learn old skills, compete, socialize and have fun. The organization has grown into a worldwide community of tens of thousands of people, but its activities can be as simple as one person learning to weave or make leather goods or as exciting as watching armored fighters charge into combat.

For Liz Thompson of St. Regis, it all started about eight years ago. 

“A co-worker here (Big Sky Forest Products) was training to fight and I looked up their website and was hooked,” Thompson said. 

She will be playing Keely Cragsdaughter, Baroness of Sentinels’ Keep.  

“I’m in charge of the local group, The Barony of Sentinels’ Keep,” she said. 

What Thompson found eight years ago was a world filled with opportunities to learn and compete.

“They have armored fighting, which is like knights in armor. Rapier fighting, Three Musketeers style with a long skinny blade. Long skinny blade. The archery competition, of course, with many different categories including crossbows, and mind you, these are period authentic weapons. There’s thrown weapons like axes and knives.” 

And that is only the beginning.

“There’s all of the arts and sciences associated with the medieval time period," she said. "Weaving, sewing, making illuminated manuscripts, scrolls we call them. Dying fabrics, metalworking, leatherwork, blacksmithing. It’s endless.” 

The attention to authenticity can go surprisingly deep. Participants often research the clothing worn during a particular period, find historically appropriate materials and then make the clothing themselves, sometimes using equipment and techniques modeled after those of the period. Linen, for example, is an authentic fabric, but Thompson said putting together a historically accurate outfit can get pricey. 

“It can be expensive because of linen. That is the authentic material and that is expensive to find nowadays,” she said, adding that the closing of large craft stores has made finding some materials even more difficult.

But visitors to the St. Regis event don't need a closet full of medieval clothing to attend. Newcomers and those simply curious to see what the SCA is all about are welcome. Loaner ‘garb’ will be available for those who want to participate. A person at the main gate, known as the ‘troll,’ can help newcomers with the process. And the first event is free to attend. Last year, about 70 people registered for the three-day gathering, with participants traveling from Utah, the Pacific Northwest and two Canadian provinces.

The Barony of Sentinels’ Keep is the western Montana branch of the SCA. It was formed many years ago in Missoula and is part of the Kingdom of Artemisia, which encompasses most of Utah, Idaho and Montana, along with portions of Wyoming and Colorado.

Archers Dream is a camping event with an emphasis on archery and thrown weapons. 

“Anything that you can throw or shoot or fling will be demonstrated and competed in,” Thompson said. 

Among the scheduled activities are the Barony of Sentinels’ Keep Youth Archery Championship, Youth Thrown Weapons, a 200-yard clout shoot, combat archery, a night shoot, royal rounds, a scavenger hunt and opportunities to try the ancient atlatl. Championships can take on a special significance in the SCA. Some are traveling championships, with the winner holding the honor for a year before returning the following year to defend the title. The biggest day of the St. Regis gathering will be Saturday, Sept. 26 as that’s when visitors will have the best opportunity to see the many sides of the SCA in one place, from archery and thrown weapons to medieval clothing, crafts and the colorful pageantry that comes with the society's recreation of another time.

The medieval experience doesn't end when the competitions do. Evenings bring court, singing competitions around the bonfire and plenty of socializing. And then there is the annual Onesie Party. 

“It’s not period accurate just for some fun. Everyone wears a onesie to the campfire,” Thompson said with a chuckle. 

Food is generally the practical sort of fare one might expect from a group of campers such as salami, cheeses, dried fruits and other easy-to-pack foods. Authentic meals sometimes make an appearance, and Thompson said she may have a food vendor at this year's event, although that was not yet finalized. The social side of the SCA is every bit as important as the competition. While members may arrive dressed as people from centuries ago, they come from all walks of modern life. The organization offers people a chance to learn skills such as calligraphy, cooking, armoring, metalworking, carpentry and needlework while making friendships along the way.

And there is apparently no shortage of opportunities to get involved. 

“There is an event like this one every single weekend in the Kingdom of Artemisia. That’s just this Kingdom and then the others host them as frequently as we do,” Thompson explained. 

The event season generally runs from March through October.

For those who have never encountered the SCA, however, the St. Regis event offers a particularly good opportunity to see what all the excitement is about without having to travel to another state, or another century. Thompson said, “We may have visiting Baron/Baronesses but I don’t expect any royalty.  We will probably have a Knight (armored fighting) or two and maybe a Master of Defense (Knight level in rapier fighting).  For sure we will have some very advanced archers at this event.”

Signs will mark the way. Visitors don't have to understand medieval history, own a bow or know the difference between a rapier and a broadsword. They can simply come and look. Or, perhaps, try their hand at something new. The schedule of events can be found at sentinels-keep.org.

    The Archers Dream event will be held Sept. 24-27 in Mineral County. (Courtesy photo)