This is an IMPORTANT Announcement concerning this event, please ensure this news is passed on to whomever you know it may concern.
First the bad news (there is good news).
The Indiana State DNR/Paynetown SRA have canceled the event. Basically after five years of treating the event organizers like crap, despite this event creating quantifiable extra revenue for the site, they gave the event the boot. So the event is canceled.
Now the good news.
Anyone and everyone who paid their registration will be refunded in full. Please give Nate a couple of weeks to get this done. This cancellation, did come as a bit of a shock, so please be patient.
Now the better news.
While "Pirates Of Paynetown" is canceled, Nate along with some of the other organizers and supporters of the "Pirates Of Paynetown" event are putting together an alternative event at another location. Because the event will be no where near Paynetown, and considering how poorly Paynetown handled this parting of paths, the new event will have a very different name.
The new event will also vary in concept some. Because a new site at a lake was not readily available, the nautical angle will be lessened. Pirates will still be welcomed at the new event, but the new event will be all about all the "bad boys" (and "bad girls") of history. Pirates, bandits, rebels, highwaymen, etc. The proposed name for the event is "Brigands Grove". The event will still be a historic event, so a good effort on historical authenticity is still mandatory (as in the source for your portrayal needs to be better than a film, any film), but this isn't a strictly juried event.
One downside, is the new site only has a stream. While the stream is big enough to handle smaller boats, some of the mid-size or larger boats, or boats with deeper draughts will not be able to navigate the stream.
On the plus side, the new site is dramatically larger than the Paynetown SRA, and has a great deal more room, trees for shade.... And most importantly.... WILL BE FREE TO ATTEND !!!
We are still working out some of the details of the new event, but it will be the same dates as Paynetown (this year), and still in the state of Indiana (just not on Indiana DNR land). The new location is about an hour south of Paynetown SRA, so it may be a bit of a longer drive for some (sorry about that), but it will be a shorter drive for most.
More posts will be forthcoming as details are worked out. Please feel free to offer suggestions, as the new event will be for historical re-enactors, by historical re-enactors, on land and at a location that is both supportive and friendly to re-enactors!!! All feedback and suggestions are welcome, and if you feel you could contribute to help run this new event (although we have a pretty good size group helping already) please contact Nathanael (HistoryFanatic on this forum).
Sorry about the bad news, but I hope you find the good news part as exciting as I do!