Every year during Memorial Day weekend, 2,500 to 3,000 people converge on a small community in far eastern San Diego County. They come to wear medieval European clothing, celebrate arts and crafts practiced prior to the 17th century, and participate in the war. On Tuesday May 25th a couple hundred people, myself included, got together at the Potrero Regional Park to prepare for this influx of weird folks. So who are these people and why Potrero CA?
Most of the people that come to the Potrero War are members or friends of members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). The SCA is an organization that began in Berkley CA 50 years ago which is dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe. Our "Known World" consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in period clothing, attend workshops and classes, events that feature tournaments, royal courts, feasts, dancing, story telling, and more. To learn more about the SCA visit http://www.sca.org/ . The attendees bring their tents and camping equipment (I bring the Tosh-Ma-Haul) and celebrate life for a few days every spring.
Potrero (poe-trer-oh) Regional Park is part of the County of San Diego’s park system. It is located 45 miles east of San Diego on Highway 94 and is a mile or so north of the small community of Potrero CA. In addition, it is just seven miles from Tecate Mexico. It is 2,336 feet above sea level in the “Mountain Empire” region of the county and just a couple miles south of Lake Morena. Potrero is a Spanish word which means pasturing place.
People often equate “San Diego” with a temperate climate, but Potrero actually has four seasons. It lies in a broad green valley with several grassy meadows and is surrounded by rocky hills. Since the average winter low is right at freezing – they do have occasional light snow - and the summer is frequently in the mid to upper 90’s Spring or Fall is the ideal time to visit. Like Dos Picos, Potrero RP has an oak woodland and many species of native California plants. However there are not rugged hiking trails at Potrero like there are at Dos Picos.
When the Barony of Califia (http://www.calafia.org/ ) was looking for a venue for its annual event Potrero Regional Park was the ideal location. Because of its flat meadow (at other times of the year it is used as a soccer field and/or baseball field) there is plenty of room to have archery competitions and tournaments. There is a closed gazebo for the dancing and court. There are “stone tables” (the picnic grove) where workshops and classes are held. There are 30 or 40 roomy campsites with partial hook-ups and numerous other tent camping sites. There are two “Stone Priveys” (restrooms), one with showers, and even a dump site. So it has all the necessary amenities.
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