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Venue: Emerald (Workshops/LARP) clear filter
Friday, July 17
 

2:00pm EDT

Workshop: BottleCap Necklaces
Friday July 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Bottlecap necklaces can symbolize everything from DIY creativity to your favorite pop-culture fandom! Join April as she shows you how to create this nostalgic, upcycled fashion accessory
Speakers
avatar for April Baker

April Baker

Artist Guest
Raised in Connecticut, April now lives in North Carolina, where she works as an artist and instructor. Her main mediums are paper, paint, and recycled items — with a particular fondness for pages from old and damaged books. When not creating, you can find her at various community... Read More →
Friday July 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

3:30pm EDT

Workshop: Using Real-World Legends and Lore in Your Writing
Friday July 17, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT


Join Gail Z. Martin as she shows you how to mine real-world legends, lore, ghost stories, and locations for story material and how to make it your own.

Speakers
avatar for Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin

Literary Guest
Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy, steampunk and more for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst... Read More →
Friday July 17, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

5:30pm EDT

Workshop: Basic Leather Working 101 (fee)
Friday July 17, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT
In this introduction to the craft led by the designers at Ribbons and Rivets participants will be guided through the steps to make their own personalized wrist cuff. Many of these same steps can be applied to much larger and more complicated projects later on. All tools and materials will be provided for this workshop, just bring a pair of hands.

Participation fee is $20
Speakers
avatar for Matthew Penick

Matthew Penick

Costuming Guest
Matthew Penick has been cosplaying since 2005 and took his passion for costuming to the professional level in 2009 with the creation of the theatrical design company Ribbons and Rivets. The self-taught designer began primarily working with leather, and while he still considers leatherwork... Read More →
avatar for Miriam

Miriam "Tinker Tank" Penick

Costuming Guest
The Tinker Tank is a life-long art kid with a Studio Art degree that fell into costuming and cosplay through her post-collegiate pursuit of replicating the outfit of her childhood hero— Xena. She has since fallen in love with bringing beloved characters to life and works full time... Read More →
Friday July 17, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

7:00pm EDT

Room Closed
Friday July 17, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Friday July 17, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

8:00pm EDT

Room Closed
Friday July 17, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

Friday July 17, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

9:30pm EDT

Ghost Stories with Tally
Friday July 17, 2026 9:30pm - 11:00pm EDT
Join our Special Guest and Storyteller Extraordinaire, Tally Johnson as he regales the audience with spooky tales in a darkened room lit by the light of a fireplace.  (We hope.)
Speakers
avatar for Tally Johnson

Tally Johnson

Special Guest
Mr. Johnson is a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford College with degrees in history. He is the author of Ghosts of the South Carolina Upcountry, Ghosts of the South Carolina Midlands, Ghosts of the Pee Dee (all for The History Press) and Civil War Ghosts of Sou... Read More →
Friday July 17, 2026 9:30pm - 11:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)
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Saturday, July 18
 

8:30am EDT

Workshop: Irish Dancing
Saturday July 18, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Start your Saturday with some fun and music!

Come learn Cape Breton and Old Style Irish social dances. These dances are meant to be enjoyed by all ages. If you can walk… you can dance!
Speakers
avatar for Colleen Parker

Colleen Parker

Panelist
Colleen Parker is a long-time member of the Mid-Atlantic con community (you can often see her following her husband Chuck Parker around making sure he eats, sleeps, and gets to his shows on time), a retired competitive Irish dancer and former Irish dance teacher. She loves sharing... Read More →
Saturday July 18, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

10:00am EDT

Workshop: Independent Filmmaking From Start to Finish (Fee $10)
Saturday July 18, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Filmmaker and author Bryan Young will take students and aspiring filmmakers step-by-step through the process of making a film in this workshop. Using an award-winning short film as a case-study, he'll walk everyone through every step of the production process, from screenwriting and grant-writing, to making the most of your production and post-production, budgeting and film festivals, and more. 

Fee: $10

Speakers
avatar for Bryan Young

Bryan Young

Literary Guest
Bryan Young works in many different media. He's published thousands of essays and hundreds of short stories in publications like Marvel and Image Comics, Star Wars Insider, Huffington Post,  SYFY, /Film, Script Magazine, Weird Tales, the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Library Literary Magaz... Read More →
Saturday July 18, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

12:00pm EDT

Workshop: Basic Pattern Making
Saturday July 18, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
This primer for armor patterning led by the designers at Ribbons and Rivets, will have participants making their own bracer pattern that can later be applied to other rigid mediums such as leather, thermoplastic, or EVA foam. Participants will leave with their own personalized pattern as well as knowledge about measurements, seam allowances, fasteners, and the pros and cons associated with different armor making mediums.
Speakers
avatar for Matthew Penick

Matthew Penick

Costuming Guest
Matthew Penick has been cosplaying since 2005 and took his passion for costuming to the professional level in 2009 with the creation of the theatrical design company Ribbons and Rivets. The self-taught designer began primarily working with leather, and while he still considers leatherwork... Read More →
avatar for Miriam

Miriam "Tinker Tank" Penick

Costuming Guest
The Tinker Tank is a life-long art kid with a Studio Art degree that fell into costuming and cosplay through her post-collegiate pursuit of replicating the outfit of her childhood hero— Xena. She has since fallen in love with bringing beloved characters to life and works full time... Read More →
Saturday July 18, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

1:00pm EDT

Room Closed: We Suggest You Go Shopping or Eat!!
Saturday July 18, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Saturday July 18, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

2:00pm EDT

Write Tighter; Write Better (fee $20)
Saturday July 18, 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Write Tighter; Write Better (Saturday afternoon)
There are tons of books and classes to teach you about plot and character and story. But to be effective at those things, you need to write sentences. A lot of sentences. In this workshop by Stuart Jaffe, you’ll learn how to craft sentences with power, cut out the wasted words, and maybe even a few secrets and tricks of the trade that’ll bring your sentence writing to the next level. That way, the great idea in your head might actually make it to the page.
Fee: $20

Speakers
SJ

Stuart Jaffe

Guest Lecturer

Saturday July 18, 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

4:30pm EDT

Paper Flowers
Saturday July 18, 2026 4:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Learn how to turn used books into beautiful flowers! With this class by April Baker, you will learn how to make paper flowers made from book pages! By the end of this workshop you will have flowers that will never die, and will be the perfect gift for a book lover in your life or for display on your TBR shelf
Speakers
avatar for April Baker

April Baker

Artist Guest
Raised in Connecticut, April now lives in North Carolina, where she works as an artist and instructor. Her main mediums are paper, paint, and recycled items — with a particular fondness for pages from old and damaged books. When not creating, you can find her at various community... Read More →
Saturday July 18, 2026 4:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

7:00pm EDT

World of Darkness LARP:
Saturday July 18, 2026 7:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Rebuilding After the Fall
Greensboro By Night
Fee: $25.00 (at the LARP)
Premis
The past few decades have been a time of great turmoil and turbulence within the World of Darkness. The Eastern United States have particularly felt the brunt of much of this upheaval. Prior to the summer of 1999 most of the east coast was under the sway of the Camarilla; enforcing the Traditions of Kindred existence and offering protection to those who found it worthwhile to “bend a knee” and “kiss a ring”. All of that changed when the Sabbat attacked, waging an assault from Florida to New York, leaving nothing but devastation in its wake. While the Ivory Tower was able to hold strong within Manhattan, the Sword of Cain’s march left them with the majority of territory. But that was only the beginning.
In modern nights, the elders have begun answering the call of the Beckoning. Full city councils vanishing without warning, leaving their neonates to fend for themselves. The Sabbat has seen fit to chase these elders to wherever it is they’re being called to, waging a new war. A GehennahW ar. Many Ancillae kindred have stepped up to take control of the Domaines. New Turfs and Praxis popping up where others have fallen. Greensboro, North Carolina is no different. With the Sabbat squatters of the area now gone, the Anarchs and the Camarilla scramble to take hold of the various territories they lay abandoned.
 
The Game
Vampire: the Masquerade
 
The System
Nordic LARP: LARP Lite
 
Your Host & Storyteller
Voivode MekhetMekhet has been playing and Storytelling World of Darkness games for over 20 years. He has been the Storyteller for many convention events throughout the United States and has partnered with By Night Studios on many projects. He literally wrote the Chapter on Storytelling in the upcoming Hunter: the Reckoning LARP supplement; Laws of the Hunt (5th Edition) and is the founder and Lead ST for Our Worlds of Darkness.
Contact Mekhet at [email protected]
 
Experience NeededNone, just a healthy love for Vampires, roleplaying, theatre and, political intrigue
 
Preparation
No pen, paper or books needed. No dice, cards or other.
Players are encouraged to have a character concept in mind.
 
Character Creation
All that is needed for a workable LARP Lite character is a Vampire: the Masquerade concept.
All character creation needs will be provided and as long as the concept is in mind character creation takes just a few minutes.
 
Available Vampire Clans

The Main Clans
Banu Haqim
Judges of transgression, intellectuals and lawyers, assassins and blood sorcerers; once known as Assamites, the Children of Haqim have recently joined the ranks of the Camarilla.
Brujah
Fighters against the system, rebels against injustice, petty criminals, raging rabble, activists, agents of change, warrior philosophers fallen from grace.
Gangrel
The clan closest to their inner Beast, from feral soldiers to folkloric travelers and free spirits, from inhabitants of the urban jungle to boardroom sharks.
Hecata
Necromancers, Graverobbers, Lazarenes. The Hecata are as much a Family as they are a Clan; the only true Independents in these nights, the separate Clans of Death, including the Giovanni, Cappadocians, Samedi and others have now united as the Hecata. For them, the Family is everything; and if you are not one of them, you will never know how deep the Blood runs.
Lasombra
Winners at life, religious figures, manipulative shadow masters, social climbers, ruthless fighters; once a pillar of the Sabbat, they’ve now begun defecting to the ranks of the Camarilla.
Malkavian
Seers and jesters affected by supernatural madness, psychological masters, oracles concealing and revealing truths and themselves.
The Ministry
The rebranded Followers of Set, refused admission by the Camarilla and welcomed among the Anarchs. Both liars and liberators, seekers of freedom from chains through pain, pleasure, and any other means, occult cultists and preachers, standing between refusal of social norms and true depravity.
Nosferatu
Permanently afflicted by supernatural hideousness, they hide in the dark as gatherers of secrets, information procurers, hackers, elusive enforcers, often with a connection to rats and outcasts.
Saturday July 18, 2026 7:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)
 
Sunday, July 19
 

10:00am EDT

Workshop: Let's Make a World: Discuss Worldbuilding & Then Make One Together!
Sunday July 19, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Join Michael G Williams has he takes you through the basics of building a world - then the group will build a world together!


Speakers
avatar for Michael G. Williams

Michael G. Williams

Literary Guest
Michael G. Williams writes queer horror and science fiction celebrating the monstrous and the macabre. His books include the award-winning vampire series The Withrow Chronicles (Laine Cunningham Award); the thrilling urban fantasy time travel series Servant Sovereign; the sci-fi... Read More →
Sunday July 19, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

12:00pm EDT

Workshop: Choosing the Right POV (fee $10)
Sunday July 19, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Every story lives or dies by who the protagonist and POV character is. Sometimes, it feels obvious, other times you can pick any character in the narrative and tell an equally thrilling story. This class, led by Bryan Young, will show you all the different options of choosing the right POV for your story or screenplay, and, if you’re writing prose, what POV to actually write in. 

Fee: $10

Speakers
avatar for Bryan Young

Bryan Young

Literary Guest
Bryan Young works in many different media. He's published thousands of essays and hundreds of short stories in publications like Marvel and Image Comics, Star Wars Insider, Huffington Post,  SYFY, /Film, Script Magazine, Weird Tales, the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Library Literary Magaz... Read More →
Sunday July 19, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)
 
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