All Abbots Bromley and traditional English/Scottish/Contra dance enthusiasts are invited to join the California Revels in a day of good food, good music, good dancing and the largest celebration ever of the Abbots Bromley antler dance.

Every Wakes Monday, the dancers in Abbots Bromley, England take up the traditional horns for their legendary 16 kilometer trek of dancing through countryside and pub yards. This year, Wakes Monday falls near September 5th, Labor Day in America.

The California Revels is calling for dance teams and interested individuals to come together for a day of picnicking, dancing and music, which will culminate in the Bromliad – a mass dance of the Abbots Bromley antler dance featuring more people than have ever before danced it at one time - (we hold the record of 144 dancers last year).

This free event will take place in a beautiful glade in Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland on Monday, September 5th. Picnickers can arrive any time after 11:00 AM. Bring the kids, a blanket and your favorite picnic and beverages. There will be music and Morris dancing (teams cordially invited) as well as called group dancing (callers and players cordially invited, too). Then at 1:00 PM, we’ll set up for the largest Abbots Bromley serpentine ever. The fun continues until 4:00 PM. Show up and be a part of dance history!

Read what the press had to say about last year's Bromliad.

This is a free event, but we'd like to know who's coming, so

register now via Facebook or our Evite.

We'll be dancing and picnicking in this beautiful glade. Here's how to find Joaquin Miller Park Make a left into the park at the upper Sanborn intersection - you'll see a sign for “Woodminster Amphitheater”. You can park for free along Joaquin Miller Road and walk in, or park at the community center just inside the park ($5) and walk down. There may also be free parking in the Amphitheater lots. We'll be in the first glade along the trail downhill from the Sanborn entrance. We'll post a sign.

We have a limited supply of these dancing horns available. Only $20 a set (enough for 1 deer)! We only have a dozen pair so order online now! We will have them waiting for you when you arrive.

Note: these are made of acrylic, but they have the heft and sound of real deer antler - and no actual deer were harmed in their manufacture.

If you plan to play along with the Bromliad, Here's the tune we'll be using. Referred to as “The Wheelwright Robinson's Tune”, it is the one collected by Cecil Sharp at the time he first documented the dance. The date 1857 refers to the earliest specific date anyone in Sharp's time could remember it being played, but the tune is certainly older. You can hear it played (rather more briskly), along with several other songs to which the Horn dance is commonly performed, at the Folk Mag website. We will likely play it in E minor with a starting note of B.

You can hear the music in midi format. And you can see, play and print the music with Scorch.

Click on one of the antler sets above to learn about the history and mystery surrounding this ancient annual event.