A gathering of
artisans,
athletes, historians, dreamers and
geeks the Renaissance Festival is so much more than weirdos who wish
Halloween lasted longer. Imagine driving over an hour across highways and down dirt roads to finally arrive at a huge field of rolling hills. Only you can't see the grass for all the shiny cars parked in rows, with dozens more waiting to squeeze into that last open space. You hop out of your vehicle, grab your loved one's hand and walk quickly towards the trees at the edge of the field. Eventually, depending on how lucky you were with parking, you see it. Your destination. The huge walls built of wood and
stucco that keep invaders from destroying the town within.
Ambling between the modernly dressed are the
dreamers and
historians. Those who wish they could be a
princess with a towering pink hat swathed in sparkling gauze and those trained to stay in character as they barrel through crowds in
chain-mail,
kilts, or
pirate garb depending upon the weekend. Occasionally you'll glimpse a
jester or the town
lunatic running amok. If you're lucky you see the full procession of the
King and
Queen and their royal entourage. Then again, that might not be so lucky as the royals can be greatly offended by the presence of commoners. Especially if you're
a female dressed in male garb.
All of this can occur within or without the protective walls, as often there will be a few
entertainers milling about the gated entrance. More often than not, though, you will see the royals within the town, perhaps at an afternoon performance at the
Globe Theater or a morning round of
caber tossing. Some things you won't see outside the walls, however, are the wonderful
crafts handmade by
artisans who've set up shop in the permanent buildings that make up the town. Watch the glass blower as he transforms
molten glass into a wonderfully swirled
champagne flute or
flower vase; the coin maker as he stamps interesting designs into
copper,
silver or
gold; the
costume maker as she stitches
leather,
cotton or
felt into shoes, hats, dresses and more; or, the
potter as he creates bowls, lamps, and
goblets for you to drink beer and
mead from. There are many crafters, from book makers and
herbalists to those that specialize in leather whips and
bondage gear, present at the Festival.
Aside from buying goodies and watching glass take form you can also participate in games and chow down on some yummy food. Tear into a roasted
turkey leg barbarian style as you watch the
sword swallower, go through the museum of oddities, toss a coin into the
cursing well or gaze at the
falconer as he displays his bird's talent. The foods are decidedly not Renaissance fare, unless they truly did eat
steak on a stake,
cheesecake on a stick,
italian ice,
apple dumpling with ice cream and the other mouth watering, artery clogging foods they provide. As
Multi-creamer likes to remind me "the purpose to go is to eat your way through the ages," regardless of
historical accuracy.
The above description was formed from my personal experiences with the Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville, Md. At the festival they celebrate not only the English Renaissance, but the Scottish, Italian and French as well. Each weekend has a theme, each season an overall theme. You can watch jousting, caber tossing and more. Buy crystal, wooden tables, and more. That is the fun of the festival, it is more than you anticipate.