Renaissance Festival

"Enter these enchanted woods, you who dare..."
--George Meredith



Last Saturday we attended the much anticipated Renaissance Festival, put on by our local library. We've had it on our calendar for months and the boys had been anxiously awaiting its arrival so, when Saturday arrived, you can only imagine the excitement.

This was not as big of a deal as many Renaissance Festivals that are put on all around the country, seeing as it was sponsored by our library and it only cost us $2 a person to get in! However, it was very much geared towards the kids and thus we had a really good time as a family. Yes, there were the occasional folks who had dressed up to attend the festival but nothing like what you would see elsewhere.

There were areas set up where people could demonstrate skills such as blacksmithing, weaving, and bloodletting (okay, they weren't demonstrating that but they had all the crazy instruments used to administer such ludicrous "medical" procedures). There were artisan booths where shields, swords, clothing, etc were being sold. And there were knights challenging each other to duels, complete with armor and swords. And, of course, there were Pirates. Yes, John and I are still trying to figure out the insertion of pirates into this festival, seeing as the height of piracy was in the mid 18th century. Our conclusion was simply, why not? Kids love them, despite their brutal and horrific crimes against humanity, so why not celebrate them along with lords and ladies?

There was also a section set up for kids to play carnival type games (for free!), like shooting arrows at a castle, catapulting frogs into a moat and a large hay bale maze. After each game, regardless of how well the children did, they were given gold medallions that they could trade in for prizes. And despite my recent moratorium on all cheap plastic "toys" being allowed into our household, I relented and let the boys load up on all things "Renaissance" like king crowns, pirate rings and stuffed snakes. They loved it!