Cross One Off the Bucket List

 

Item # 47 - Attend a Renaissance Fair. Preferably in costume.

Well, the costume part didn't pan out, but I did attend a Renaissance Fair this weekend. It wasn't a very big one, and to be honest, I was a *little* bit disappointed - but I can now say that I attended a Renaissance Fair.

I thought it would be more exciting - and, maybe it would be, in a larger setting. It was held at a large farm/educational setting - kind of like a working farm, with lots of chickens/geese/llamas/alpacas/etc around for the kids to look at. It wasn't a farm in that you could see pigs and cows, although there were horses there. So this was kind of like a hybrid "Farm Tour" meets "Wanna Be Ren Fair".

I first heard about the Ren Fair when I opened my email on Thursday. I had received one of those daily deal type things, and could buy my ticket for half off - for $10. Good deal, I thought. Except that my kids tickets were also $10 - so for me and four kids, it was $50. Which seemed spendy to me, but maybe I'm cheap and so we went. Probably you get something included in that ticket price.

Except that you didn't.

"Unicorn rides" - ponies with ceramic horns attached to their heads - were $5 for a turn around the center. So maybe a 2 minute ride? I was really surprised that the first ride wasn't included. To me, that would have been a good deal. Include one ride, stamp the wrist band - you know after one ride most kids want another, so you will definitely get your money back.

I might want one of these for the house

Every boy deserves to try the Sword in the Stone at least once in his life

Tractor posing - sadly, there were no tractor rides. Although, I'm unsure if tractors were around during the Renaissance?

Most all of the "fair" was vendors hawking crafts. Which was fine and dandy and lovely, but walking around and seeing people dressed in costume selling stuff really isn't my idea of a fun time. We tried to watch the falconry show, but it was so windy that the microphones didn't work and the birds wouldn't cooperate - so we bagged on that.

The Blacksmith was pretty cool, though.

So we bagged on the "fair" part of it for a little while and hung out with the animals.

Feeding the goats through the pen

This is the part where the city people say, "What the hell?? You were in a big cage with turkey and chickens and roosters RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?? And the Country people say, "eh, Whatevs. Every day around here."

 
I'll tell you what, Peacocks are pretty, but they are LOUD.

And we got our faces painted.

The Ren Fair was redemed, though, when the jousting began. Man, that was insane.

Our side was rooting for Sir Ripper, who tossed flowers into the crowd

The King and Queen were in attendance

 

Getting geared up for the Joust

 

 

Jousting is immensely cool and very exciting - especially when people get tossed of their horses. Except, weirdly, for this woman next to me. Every time someone fell off, she'd snap her video closed and announce, quite loudly, to her child - although we all knew it was a reprimand to all around - "When someone gets HURT, it's no longer fun and we don't video tape them. It's bad manners."

Eh, whatevs. Clearly I have no manners. Take it up with my mother. 

I still want to go to a REAL Renaissance Fair. In a costume. This was fun for my kids, though.

 

Comments

[Elizabeth]

There is a huge Ren fair in Houston in the fall. I haven't been in ages. I know there is a big one in Dallas too. Lots of vendors but lots of Renaissance atmosphere, costumes, dancers, pipers, etc. Plus jousting. Maybe we'll take Charlie this fall.

[Nelson's Mama]

http://www.tnrenfest.com/

I've never been, but this one is really close to my home - friends go and say it's really fun. Maybe you need a road trip!

[kyooty]

Very different way to spend the day. Today is Victoria day here. Holiday for the Queen and all that jazz.

[lisa]

ok, the lady reprimanding the "crowd"? that made me laugh. why was she watching a jousting match if she didn't expect people to fall?

[Christina]

Come to Ohio. I'll take you to the one that I worked at for nine years. I still have several costumes, too, so you can borrow one. :)

And Ripper is a very nice guy. I've shared scotch with him.

[Brandy]

I've never been to a Ren Fair, either. I've wanted to, but the closest one is about three hours away. Glad you were able to cross something off your bucket list!

[Wendy]

We use to go to one every year, in costume, when I lived in the SF Bay Area. We had such a great time. The jousting it the best. There were sword fights too which were pretty cool. Loved the "parade" when the queen went through "town" and the food and just everything. It is definitely a different experience when you are in costume.