Renaissance Fairs

Twig the Fairy Flirting 2010 AZ Ren Fest

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Nebraska Renaissance Faire

A beached pirate ship, fairy treehouse and medieval jousting come together this weekend at the eighth annual Nebraska Renaissance Faire.

Nationally touring performers, stage shows and comic village characters will enliven the five stages and living history realms at the event, set for Saturday and Sunday at the Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch.

“We will be showcasing some of the best acts from the other big Renaissance festivals in the Midwest,” producer Gregory Schmid said.

via www.omaha.com

Renaissance Fair | The Keystone Online

The annual Renaissance Faire, hosted by the KU Renaissance Club, is back again this May, only this time it is bigger and better.

The KU Renaissance Club has been on campus for the past 26 years and has hosted a faire since its inception. This year’s faire, which will be May 1 and 2 at 10 a.m. on the DMZ, will feature a variety of events including a magician, a story teller, a fire-eater, a hypnotist, comedic singing-groups and a juggling group, as well as live demonstrations of blacksmithing, glass-blowing, tarot readings, weaving and spinning.

Each of these events has been meticulously planned by the close-to-40 members of the club. According to the club president, junior Psychology major Laura Weaver, club members began preparing for the faire last semester. She said, “We have slowly but surely been getting all of our materials together and getting our members excited.”

Members have been rehearsing for the acting segments as well as cooking, producing and even creating guard shifts.

The club has also been working with the university and Public Safety to get their choreographed fights approved and has been rehearsing three to four days out of the week as well as getting certified by fight masters.

Additionally, the club is working with other campus groups and students for the faire, including the KU fencing club, students from the art and music departments and a glassblower who is a KU student.

Costume design is a large part of the club’s preparations as well, and Weaver added that the club makes most of its own costumes. She said, “We have had a few pieces of garb donated to us, but personally I know that it is so much more gratifying to be able to make and wear your entire outfit.”

The Renaissance Club will also be hosting its annual dinner theater at the end of the fall semester, which includes a student-written play performed by the club.

For students looking for an outlet to relax and relieve stress before finals week, the Renaissance Faire offers a myriad of opportunities and events. With the hard work preparation, the faire should certainly be a success.

via www.keystoneonline.com

Knights to shine at Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire | Deseret News

Forget traveling back in time.

For two weekends in May, a lady-in-waiting only has to go as far as Weber County to find her knight in shining armor at the annual Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire.

This year the festival is set to run May 7-9 and 14-16 at the town of Marriott-Slaterville. There will be professional jousting groups, medieval food booths and dozens of old English characters putting on a show.

"Some of the neighboring states have these really nice festivals where you can go and escape the modern world and take a break from real life," said Sue Bodily, executive producer of the festival, "and I thought it would be nice if we had one in northern Utah."

Although Utah is also home to the Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire in Cedar City, performer Elias Caress said both are worth visiting, for different reasons.

"Every state almost has their own Renaissance fair, and in Utah there are two of them, but they're both different," he said. "They have their own character and their own style, so I would recommend visiting all of them. Just check it out for a day."

via www.deseretnews.com

Students enjoy day at Renaissance Faire - SGVTribune.com

Queen Elizabeth I and Lord Leicester chat with students at the Renaissance Faire at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale on April 23. (Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb)

Michael Gardener, left, and Owain Phyfe perform on the Renaissance Faire's School Day. (Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb)

Her most gracious majesty visited with a group of lasses, lending them her royal advice on subjects close to her subjects' hearts.

"Ladies don't sweat," Queen Elizabeth conjectured, "they glisten."

And the teens gathered closer for more sage advice from the most famous woman of her time.

Vignettes such as this popped up throughout the day at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale. On April 23, the young visitors came from schools in the area, eager to soak up a day in the life of an Elizabethan shire.

"We expect 7,000 students from schools throughout Southern California to attend the fair on our annual school day," said Colleen Russell-Elkins, fair spokeswoman.

via www.sgvtribune.com

Renaissance Faire set for next weekend in Ocean Springs | gulflive.com

HARLAN KIRGAN/Press-RegisterSir Shanton (Shane Adams of Toronto) removes an apple from the top of a helmet Sunday during the 2009 Ocean Springs Renaissance Faire and Celtic Heritage Festival. Adams is part of the Knights of Valour group, which will perform two jousts per day on May 1 and 2, 2010.
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- Falcons will rule the skies and knights will battle for warrior supremacy this weekend in Ocean Springs, all within a village full of food and fun, and all for charity.

It's time for the Renaissance Faire and Celtic Heritage Festival, which for the last eight years has been illuminating the greater community about medieval times, crafts and characters.

In 2009, the faire -- organized by St. Johns Episcopal Church on Rayburn Avenue -- raised $15,000 for four local charities, and this year organizers hope to top that.

"We'd love to beat last year," said Ocean Springs photographer, and Lagniappe Portraits owner, Margaret Reynolds, queen of this year's faire. Since its inception, the faire has raised approximately $103,000 for charity, she said.

"This year, our theme is 'The Late Renaissance -- the Golden Age' when Queen Elizabeth was on the throne of England and King James was on the throne of Scotland," Reynolds said.

Accompanying her during the fair will be this year's king, Malcolm White, who is the executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Reynolds considers the faire one of the best bargains for families on the coast since the modest admission charge gets everyone access to a range of activities including the Winged Ambassadors Falconry Show, a petting zoo, Faerie Garden, Sherwood Forest and a village put on by the Society for Creative Anachronism. There will also be a demonstration by working blacksmith Trent Tye, bagpipe players and Celtic music by the band Blarney Coast.

And while so many events are sure to delight those of most any age, it's the signature events that Reynolds is eagerly anticipating: the Knights of Valour joust.

"It's like in those old Errol Flynn movies," Reynolds said. "To actually see a knight in armor getting up on a horse, that's something everybody should see. Without a doubt."

The Canadian knights performed during last year's faire and will field two unscripted jousts on Saturday and Sunday. All part of what promises to be a slice of medieval times in a beautiful coastal city.

The renaissance faire "is aimed at families, education for children and having a good time," Reynolds said. "Where (else) can you take your children for $5?" 

via blog.gulflive.com

Daycation: Rennaissance Pleasure Faire

The Renaissance Pleasure Faire at Santa Fe Dam is a great place to enjoy a day outside experiencing 360 theatre in a fun and festive environment.

The Fair, in its 48th year, is going from April 10th – May 23rd and is open Saturday & Sunday from 10am to 7pm. The cost is $25 for adults and $15 for kids’ ages 5-12, for the die-hard fans you can purchase a Fairever pass for $130 & $65 for kids.

At it’s core the fair is designed to transport visitors back into the world of renaissance Germany. Over 1500 performers walk the grounds bringing you into the story and enjoying the atmosphere themselves. Most of the performers are volunteers and work the fair for the love of the play.

PR director Colleen Russell Elkins says “the fair is a wonderful place for people of all ages” Offerings at the fair include a variety of food & drink, games, crafts for sale and of course performance.

13 stages dot the fair, with performances from musicians, comedians and spoken word artists. Not to mention the many craftsman and artisans selling their wares around the fair.

When you arrive at the fair you notice that many of the attendees are dressed in costume along with the performers. Not to worry for the non-costumed, there are many costume rental booths throughout the fair offering costume rentals for kids to adults. Average price for a days rental is $38 for adults.

Sante Fe dam is located off the 210 & 605 freeways in Irwindale, exit at the Imperial Highway exit and follow the sings from there. Time is running out on this years fair so got to www.renfair.com for more information and discounted tickets.

via www.cougarnews.com

Renaissance Faire Jester Makes a Baloney Sandwich With His Feet - Urlesque

This local news segment is one of those clips where way more is going on that you'd expect. First there's the oh-so-madcap Rob Williams from the Scarborough Faire Renaissance Festival making the sandwich with his toes as expected, with baloney, cheese and a pickle. Cute enough.

But then reporter Dan Godwin rushes over to let a guy play the glass harmonica in the remaining time. This poor water-glass musician's probably waited all day for the camera and he gets six seconds of airtime after a balognapodist.

But the real treasure is at the end, when the older news anchor rebukes his younger colleague for ruining his witty sign-off.

via www.urlesque.com

Renaissance Pleasure Faire returns to Irwindale - Whittier Daily News

IRWINDALE - From giant turkey legs to axe-throwing, all the medieval merriments of Renaissance-era Europe are on hand at the 48th Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale.

The fair returned to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, 15501 E. Arrow Highway, for the sixth year Saturday and will be open to visitors on weekends through May 23, fair spokesman DanWill McCann said.

Jason and Nicole Girdler of Lake Elsinore dressed in full Renaissance regalia when they brought their six boys to the fair. It was their second visit to the event after attending for the first time last year.

Jason Girdler said he enjoys the festive, friendly atmosphere the fair provides.

"I really like just hanging out," he said.

via www.whittierdailynews.com

Renaissance Pleasure Faire returns to Irwindale - Whittier Daily News

The Gaffer Applewright, whose cut over 19,000 apples and three fingers in 20 years, cuts an apple for visitors during opening day of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire Saturday, April 10, 2010 at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. The fair runs seven weekends through May 23. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz)

via www.whittierdailynews.com