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July 2009
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Grand Canyon Renaissance Faire & Mountain Music Festival (AZ) Games of skill and chance, storytelling, a medieval marketplace, performances by minstrels and The Arizona Shakespeare Festival Troupe are some of the attractions at this high-country renaissance fair at the foot of Mount Elden. July 4 and 5 More info: www.gcrenfaire.com Carolina Renaissance Festival (NC) This combination of outdoor theater, circus, arts and crafts fair, jousting tournament and feast, is holding auditions for street characters, musicians, dancers and variety acts on July 22 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and July 25 from noon to 3 p.m. in the community building at the Mighty Fortress Lutheran Church, 8300 McClure Circle. Bristol Renaissance Faire (WI) July 11 through Sept. 7. Elizabethan faire with jousting matches, costumes musicians, carnival rides, shopping and more. Information: www.renfair.com/bristol Des Moines
Renaissance Faire (IA) Activities and features of this year's event include 10 stages of entertainment and full-contact jousting, plus a food court, beer garden and a wine villa. More information: www.dmrenfaire.com Bristol Renaissance Faire (WI) - 2 …Just over the Illinois/Wisconsin border lies this wonderland for fans of the romantic era when knights slayed dragons and chivalry was alive and well. Open on weekends only starting July 11, the final day of the season is Labor Day, the only day it's open on a weekday. The huge task of putting on such a production is a year-round operation that requires over 1,000 actors and musicians, according to Linda McFeters, general manager and producer of the Bristol Renaissance Faire, which is one of about 15 permanent villages around the country that comes to life each season. Bristol's location is the third largest in the country. McFeters said every season you'll find a new variety of acts and musical groups, so summer travelers shouldn't hesitate to repeat the trip. "Some acts are consistent, some are different," she said, adding the Swordsman is a returning favorite… For fans of fantasy, role-playing, Dungeons and Dragons type scenarios, the fair offers RenQuest, which debuted last year. Aimed at ages 11 and older, the game is a full day of participation taking you throughout the fair grounds. "It's a trilogy about a dragon who landed in the trees in Bristol. Many gamers come to play and interact," said McFeters. "It takes them all over the fair site and they can win big prizes and at the end they fight the dragon. This year the dragon has left behind an egg and so the game and the quest revolve around the egg and the four elements -- earth, wind, fire and water." McFeters said the game became "incredibly popular" during the first season. "We already have a big fan base for RenQuest. It has its own Web page and Facebook." With 20 separate performance areas and 36 hours of scheduled entertainment in an eight-hour period, there's fun at every turn, from a whip artist to swordfights. Shoppers will find close to 200 artisans with their creations on display. Hand crafted jewelry, leather, pottery and tapestry are among the wares… FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.renfair.com/bristol Complete article and pictures: G.H.O.S.T. Chronicles: Phantom of the Renaissance Faire …Things just haven't been the same around the Spears Renaissance Faire since the owners died. Robert remarried shortly after his wife, Margaret, passed away, and now that he's dead, too, his son Robbie is squabbling with Leah, the new Mrs. Spears. That would be a difficult enough situation for the park to handle, but now it's being overrun by ghosts, too. They're not particularly malicious - most of them just wish the park could be restored to greatness - but they are more than enough to scare off the tourists. Time to figure out what's really going on and save the park! Your investigation will take you through the park's many shops and attractions, like the jousting field, skill games, the bakery, jeweler, and Gnome Home… The Spears Renaissance Faire is based on an actual theme park, and the attention to detail really shows. You really feel as though you're touring through a genuine location, searching actual buildings.. Phantom of the Renaissance Faire is a beautifully done, smart game that masterfully accommodates a variety of skill levels and is still fun even on your second playthrough…. Complete review: The 8th Annual Knights of the Northern Realm Renaissance Faire and Tournament (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) …Sir Thomas of Strathcona tells us one of their goals is historical accuracy, "Not living fantasy in Hollywood, but actually full suits of armour. Including the one thing which is an exception, which is modern sports cans. You don't want to get hit in the coddles with a sword…" More info: http://www.knightsofthenorth.ca/Welcome.html
Complete article and lots of pictures: Sterling Renaissance Festival (NY) …We’ve taken our two boys there for four years running, and we’ve never heard complaints. Not when there’s so much to do: getting caught in dead ends at “Ye Maze,” gawking at the sword swallower, sliding down the Goose Neck Slip, cheering for mounted knights at the joust, crawling like a spider up the Ladder of Truth, begging to have a coin stamped by the water-powered minting machine. Judging by my elder son, who just turned 13, teenagers may grumpily age out of the festival’s offerings. But a word of caution about their younger siblings: The Elizabethan era was a bawdy one, and sexual innuendo enlivens a number of performances. Double entendres go over the heads of young kids, and teens will take them in stride. But be prepared for embarrassing questions from your tweens. Here are a few more tips about navigating the festival: …Tip: Snacks come in handy when you’re trying to entertain restless children while trapped in a half-hour line for tickets. If you buy tickets online before you leave home, you can head straight for the admissions line. Budget wisely. The price of admission includes all the musical and stage performances, and with more than a dozen venues scattered around the grounds, that’s a pretty good value. But you may want to rent a costume of your own, or have your hair braided, or buy a leather bag, wooden sword, chain-mail bracelet or some of the other crafts on display…. Tip: A buck here and three bucks there add up pretty quickly when the kids are clamoring to play. One way to avoid hassles is to pick a dollar figure per child — then double it — and let each youngster spend that amount as desired. When it’s gone, it’s gone. Unless you’re just an old softie. Wear comfortable shoes. It says so, right on the festival Web site, and it’s no joke. The festival manages to cram a surprising amount of activity into fairly compact areas, but since the grounds cover 35 acres, there’s inevitably a lot of walking… Tip: Happily, most of the grounds are nicely shaded — a real boon on a hot day… Planning also helps to minimize trips back and forth across the grounds. For instance, you can time a trip down the slide so that you’re delivered to the joust grounds just before show time; and the joust takes place only twice a day. Tip: One other advantage of mapping out a schedule is that you can claim preferred seats by getting to a show early…. in summer’s heat it’s easier to enjoy the performance of Don Juan in Heck if you’re sitting in the shade. For information: www.sterlingfestival.com Complete article: Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire (MI) …With a different medieval theme featured each weekend, patrons have options when it comes to choosing their form of simplicity. For those who want a more straightforward medieval experience, the first two weekends -- "Believe the Magic" and "Live the Legend" -- are for you. They also are weekends where kids are admitted free. If the Celts are more your thing, the third weekend, "Celtic Gathering," a celebration of all things Celtic, may be more to your liking, while the fourth weekend, "Wizards & Warriors," is geared more toward the fantasy sect… Patrons at the Faire can participate by dressing up in medieval garb or can choose to wear their street clothes as a so-called "mundane." Of the 25,000 or so attendees that come to the Faire each year, Deneau said, about 20 percent choose to wear their medieval outfits. …Don't have the standard medieval garb but still have the desire to blend into the atmosphere? Break out the puffy shirt and an eye patch for the final weekend of the Faire, themed "Pirates Plunder." Complete article: White Hart Renaissance Faire (MO) …Music, crafts, jousting and dancing are all part of the White Hart Renaissance Faire. The annual event simulates village festivals during the Renaissance. The makeshift community even gets a visit from Queen Elizabeth I. Organizers say the most important people are the visitors who walk away with a real-life history lesson…. Complete article and video: Golden Gate Renaissance Faire Canceled, Show Moving to Ardenwood Historic Farms in Fremont Ardenwood Shakespeare Festival & Renaissance Faire Turns Ardenwood Farms Into A Giant Stage The Golden Gate Renaissance Faire, planned to be held August 1 & 2, 2009, in San Francisco has been canceled. Ongoing challenges with the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department introducing new restrictions, multiple date changes, and slow to confirm site usage along with continued changing requirements has forced Renaissance Productions to scrap its plans for this year’s event. After six successful years of producing an ever growing event for the community (hosting over 6,000 attendees in 2008), and having zero reported post-event site impact on the grounds, the Park and Recreation Department decided to change the operating arrangements. Due to these factors and a lack of confidence that additional restrictions would not be put into place at the last moment, there is no practical way for Renaissance Productions to bring a quality show to its audience or adequately market the event in due time. Thay do hope to work out the issues and have an arrangement with the City of San Francisco to hold the Golden Gate Renaissance Faire in 2010. Over the past two years, the, East Bay Regional Park District has worked with Renaissance Productions to bring a new event, The Ardenwood Shakespeare Festival & Renaissance Faire, to Ardenwood Historic Farm. Nestled of hwy 84 in City of Fremont, this historic site provides a view into what life was like at the turn of the century. A visit to Ardenwood is a journey back to the time of the Patterson Ranch -- a prosperous, 19th century country estate with a beautiful mansion and elaborate Victorian Gardens. Renaissance Productions will take the park back a few more centuries and into another continent, transporting visitors to a country fair in late-1500s England where a rising young star of London's theatre scene, Will Shakespeare, faces a scourge like no other: a paralyzing bout of writer's block. What Will needs is a muse--and this extraordinary town whilst on progress with Her Most Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, he will find himself surrounded by numerous quirky characters who draw him into an amazing, dramatic adventure of action and love. Their stories will make their way into his plays and into our hearts. This year's theme for the Ardenwood Shakespeare Festival & Renaissance Faire will be Shakespeare's Muse. September 12 & 13, Ardenwood Historic Farms will be transformed to a delightful Elizabethan town filled with myriad characters and vignettes resembling those of Shakespeare's plays we so dearly love. In addition, over 600 costumed entertainers and over 100 shopkeepers and artisans will add to the ambience of the Faire. This year Renaissance Productions have a special treat for the patrons of Tahoe: Knights of Avalon are returning to add their splendor and showmanship. Knights of Avalon offer the most authentic, exciting and entertaining Joust show. Combining the elements of spontaneity, action, and humor, the Knights of Avalon present a show that will keep audiences enthralled and coming back for more. The faire will feature three stages of continuous entertainment, Queen Elizabeth’s court, Shakespearian plays and vignettes, expertly staged battle scenes and theatrical performances, lively crafts marketplace, storytelling for children and adults, belly dancers, archery tournaments and much more. There will be merchants selling a wide array of arts and craft including one of a kind jewelry items, woodcrafts, artwork, ceramics, clothing, hats, accessories and historic weapons. The Ardenwood Shakespeare Festival & Renaissance Faire will be held September 12-13, 2009. For more information please visit http://www.ardenwoodfaire.com
Debbie (MI) …Ten to twelve years ago, Debbie was introduced to the Society for Creative Anachronism, a nonprofit educational group that researches and recreates the Middle Ages. She began designing more and more images, based on fantasy and medieval art forms. Among her favorite designs are “L’existence des Licornes” (the existence of unicorns), from a 14th century treatise, “Histoire Naturelle.” From the same source, she designed “Elephant and Unicorn.” The whimsical design pictured, “D is for Dragon,” is based on authentic illuminated manuscripts of England’s Middle Ages. Debbie’s fantasy and medieval designs are available at Debbie’s Fantastic World and include an incredible selection of short and long sleeve tee shirts, kids’ clothing, hats and bags, intimate apparel, fun stuff, home and office, mugs, cards, prints and calendars. Please click the link below to view Debbie’s complete selection and to order her designs online. Debbie’s Fantastic World: www.cafepress.com/joiya Complete article: Anna Connors …Face painting was an afterthought for the 20-year-old with a degree in anthropology and a healthy obsession with the Bristol Renaissance Faire. She's been going there since she was a child… Last year a friend asked her to help at a performance by painting children's faces. Connors, who already had costumes for a character she calls Pixie the Prankster, obliged. Last winter, she played Sprout the Storyteller at an Arizona Renaissance festival. Face-painting skills were further honed at street festivals during her roundabout trip home. Back here, the Milwaukee native said she's trying to make a career out of her pixie character… The first request she ever received was to paint a poodle, and she's had some challenges at Summerfest as well. One girl asked her to replicate a photo of Miley Cyrus. A boy asked her to paint Godzilla on one arm with lasers pointing to the other arm, where she was directed to paint Mothra. However, the weirdest request by far has come from a grown man. For him, she painted SpongeBob SquarePants - with bulging muscles… Complete article and picture:
On Newsstands Now
—Issue 67 Chivalry Lives!
Extreme Makeover: Medieval Edition Days of Wine and
Olive Oil: The Templars and Their Viticulture Islamic Spain:
Protector of Classical Greek Learning The Sterling
Renaissance Festival Beyond
"Huzzah!"—Speaking Middle English Sordidous Scumme:
Quackery in the Time of the Tudors http://www.renaissancemagazine.com/backissues/issue67.html Upcoming Issue: 68 - Shipping to Subscribers TODAY! Tennis: The Game of
Kings The Pistol: Deadly
Weapon, Fashion Accessory The Renaissance Bath: Soap Not Required Tulipomania! Syphilis and Mercury
Poisoning Volterra AD 1398: A
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Historic Costumes and How to Make Them$12.55 |
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Hats: A History of Fashion in Headwear$23.55 |
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Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality |
