Welcome back, readers! This week, we’re taking a trip back in time for one of the most infamous local attractions: the Renaissance Faire.
The fairgrounds are located at 2775 Lebanon Road, Manheim Pa., about a 20-minute drive from campus. It’s open weekends from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. beginning mid-August through the end of October. Tickets are roughly $35 for a day, with a discount for admission after 4 p.m., though there are many vendors and games like archery and axe throwing inside the Faire for which you may want to bring some extra cash.
The Renaissance Faire boasts a lively atmosphere, with many guests (my friends and I included) choosing to dress in Renaissance or high fantasy-style clothing, and each of the buildings are designed to mimic old English architecture. Employees are also dressed accordingly and play into the theming of the attraction.
There are a wide range of shows performed each day and the complete schedule can be found on the company’s website. There are also various themes and events across different weeks. Currently, there is trick-or-treating at some of the vendors for younger children since Halloween is just around the corner.
With so much going on, it’s possible to visit the Renaissance Faire multiple times in one season and still be unable to see everything. This, combined with the approaching end of the season and its general popularity, means there’s a lot of people. Unfortunately, paths were somewhat difficult to navigate because of the large crowds and there wasn’t enough seating at most of the events, leaving my friends and I to sit on the grass to the side for a few of them, even after trying to arrive a bit early. Lines for food were exceptionally long but moved fairly quickly.
Despite the high volume of people, the shows we were able to see were exciting and entertaining. We saw the English Wrestling show, which like some other performances, was really more of a scripted act in which the four wrestlers stage fight with a group of “evil” challengers. We also decided to watch The Mud Skippers, a troupe of three performers that tells the story of King Richard III in a silly and family-friendly show, and the Adamo Ignis Fire & Danger show, which included a fire dancer performing cool tricks and cracking jokes while a live cellist played. Edged Feather Birds of Prey was a falconry show featuring an African augur buzzard and a Eurasian eagle owl.
Although we liked everything we went to see, my friends and I had the most fun watching the jousting. There were three separate events, the first of which was a simple test of skill, during which each of the four knights caught rings on their lances. During the second, which took place later in the day, challenges were issued between the knights and they were each given an opportunity to joust in a tournament style, as well as fight on the ground with swords. The hand-to-hand combat was staged and resulted in a challenge for a “fight to the death,” which would take place at the end of the day alongside the final round of the jousting tournament.
The jousting crowd had the most energy of any of the events, with the audience being told which knights to root for based on where they were sitting. My friends and I were on the side of the “good” knights, fighting for honor and chivalry, while the other side were “evil” and “dishonorable.” Each time the knights scored a point or paraded around the battlegrounds, the crowd erupted into cheers or booed avidly.
Additionally, the Faire features a storyline with recurring characters throughout the performances of the day. The final joust transitioned into the final segment of the storyline, complete with a spectacle of fireworks.
Overall, I had a great time watching the unique performances, though I may have to come back next year at the start of the season, when the weather will hopefully be a little nicer and the crowds a little smaller.
