Do you enjoy dressing up in Renaissance themed outfits? Do you enjoy talking in a Renaissance way? Do you enjoy fantasy? If so, you should visit the Maryland Renaissance Festival.
A 27-acre, outdoor village decorated to match the Renaissance time period. Guests dress up, watch performances, eat unique food and cheer on the knights during jousting.
The festival is located in Annapolis, Maryland during the weekends of August 26 – October 22. For nearly 60 years, guests have been invited to the Renaissance Festival each fall.
In their first year, the festival was small and was not very popular. Every year since then, more people have come to enjoy the magic and fantasy.
Fred Nelson, who plays King Henry VII at the festival, described a visit to the festival as a place for people “to escape the pressures of their modern life. They come here to engage in the fantasy. We’re more than willing to let them play,”
There are 10 outdoor stages where more than 200 different performers engage with the audience. If anybody ever gets lost or wants to make sure they do not miss their favorite entertainer then make sure to check the schedule and the map a worker gives out when you enter.
Musicians, jugglers, sword fighters, people who do dangerous stunts, comedians and more all perform during the festival. All of the shows are included in the price of admission and run on a schedule.
One of the engaging performances was the Vixens En Garde. Performer Brizo Islena described her performance. “We are an all-female sword fighting Shakespeare comedy troop,” said Brizo.
Long time guest, Debbie Perriz shared that her favorite act is of “Hey Nunnie, Nunnie who are naughty nuns that are absolutely hilarious,” said Perriz.
Other types of entertainment at the Renaissance Festival include games, such as axe, star and knife throwing. There is even a museum of unnatural history. They have displays like a fairy, an elf, the ceratium and more. If a guest is feeling adventurous they can have their fortune read by a tarot card reader.
When visiting, guests tend to be hungry. Fortunately, there is a variety of foods to enjoy. Some of these options include corn dogs, funnel cakes, caramel apples, chicken sandwiches, pretzels and desserts galore. Some of the more unique entries include large turkey legs, sausage on a stick, mac and cheese on a stick and even cheesecake on a stick.
Diane Schwartzback visited the Renaissance Festival for the first time this year; she enjoyed a lot of the unique foods.
“My favorite food so far has to be the pretzels and nuts from the cart,” said Schwartzback.
Along the hay-covered streets there are more than 140 shops located throughout the festival. Many of these shops sell handcrafted items. The shops sell jewelry made out of real silver or bronze, pottery, hand sewed costumes, hand-crafted wooden weapons, blown glass, leather armor and more.
Guests that come dressed up can find an accessory for every costume. There is also a costume rental store at the front entrance for guests that may have forgotten their own costumes. Many guests dress up as fairies, pirates, dragons, knights, and other renaissance-themed outfits.
Some guests are always creative in their own way. For example, they may dress as characters from movies and TV shows. Two such guests dressed up like a large raven and a Maryland-themed Mandalorian.
Nelson said it best: “It does not matter what interests you have, you will find something of interest to you here. All ages, all genders, all walks of life, will find something to enjoy here,”
The Renaissance Festival is fun for all ages and is always magical. Tickets sell out fast, so guests should make sure to purchase them as soon as possible.
