Attending the Maryland Renaissance Festival with Kids, the Joy of Both

Every year in the fall I get gussied up (that's my fancy word for dressed up, make up and all) to attend the Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville, Maryland, just outside of my birthplace of Annapolis, Maryland.  I love it.  It's my thing I tell everyone.

At the Ren Fair with Mom in the background

I think it all started with me in high school English classes and then the art of language came into play. We moved into Shakespeare, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.  In my senior year of high school I took a course I believe was called, Mysteries & Suspense.  I loved it and the teacher was just as disarming.  It was only a few of us in her class but she loved it and that made me love it too. Then when the Lord of the Rings Trilogy came out, directed and written by the talented Peter Jackson, I was the first in line to get tickets.  The battles, the pageantry, the romance of it all.

Those movies, ideology, and the history of the Renaissance period enchant me.  There was certainly pomp and circumstance, luxury in survival, and love, lots of love I imagine.  It thrilled me to wait every Sunday to view HBO's series, The Tudors.  How brilliant a show and well done with costumes.

In 2009 I was blessed to attend in my 8th month of pregnancy the fair with friends and family.  The weather was full sun but a lovely breeze would make its way through the food court and I was in heaven.  Like most people, the Fall is my absolute favorite time of year.  There in October, so close to my due date, fried macaroni and cheese on a stick sounded pretty good!  There all I did was people watch and there is a lot of good people watching going on.  How about how those who chomp on those turkey legs!  Wow!

We made the rounds of the games (we had my stepchildren with me so that was required) and mastered the costume shops; with little space to get around in most of them (my belly didn't help either)!  I believe we even caught a couple of vignettes, one at the Globe Theatre and the other, the name escapes me.  It's location set deep in the woods of this brilliant festival.  Loads of seats and close to the privies just in case, the potty is required.  Laughter abounds here and happy faces.  Mine included.

It's been five years since I've attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival and I do gather it's expanded a great deal.  On our way in this year with kids in tow, a rather large elephant passed us going on his break for the day.  I think the kiddies loved that and it proved this fair was going to be AWESOME and it was.

Mom, Debbie, my niece, my brother, my daughter and Stepfather

In the photo above, we had just finished snacking on our steak on a stick entree and we all agreed it was delicious when I snapped this photo.  We were then deciding what next to do and what direction to take when I saw happy times evolving.  I love taking photos while people aren't watching.  It's brilliant most times and it works out.  I capture them. Here the little Tudor style village housing and tall trees bringing light to a beautiful family moment entrapped my consciousness.  Did I do all the wonderful things I wanted to do that day-no I didn't.  Do I regret it.  No.  We had our children with us and I wouldn't change a thing but I am going back.  I think everyone had a good time including my elegant friend Aunt Jane.

At $22 a person with no Groupon available, I AM GOING AGAIN.  I did not see the jousting and like any good renaissance lady I have to attend the jousting and cheer on the king at 6 pm.  You see the older ones in our group or the less enthusiastic didn't want to hit the millions of cars leaving at 7 pm when the venue closes. I can't blame them and so with that, the show closes and I, full from pints of beer and fried food trample on through the dust and bid adieu to my fine costumed friends and promise I will see them next year.

I have to convince my husband to attend in October and this will be a feat in and of itself.  Merriment always my friends.........