We are THOSE people

Who goes to a Rensaissance fair? 

Let's be honest, you and I have both asked that question. 

But I'm about to tell you who goes to a "RenFair."  

Us. 

We do that. We are those people now.

And you know what? It was awesome.

See it all started with this book. It's a kid-level introduction to knights and castles. I have such high regard for Usborne historical books. Fantastic visuals and lots of information about what it would be like to live in a castle, where food would be stored, how one might travel, etc. 

The book allows you to step into the life of Lady Alice and Baron Godfrey.

The kids adored it. So did we. 

From that we moved on to building things this summer (catapults, castles, moats, etc.) out of random materials like cardboard boxes and paper towel rolls. Combine this with the kids fascination with swords and shields (Anna's first purchase with money she earned) and you've got kids who are very excited about anything castle-y.

Do I even have to explain why it's cool to wear one of these?

So when Mike was driving to work one day, he noticed a billboard advertising the Bristol, WI, Renaissance Faire and knew the kids would get a kick out of it. It just seemed to go with the flow of what our kids are into right now. This particular fair runs throughout the summer and we happened to go on the very last weekend. For whatever reason, they had slashed their admission costs and the weather was remarkably cooler than it had been in a few days. We got there right when it opened and stayed for around three hours.

It was a blast! The kids were nothing but smiles and I cannot believe the lengths these actors and volunteers go to to make the experience cool. The costumes, the make up, the fake british accents. These people are ALL IN. And the attendees are a mixed bag of folks who have dressed up in whatever they deem appropriate (not a lot of standards here... it ranges from people who are dressed up in british costume with full skirts and high necklines and then others who have horns coming out of their heads), but then a lot of people like us who just showed up.

The entire village is filled with games and activities. Mike really wanted to do the archery skills stuff. There were kid bows and arrows so Mike helped the kids try it out. I think we all agree that it is much more difficult than it looks. Mike actually has a bow for deer hunting so he fared much better than we did. But it was still neat.

They had a huge pirate ship for kids to climb through (yeah, the historical accuracy of this event is entirely suspect). And you can guess how happy the kids were to dress up and run around. The ship had a mermaid aboard and the kids even got to swab the deck. Seriously, with water and a mop. If I only got such eager service around here.

I know that these things have a reputation for being a little crazy and, yes, there is something about dressing up and pretending to be something from centuries ago that sounds a little goofy to me also. But I think now that I'm a mom and have a greater understanding of the importance of imaginative play to children, I am a bit less judgmental about this stuff. In fact, I found myself sort of wondering what it would be like to still feel that passionate about costume play. How would it feel to just look forward to summer and being able to completely transform into a fairy or a knight or a bard for a few weekends.

I haven't imagined in that sort of way since I was kid. It never even occurs to me to do this as an adult.  But when I saw a few teenagers(?) dressed like fairies hanging out in the trees and taking pictures with kids, I was actually pretty grateful that someone still does this. It's good fun for kids... and some adults.

There were several other games and climbing structures for the kids and various theatre troupe performances. The joust was the last big thing we watched. And, yes, it is a real joust with real horses and real people dressed like knights. It's a combination of real horsemanship stuff and then a little bit of a comedy show. The kids thought it was great fun and we did, too.

As I mentioned, we got there right at the opening. They do serve alcohol and I can imagine that folks who show up in the evening might be in for a wilder experience. But we were there at the right time and everyone was very welcoming and sweet.

Sir Abraham and Lady Anna thoroughly enjoyed the trip and Mike and I both agreed that we would consider going again next year. The kids painted their shields on Monday morning and are engrossed with playing "knights" outside in the backyard. I like that perhaps it helped cement a bit of history (from the books, that is) into their little brains. It's a welcome break from superheroes.

Overall, we felt it was a fun way to kill a day. And really in what other situation would Mike get to wear his pirate costume and animal horns and practice his British accent in public?