A summer of
festivities begins in Early July for nine weekends through
Labor Day. The Feast of Fooles festival features exciting
events for all to enjoy, including the Queen Elizabeth's
midday parade. Scores of masked Renaissance characters will
mingle with faire-goers for a rousing romp of revelry and
song, befitting Her Majesty herself! Big, bold and brazenly
boisterous, guest visiting this summer's celebration will
encounter strolling jesters, jugglers, stilt-walkers and
masquerading merrymakers. “We’re going to party like it is
1599,” said Linda McFeters, general manager of the Bristol
Renaissance Faire.
For
20 years, the Bristol Renaissance Faire has captivated
guests with an amazing spectrum of experiences, from
unabashed revelry to first rate people-watching. For those
who want to check their inhibitions at the gate, there’s
ample opportunity to whoop and holler at jousting knights,
get down and dirty with raucous, earth-clad mud beggars, or
hurl a ripe tomato at a blustering braggart. Those inclined
toward more serene pursuits will find a comparable bounty of
enjoyments, from watching glass-blowers create one-of-a-kind
works of art, to joining in a round of 16th
Century court dancing, or listening to the dulcet tones of
world-class musicians.
Least we not
forget the we ones at the Bristol Renaissance Faire, which
has a special enclosed play area called Kids Kingdom. This
delightful playground is filled with oversized sand boxes, a
huge climb-aboard pirate ship, and a cast of fable-favorite
characters presiding over a full day of interactive games,
crafts and other child-friendly diversions. The children
receive a special guest each afternoon during the daily
Knighting Ceremony, when her Majesty Queen Elizabeth herself
visits the Kingdom to make knights and ladies of all waiting
children. The Queen knights somewhere in the neighborhood of
1,280 children every season.
The
Bristol Renaissance Faire will also feature performances by
Lipizzans, which were sought after by royalty and have been
around for 400 years and are Europe's oldest domesticated
breed of horse. These amazing performers and their horses
will surprise everyone as parade animatedly on straight
lines, change direction, and tempo in the three natural
gaits: walk, trot, and canter. In their performance called
the Pas De Deux, two horses and their riders perform the
movements of the classical school either side by side or as
mirror image partners. These beautiful horses will certainly
be a sight to see.
Whether you sip
ale or something a bit more mild, the Bristol Renaissance
Faire has plenty of Food, drink, and entertainment to enjoy.
Queen Elizabeth and other historically based characters are
juxtaposed with fictional scenarios, such as the popular
street-fighting escapades of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
The Faire features sixteen entertainment stages with nonstop
music and merriment. Faire favorites Dirk and Guido, “The
Swordsmen,” perform daring sword fights and compete to win
the affections of unsuspecting ladies in the audience.
MooNiE the Magnif’Cent masters mind over matter in hilarious
displays of ropewalking and fire juggling, and the Barely
Balanced acrobatic comedy troupe dives through fire, hurls
razor sharp knives and balances each other in mind-boggling
formations (five weekends only).
Among the summer’s special
musical guests are Celtic groups, as well as other bands who
will come “dressed to kilt.” Then there’s the food! Fresh roasted turkey
legs, fish and chips, garlic sautéed mushrooms, corn on the
cob, steak sandwiches, savory grilled chicken, ice cream,
fruit crepes and other delicacies tempt faire-goers to bring
their royal appetites and leave their willpower at home.
Close
to 200 artisans display their wares in the Faire
Marketplace. Discover rare finds around every corner
as potters, glass blowers, broom caners, and forgers busily
go about their work. Offerings range from sterling
silver jewelry and hand-crafted leather works to hickory
sparring weapons, tapestries, bent willow furniture and
wooden marionettes. Bristol is one of the most highly
regarded among dozens of high-profile Renaissance festivals
across the country.
