A Day at the Faire

Once upon a time, in a far away land, a fanciful world was created. Driving up through the enchanted gate, we entered into a realm full of knights and fair maidens, wondrous magicians, scoundrels and wenches galore. Was this the Connecticut Renaissance Faire, or had we actually stepped back in time to a medieval world?

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire, located at the Lions Fairgrounds in Hebron, CT, a fifty-minute drive from Connecticut College, surpassed all expectations our friends and we had preconceived.

Now let me make it clear – I, Nora, am not the kind of person to frequent medieval establishments on a regular basis. I might read up on my horoscopes on the occasion, and I did even consider minoring in Medieval Studies at one point in my Connecticut College career. But to be honest, the idea of attending an actual faire had been slightly fearsome to me, unaware of what I might encounter.

But after being coerced by Sarah, and our fellow attending friends Laura Makl ’12 and Sarah Kosofsky ’12, there was no doubt about it. We /had/ to go.

This year served as its twelfth annual King Arthur’s Fall Harvest faire. The event’s tagline, “Escape to the Past,” where one could ‘leave thy cares behind,’ advertised itself as being New England’s largest Medieval Marketplace with jousting competitions to boot.

After stepping into the realm, we underwent a transformation that undoubtedly let us leave the present-day worries behind. Upon entering the Faire, we were greeted by the mayor and baron of the land, each asking for our vote in their election against one another. The pope and his bishop sat at their pulpit, while another mysterious man approached us with a live rat hidden beneath his cloak. After the initial surprise, we proceeded to our first show of the day, Zoltan the Adequate, a skilled fire-eater, magician and comedian all in one.

From there, we migrated to the jousting arena, caught up in the fervor of the crowd. Two gallant knights competed on horseback, sending blows at one another with their jousting sticks. After our knight of choice suffered a terrible defeat, we moved on to console our woes in New England’s largest Medieval Marketplace.

While considering whether corsets or swords would best complete our outfits, we strolled the marketplace haggling with the peasants for the best price. A dispute went too far and a member of our party was thrown into the stockade.

Upon release, it seemed best to settle down for a wholesome show. The Poprah Show, complete with a raunchy and R-rated panel that included the pope himself, was not what we expected. The scantily clad women asked the crowd to pull “free sinning” passes out of their blouses, while the bishop and pope told dirty jokes to the crowd. Then a nun was brought in to be the designated “swearer,” while a half-man, half-dog, and perhaps “Furry” was added to the panel.

The eventful day ended with a show by The Lost Boys, performing a mélange of Renaissance pop music to the overwhelming glee of adolescent girls wrought with admiration and excitement. We regret to mention we were not as esteemed by the kilt-sporting males, but enjoyed the performance nonetheless.

And so we finally made our way back to the gate to leave the land, the sun setting and zombies stalking our paths. The time had come to head home, and so we bid farewell to the Renaissance, but with every intention to return.

After the outing, Makl commented, “I had never been to a Renaissance Faire and I was surprised at how everyone, even older people, got super into character.”

So, perhaps all those stigmas about the creeps lurking about might not be too far off. We certainly witnessed far more sagging cleavage than any person should be exposed to over the course of their short lifetime. And it probably wouldn’t be too bold to think that a fair number of souls in attendance were members of online dating sites like Zoosk.com. But the sense of community and outward appreciation and respect for all kinds of people and denominations was evident. “Come as you are” could readily depict the sense among the throngs of crowds.

Kosofsky noted, “Renaissance Faires are awesome. You can wear whatever you want, and no one thinks it’s strange, because everyone is kind of strange. It’s the kind of event where if you go there wanting to have a fun time, and if you go with an open mind, ready for whatever they throw at you, you’ll leave the faire being one of the happiest people in the world.”

Having recently attended a Lady Gaga concert as well, I was surprised to note how similar the two events felt. As Gaga sang of “being born that way,” the medievalists gallivanting about the animal pasture fields were content with themselves, and able to reenact what was very obviously an integral part of their identity.

Renaissance Faires: Creepy? Awkward? Well, yeah. There’s no denying that. But there’s a whole lot more to them, too. And in all honesty, at $15 a ticket, it’s an excursion that should not be passed up. So, be sure to check out the Spring Faire, which will be held next year from April 23 through May 22 every weekend.•