As I've done several times in the past, I attended Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 yesterday, and as usual, it was a spectacular day in an most unique place where traveling back in time (this time to 1537) was not only worth it, but also easily one of the best and most entertaining and fun-filled events that someone in our neck of the woods can attend.
Let me be clear: On the scale of 1-10 on my recommendation for spending a fun-filled day, the Maryland Renaissance Festival gets 1000!
We picked up our tickets at Will Call, where the pretty elf on duty was efficient and to the point.
Me: "Hi... I was also told to show you my ID to get the military discount..."
Elf: "Can I see your ID card?"
I hand it to her and she examines it closely.
Elf: "Nope... military discount is only for active duty, not retired military" she says firmly as she hands the card back.
I grumble to myself as I walk away disappointed and bummed out and enter the festival, where within a few feet my son and I are transported back to 1537 and immediately greeted by these ladies below... which improved my mood immediately.
Quite possibly one of the best people-watching places on Earth, especially for artists and people watchers like me and most readers of this blog, is the huge medieval world created by the hard-working people who set up this festival year after year for the past few decades.
A couple of decades ago, I actually rented a tent at this fair and sold a lot of artwork - all of it was somewhat related to the theme at hand -- at the time I was doing a lot of drawings about standing stones in Scotland, the saga of The Wallace, and ancient Pictish and Celtic legends - so it fit right in.
This year there must have been a sale on pointed ears, as there were elves by the hundreds at the fair - I suspect that there was a Vulcan or two around, trying to pass for an elf in the crowd, as I saw at least two Klingons, obviously time traveling, and Boba Fett was also seen wandering in the crowd.
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| Elfin princess at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 |
There are multiple stages throughout the festival, and constant performances by highly talented musicians, entertainers, magicians, sword-swallowers, etc.
From the several that we saw, DC ART NEWS awards the Best Act at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 to juggler Paolo Garbanzo!
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| Paolo Garbanzo at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival |
Garbanzo is not only a superbly talented juggler, but he is also a master comedian, a superbly gifted ad hoc talker (during his act there was a ballerina war, a math war... yeah) but also a finely tuned performer with an almost supernatural link with his audience - he is able to "tune" the act to the audience as the speed of someone who has refined his talents over years of practice and observation.
All through the grounds are crafts people, artists, cooks, sellers, and entertainers which pepper the festival with hundreds of things to see, buy, touch, learn and do.
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| One of many vendors at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival |
There is also a huge diversity of spirits, beers, meads and ales to enjoy! And lots of visitors, both human or elfish were enjoying the offerings, as well as a cat or two!
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| A gorgeous feline at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 |
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| One of the many taverns and pubs at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 |
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| Two costumed visitors to the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 |
For lunch, the younger Campello wanted a steak on a stake (get it?) and for $7 he got a really nice, full size, grilled steak on a stick, which he wolfed down as we headed to the jousting arena.
We got there a little early, which was good, as the place really packs up as the time for the joust to begin approaches. We sat next to an elf witch with a small brood of little elves by the side.
The joust began with the lords and ladies introducing the mistress of ceremonies as Princess Luna of the Kingdom of Andalucía - she was a gorgeous and highly skilled MC!
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| Lords and ladies at the joust arena |
The almost seven million readers of this blog already know that I am a pedantic Virgo, and in 1537 there was no such thing as a Kingdom of Andalucía.
In the past, the ancient kingdoms of Jaén, Córdoba and Seville were collectively referred to under the name Andalucía, which comes from the way that the Arabic speaking Moors which invaded Iberia in the 700s and were kicked out of Spain by 1492, referred to that southern region of the Iberian peninsula, which had been settled and ruled by the Germanic tribe known as the Vandals.
Thus the Arabic name for (essentially) southern Spain was al-Andalus, which means "Land of the Vandals." As such, al-Andalus evolved to Andalucía.
Sorry Princess Luna.
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| Joust at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival |
The joust was spectacular! All four riders were superb horsemen and performed a variety of "ooooh" "aaaaaah" eliciting riding skills, especially the knight from Ireland and the prince from Portugal - who was easily the most skilled and versatile jouster!
Prince Miguel from Portugal was amazing!
However, in my pedantic hell I also had issues with the Irish and Portuguese name selections. If I were in charge, I would have had the Irishman be a Scottish knight - after all King Robert The Bruce of Scotland sent hundreds of Scottish cavalry to Spain to help the Christians defeat the Moors during the Reconquista.
Prince Miguel from Portugal should really be recast as perhaps a member of the Marinid Dynasty, a Berber Muslim dynasty that ruled present-day Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century and were a powerful presence in other parts of North Africa.
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| Joust at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival |
In summary, one of the funnest, most enjoyable, entertaining ways to spend a day on this planet! The festival only runs a few weekends a year (yesterday was the last day for 2024), and the tickets sell out fast! You can visit them online and you have to reserve your tickets early for 2025, as they will sell out fast!
My kudos to every one associated with the hard work and labor of love that it is to present, work, and stage the festival. I am in awe of your love and commitment!
