Only at the Renaissance Faire…by Sarah Raplee

One of my favorite summer day trips is to the fantasy land that is the Oregon Renaissance Faire. This year’s Faire was in early June, with perfect weather at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds. 

Under stately Douglas fir trees stalwart knights, handsome gentlemen and well-dressed ladies mingled with wise women, monks and even Faerie Folk. Men, women and children dressed as barefoot, fun-loving peasants, royalty, warrior women, and jokers – the costumes were truly a feast for the eyes! 

Only at the Ren Faire do you see infants in Renaissance clothing, and even dogs in heraldic gear. At the Ren Faire, you experience a surprise at every turn. It's kind of like a big city Saturday Market caught in a time warp.

Food vendors sell gyros, meat pies or veggie pies, BBQ pork chops on a stick, chicken skewers, pepper poppers, root beer and birch beer, ale, meade and wine (in the pub, off limits to children), candies, cookies and milk, funnel cakes...You never know what you'll find! Only at the Ren Faire is a turkey leg considered finger food.

Merchants sell their wares, everything from clothing and jewelery to woodworking and swords. Only at the Ren Faire do you overhear an excited young male voice exclaim, “On the table in that booth was a multitude of sharp, pointy objects!”

Only at the Ren Faire can someone pay to have you placed in the stocks.

There are entertainers of all sorts: jugglers, acrobats, musicians, actors performing funny skits on stage, jokers and mimes, a parade, jousting and sword fights...Who knows what's next?

Only at the Ren Faire do the Pub bouncers look like this:

 Only at the Ren Faire can you ask a musician carrying what you think is a lute about his instrument and discover it is in fact an octave mandolin—whereupon the young gentleman standing behind you begins a knowledgeable discussion with the musician about the differences between various stringed instruments from bygone days!

Only at the Ren Faire can you converse with a Fairy Queen who speaks only the Fairy language.

Only at the Ren Faire do children ride unicorns, knights joust on horseback, and all comers have a wonderful, fantastical time!

I hope I've inspired some of you to enjoy a Renaissance Faire in your part of the world! ~Sarah

P.S.: Did I mention the man with a live cat in a harness attached to his large, wide-brimmed hat? Unfortunately the cat didn't look too happy, so I decided taking a flash photo (the merchant stall was dimly lit) was not a good idea.

Sarah Raplee is the author of BLINDSIGHT, Book 1 of the Psychic Agents Series available from all major online bookstores.

Visit her Amazon Author Page for more information.