Ren Fair | Photo by Kit Rheyne | The Wright State Guardian
On the weekend of Oct. 15 and 16, the annual Ohio Renaissance Festival held a “romance weekend.” With 50 shows, over 150 daily performances and over 150 shops, the festival has something for everyone to enjoy.
Exciting events
The Renaissance Festival has tons of events for those in attendance to watch and occasionally participate in, including comedy shows, jousting, trick shows and knight fights.
The trick shows can involve juggling, fire, the German wheel, balancing acts and more. One that the Kamikaze Fireflies performed was absolutely incredible, with the performers doing tricks with fire. The craziest trick was when one person climbed to the top of an incredibly high post with four ropes attached. The ropes were lit on fire, and he juggled sticks that were also on fire.
The knight fights are a newer attraction with one-on-one fights with people dressed in full knight armor. They each tend to have a weapon, such as an ax, to fight with. After the one-on-one matches, they bring every knight back into the ring one person at a time. They then have a free-for-all match between all of the knights with some sporting chairs, empty beer mugs and more.
Live music
The Renaissance Festival also has live music. While grabbing a bite to eat, a man with a guitar was singing a ballad. There is other live music present at the festival, including Bettina Bawdeville, Damh & Dove and Celtic Mayhem.
Vibrant shops
A main attraction for the Renaissance Festival is all of the shops involved, including many small family-owned shops, some of which only participate in the Renaissance Festival and do not sell anywhere else. There are crystal, jewelry, fragrance, pottery and clothing shops with various other attractions with handmade items.
In addition to the more common shops, the Renaissance Festival also has a booth from the Historical Research Society. There, you can look up your last name and find out the history behind your name. You can see your coat of arms and learn who was the first person recorded to have your last name. You can then purchase either your history, your coat of arms or both on a sheet of cardstock to take home.
Yummy food
The Renaissance Festival has a lot of great food. From turkey legs to limeade to crepes, there is something for everyone. The food is excellently prepared and is incredible.
The Renaissance Festival will come to an end here soon, but do not fret, it will be back next year. To go to the fair, visitors can go to the Renaissance Park located at 10542 East State Route 73 in Waynesville. For more information, including a schedule of events, visit the festival’s website.
