ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Maryland Renaissance Festival is off to an exciting start. Filled with performers, medieval food, and horseback jousting, there’s something for everyone at this fair. Baynet staff attended this year’s festival to experience the historical event first-hand.
The first thing attendees will notice when entering through the festival gates is the costume shop. Those who aren’t dressed for the occasion can rent costumes and accessories to fit into the Renaissance Festival. Many attendees came dressed for the event in armor, historic dresses, and other Renaissance-themed apparel.
Once you start exploring, you’ll notice a plethora of interesting activities to try. You can shoot a crossbow, “Dunk the Wench,” and children can even partake in pony rides. However, there are a few particular activities that will truly grab your attention.
One interesting event involves revealing gems and stones. During this activity, you pay a small fee to receive a collection of stones encased in sand and dirt. You then take them to the nearby water container to reveal the colorful patterns hidden underneath their exterior.
If you want to take home a souvenir from the festival, then this is a great option. One participant of this event commented that the activity is “Fun for kids and adults, and surprisingly affordable.”
The jousting show is another important stop on a tour of Maryland’s Renaissance Festival. This show is one of the biggest attractions at the fair, drawing crowds of hundreds and packing the arena. During the event, knights compete against each other on horseback.
There’s also a touch of comedy to the show, and competitors will occasionally band together to fight each other in teams. Spectators should make an effort to get to each show early, though, as the seats fill up very quickly.
Perhaps the most fantastical activity at this year’s Maryland Renaissance Festival is the Museum of Unnatural History. Inside, you walk through a dark room and view cases filled with mythical beings from a time long past. The museum contains body parts and descriptions of fairytale creatures, such as a gremlin and cyclops. This short tour is sure to spook children and adults alike.
The unique shops and stands are also out on full display in 2024. Small businesses visit the Maryland Renaissance Festival every year to showcase their odds and ends. Swords, armor, jewelry, crafts, and other trinkets are sold all throughout the fairgrounds.
Among the crowd of merchants is a shop called Little Empire. The company is owned by a vendor named Louie. Little Empire primarily sells small buildings and dice towers. Louie has been attending the Maryland Renaissance Festival for years, and he was excited to share his opinion about the event. He said, “The Maryland Renaissance Festival is one of the last places in the country where you can get hand-made goods made by the artists who created them, and the food is great, too.”
Moving onto the food, Maryland’s Renaissance Festival has a surprisingly diverse array of culinary talent, not just cuisine you’d find in the Renaissance era. You can buy everything from turkey legs to ice cream, so there’s something for each individual taste. Attendees aged 21 and older can also purchase Mead and other alcoholic beverages from stands around the fair.
Overall, the Maryland Renaissance Festival is an adventure that takes you back in time. It’s a fun experience for vendors, performers, and attendees alike. There aren’t many opportunities to explore the complexities of the Renaissance era in Maryland, so it’s worth attending if you’re a history buff or simply enjoy festivals.
If you’d like to find out more information about the Maryland Renaissance Festival, you can find directions, dates, and ticket prices here.
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