Afternoon at the Faire

Saturday September 26, 2015                             Previous Post:
Crownsville, Maryland                                       Carrie and the Baebes at the 38th Maryland Renaissance Festival

 

 

My previous post tells all about Renaissance Festivals and our morning at this one in particular so if you haven’t read it (link above) you’ll be joining me in the middle of the story.   Head back there and then return for the whole of this fantastic day.

For those who were with us last time……..we left off after lunch as we were wandering around taking in all the sights and  costumes many of which appeared to be Renaissance style and many of which did not.  We visited street side musicians and I even had my picture taken with the King.  We are on our way back to the Blackfriars stage.

Lots of other folks were headed back to Blackfriars as well to see the second show from the Mediaeval Baebes.  Seeing their three 45 minute sets here is a lot less expensive than buying tickets to their concerts plus there are all the other wonderful things to see and do here.

 

 

 

 

When we get to the theater pretty much every seat is taken by those who didn’t dawdle having lunch as long as we did.  A young man is hawking fresh roses $1 a stem and doing pretty well among the crowd.

 

 

It’s an interesting audience as always

 

 

 

 

It’s also another great performance by this wonderful Mediaeval musical group.

 

Quite a look on founder Katherine Blake’s face.

 

 

The step dancing done on this wooden board by Josephine Ravenhart was fantastic.   At one point she was the only percussion.

 

As in the previous shows, many of the women are playing mediaeval instruments.

 

Since I missed their Christmas Concert last December in Tampa, after this show I bought a copy of the CD for this coming holiday season and got in line more to tell them how much I enjoy their performances than to get their autographs which you can’t read anyway.

 

 

 

And now it’s time for more wandering around.  We pass by several games areas.  This one looks like quite a ride. 

 

 

This young man was among several, including a girl about his age, who were attempting to scale the castle walls.  Not sure where the guards with their cross bows to defend were.  But this fellow made it all the way up.

 

 

Three guys and a gal throwing axes at a target. I guess they must be wearing stupid hats?  Or is this just stupid?

 

 

I thought this was such a good idea of how to do porta potties that I wanted you to see it.   Wonder what they actually did during town faires during the Renaissance in Merry Ol’ England?

 

 

We walk down  streets we have not seen today looking in and going into shops that take our fancy.  This was quite some arm attire guarding the entry way into this shop.

 

 

 

 

We run across Baebes Clare and Josephine doing a selfie with their brownie sundae.  Great minds think alike since that’s just where we are going too.  Afternoon snack you know.

 

 

But  unlike the Baebes, we don’t share!   Boy is it good!

 

 

Somehow those feet and that tail don’t seem to go together or is this a fantasy creature of which I am unaware?  A renaissance creature?  Can anyone enlighten me?   Clearly we aren’t the only ones enjoying her.

 

 

We saw the flower guy and here is the flower girl.

 

 

3 Scots and a Norseman?

 

 

 

 

 

Feywood pottery where the potter is at work.

 

 

 

 

Well, she was at work until her friend arrived for a bit of a chat. Looks like she has her socio- economic groups mixed up with an outfit of the people and a hat for the “upwardly noble”

 

 

The bookshop Page After Page has the complete Gabaldon collection and lots of other very very tempting books.  I’m afraid Winnona is too near her weight limit to be taking on more books.

 

 

 

 

Next door we find just the place to put together your Renaissance Faire outfit.  We only look at the possibilities for women but they have men’s clothing for sale as well.

 

 

Any color you want.  But come early in the season.  Pickings get slimmer in October.

 

 

Mix and match skirts, shirts, vests, sashes. 

 

 

 

 

 

Or if you don’t want to be part of the yeomen, Nobless Oblige will dress you in courtly finery.  For many more coin of the realm of course.

 

 

 

 

Everywhere I go there seem to be trees to hug.  This one has fabulous roots.  I just hope there is enough nourishment for it and that its roots are not damaged by people walking and even sitting on them.  This town would be much less wonderful without its trees.   They need them all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bee Folks have everything you could possibly want made by our endangered bees.  I hope they won’t be out of business soon because of the increasing hive death.

 

 

Not only can you buy many different types of honey but beeswax candles of all sorts and beeswax statues as well.

 

 

 

 

I didn’t think I’d see Red Jamie from Outlander with a bee in his beard but there he is or perhaps it’s a kinsman.

 

 

 

 

We drift by the White Hart Tavern where Wolgemut is closing out the day with their ancient bagpipes and bombastic drums.

 

 

 

 

The little girl standing on the wall surrounding the White Hart is dancing up a storm to the music.  I keep fearing she’d fall off and once, she does but she lands on her feet and scrambles right back up.  Her sister is a bit more sedate and proper as behooves a young lady of the time.

 

The bubble mistress has quite a crowd as she uses her hands rather than a wand to blow the bubbles.   We see Cardinal Woolsey not too far away.

 

 

 

 

 

We finish off our day with the music of the pipe organ as we head for the town gates.

 

Until another day, Fare Thee Well

 

If there is a Renaissance Festival near you, don’t miss it.  It’s a great time.  There is a link to locations around the country in my previous post.