The King’s Faire

My day at the Faire started with a lovely drive down a winding country road bordered by grain fields and country estates.  I passed by a lovely lake that I am sure was teeming with fish and arenas suited to equestrian tournaments.  The Faire was in a village tucked into the trees of an old growth forest.  Being early in the day, I was able to find a good parking spot for my blue carriage and 179 horse team. 

Going into the fairgrounds, I was greeted by a pair of cute young standard bearers; however, I prefer a little more life in from men in uniform, so I didn’t stop and flirt.  Like the guards at Buckingham palace, they would not have responded anyway. 

The weather was beautiful for wandering around and enjoying the various amusements offered.  My first stop was an entertainer whose idea of fun was to squirm through a tennis racket while balancing on a giant pilates ball.  While I don’t think that they had pilates during the Renaissance, he was funny and engaging.

Wandering on, I found a woman named Kathy making art glass ornaments.  She had wonderful earcuffs made from glass and would custom fit them for purchasers.  I found one in swirls of red, black and grey that she carefully reworked to securely fit my own ear.  She even gave me a kitty to dangle of the end.  I thought it was lovely without, but I think that for her, the dangly bits complete the piece.

I turned a corner of the Faire and came upon a musical group that sung of nature in beautiful harmony.  Their songs were made more haunting by the verdant growth that formed the set for their sylvan stage.  They did not draw nearly the crowd of some of the other performers, but their lyrical talents far exceeded the performances of anyone else.

After the music was over, I continued to meander through the Faire.  As with most Renaissance Faires, the assortment of costumes worn by visitors was delightful.  From little girls running around with flower garlands in their hair to a teenager dressed as a faun, it was delightful to watch.  Jack Sparrow probably stole the show with his dreadlocks and impetuous behavior.

At one end of the Faire, they had set up a Maypole.  While I didn’t participate in dancing around it, I wondered if the lone guy got roped into dancing because they needed one more person, or because he appreciated the irony of it. 

And of course, what Faire would be complete without a good joust?  Daring knights, beautiful horses, challenges and insults- the joust had it all.  Of course, I was rooting for the knight in purple, but sadly, he couldn’t catch a ring if his life depended on it.

After getting my fill of swords, leather, and corsets, I found my team and carriage and got lost in the lush country side surrounding the Faire.  

St. Louis Renaissance Fair – www.renstl.org

Mentioned:

Crazy Boy Coy Espinoza, Fire Eater Extraordinaire

Greenleaf Singers, Madrigals

Majestic Glass, Katherine Gardner-Wilson