time travel with kids, knights and turkey legs

 Last week, we went to a local Renaissance festival. We are really interested in knights and castles right now, so the timing was perfect. This event is held in a scrub oak forest and the lay out is meandering path dotted with mystics, shops and food vendors.



You could test your strength by slamming a big mallet on a target that would ring a bell to let everyone know that there was a real brute in the mix. My strength was tested by not spending too much money on turkey legs or giant catapult toys (I will not even mention the swords and magic wands and costumes!)

The wandering entertainers were great, but the best show for our kids had to be the jousting knights. I was unable to get a good picture because we were so close up and in the action. You could hear the armor slamming against the ground. It was quite thrilling how the audience was so raucous and demanding blood throughout the battle.

What I find most exciting about this kind of event (or any other living history/re-enactment/convention) is that my kids get to see adults (other than their weird parents) who are playing and passionate about their interests. The entertainers and merchants were obviously entrenched in this other world and played their parts well. In ordinary life, most of the adult world must seem pretty drab; it is refreshing to step into another world, if even for just a few hours.

Have you gone to festivals like this? Do you want to? (I am really itching to go to a Lego convention next).