A Stroll through the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Dr. Jessie Voigts's picture
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There's something magical about time travel. Even if you don't have a TARDIS or magic ring, you can still travel back to the Renaissance by visiting your local Renaissance Festival. We were lucky enough to explore the Ohio Renaissance Festival, located on 30 acres, this past weekend - and what fun we had! Running weekends each year from September through October, this festival is a joy to experience and it'll take you back to 16th century England. You'll love perusing the shops, seeing the jousting, watching classic theatre - in the mud!, laughing, eating, and taking plenty of photos. Take a look at my photo essay, Renaissance Festival A-Z, but for now, please take a stroll with us through the loveliness that is the Ohio Renaissance Festival.

Let's go! ticket to the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Let's go!

Ohio Renaissance Festival- get your questions answered here

In case of questions...

Wondering where to go? Follow these signs at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

One of my favorite parts was the Jousting...

The good queen, at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

The Good Queen

Jousting at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Jousting at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Jousting at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

And near the end of the jousting, the Silent Knight went to see the Queen. He had chosen a lady to favor, and wanted to honor her with his win, as traditions tell. BIG SURPRISE: it was an extremely creative marriage proposal! Take a look!

The artists that had shops scattered throughout the Renaissance Festival were fantastic...

Treebeard at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

One of the artists at the Ren Fest created a giant Treebeard 

Leather mugs of all types at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Leather mugs

Chainmail closeup at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Chainmail closeup

Glassblower at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Glassblower

A carved staff at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Cleverly carved staff

Leather journal at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

One of hundreds of interesting leather journals

Daggers galore at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Daggers galore

Glass garden floats for sale at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Glass garden floats

And to pay for it all? Access thy Money!

ATM (access thy money) at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

ATM

The Queen's Singers at St. Peter's Church, singing Dona Nobis Pacem

Graveyard humor at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Graveyard humor

Mermaid at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Mermaid!

The pirate show at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Arrgh...

In which a jester "hides" during the pirate show at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

In which a jester hides...

Street scenes show happy visitors, colors, and talent galore...

Street scenes at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Street scenes at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Where to go? Ohio Renaissance Festival

Signs to help you find your way

The King's Nuts at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

The King's Nuts

The Theatre in the Ground had a muddy and surprising production of Beowolf...

Theatre in the Ground at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Muddy Beowolf at the Theatre in the Ground, Ohio Renaissance Festival

The costumes were amazing: 

Flowerpot hat at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

A flowerpot hat

How does he sit down? Costumes at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

How does he sit down? 

Love this costume from the Ohio Renaissance Festival

The black plague?

Need accoutrements for your costume? As seen at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Need accoutrements for your costume? 

Cloaked in Shadows at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Cloaked in Shadows - what a perfect name! And isn't that cloak the best?

You can always wear THIS costume at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

You can always wear THIS costume...

Our favorite part, though, was the human combat chess. It was presided over by the Queen, and we had great ringside seats (tip: get there early!). The two guys in front of us, part of the show, were hilarious with their running commentary. 

Human combat chess at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Human combat chess at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Human combat chess at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Of course, what is the 16th century without dragons?

Dragon at the Ohio Renaissance Festival 

Dragon door at the Ohio Renaissance Festival

And the Tower of London:

Tower of London at the Ohio Renaissance Festival
 

 

 

Learn more:
http://www.renfestival.com/

 

All photos courtesy and copyright Wandering Educators

 

Originally published fall 2015, updated 2017