This was my first experience at a Renaissance festival. I loved that there were static buildings here. It made the place feel less like a pop-up carnival. There is a good blend of casual on lookers and full dress up participants. Food here is a bit on the expensive side like with any venue event. Expect to spend about $7-$15 per person for a drink and an entree, depending on what kind of drink and entree. I had a pulled pork sandwich for lunch and it was delicious. I also had a beer. The beer being served in short plastic punch cups made it feel like I wasn't getting much beer. Some of the more dressed up patrons carried mugs and had those filled, but I'm not sure what the deal is there. For dinner I had a turkey leg and another beer. My turkey leg was a bit overdone. The dark meat portions of it were pretty good, but the white meat was a bit dry. The seasoning was also a bit lack luster.
While eating lunch we watched part of the Dueling Swordsman show which was funny and entertaining. Be warned that this show is full of innuendos.
The next show we saw was the Squire on a Wire. It was an impressive juggling and tight rope act. Additionally the Squire told many funny jokes that were subtle and clever.
The next show was by far my favorite. The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told features 4 comedians/actors/singers and a musician. The premise it that the prologue to their sketch is incomplete and they ask the audience to fill in the missing words. For example ours was "The great Captain Delusional, set out with his crew to plunder Dignity." With delusional and dignity being audience suggestions. After the prologue is filled in, the actors then improv the rest of the show. Our Captain acted delusional the whole time. The actors also take a number of pages from the TV show "Whose line is it Anyway" and play games like "change it" and "Irish drinking song".
We then immediately turned around and watched a musical performance. This trailer had large church bells and they were wired up to a physical keyboard. The man playing them talks a bit about the instrument and how rare it is. He plays obvious classics like "Hallelujah" and "Carol of the Bells"
The final act we watched was the Joust. This is definitely the main act of the day. People start claiming seats about an hour before the show starts. Unfortunately our experience was a bit ruined because we couldn't hear what was going on. So either get seats hear the front where you can hear the actors or close enough to the speakers that the voices are audible. This show has a simple but exciting story and even some bloody special effects. Overall a very entertaining show.
The shops are things you can expect to see at conventions. Tons of jewellery, clothes, hats, weapons, etc. The shop tenders are often in character and are all very friendly.
A word of caution: some stands, like food, take only cash. Larger ticket items such as full costumes and swords are more likely to accept card.
Finally, the acts and food all expect tips after providing their service. I blew through about $70 just for my fiancee and myself. I paid for all food and...
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