This is probably my favorite thing about travel, truth be told. I have stood in the Roman Baths in Bath and wondered who else has gazed upon those waters, stood before Stonehenge and dreamed about all the other people that walked across those fields.
It can be difficult to get that same rush of excitement in America, given that many places here simply are not as old, especially since I'm generally more interested in medieval and renaissance times over more recent history.
Thus the natural solution to my time travelling dilemma: the Renaissance Faire! (Yeah, I know. "She's a super geek, super geek, she's super geeky!")
While renaissance fairs have a stigma of being a refuge for the super-nerds, they do offer entertainment for all types of people, especially for families. At both the Pennsylvania and New York fairs, there are rides and games for kids. At the same time there is entertainment for adults - for example, at the New York fair, there's Dextre Tripp, a performer who delights in danger and is known to juggle a chain saw, ride a unicycle on a tight rope, and light himself on fire.
And while the fair tend to encompass such expansive time periods that they often start to feel confusingly anachronistic (at the NY fair you can find Robin Hood AND Queen Elizabeth I walking around), they are still a great source of historical enrichment. For example, we watched a show that briefly summarized the War of the Roses using humor, which I feel is one of the most enjoyable ways of learning history.
This weekend, I attended the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire for the first time with my sister and her boyfriend. I have visited the New Jersey faire and the NY faire, so it was exciting to check out a new place. We mostly just walked around, looked at shops and played games, and had a relaxing day just enjoying the atmosphere of the place. Here were some of my impressions:
Historical Accuracy
As usual there are always blatant anachronisms, which is part of the fun but also can get kind of silly. For example, there was a Mexican place and a pizza place.
We didn't go to any shows; however, while munching on hotdogs and nachos in one of the many picnic areas, two actors appeared and delivered a quick comedic reenactment of their "War of the Roes: Part 2" skit, which was amusing and accurate. I know my boyfriend was frustrated with the historical inaccuracy of the NY Ren Faire's flag for the one Muslim knight they had in the jousting match at the end. Naturally there was an actress as Queen Elizabeth I, which the NY faire has, too.
Food
There is food for everyone. They have pizza, Mexican, German, burgers and hot dogs, gyros, salad, smoothies, etc. While fair food can often be ridiculously overpriced, my nachos were only $3. However, most of the meals offered are heavy junk food. Delicious junk food, but still junk food.
Ease of Access
The PA Ren Faire is just off of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. So if you're coming from south Jersey, it's easy to shoot across. Coming from further north, you can take 78, although you have to take the 22 exit to 343 to 72 (ie it's a little more complicated).
All in all, the PA Ren faire was fun and entertaining. The layout is large and it feels like there's a lot to explore and a lot to do. There was more than we could get to; we were so busy exploring we didn't get to check out the shows which we'd probably like to do if we ever go back. Is it better than the NY Faire? I would just say they're different and each one has its pros and cons. It's a great place for a family day trip.
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