Renaissance Festival 2009: Organizers anticipate a large turnout to annual costumed fair
Another Costumed Fair is gonig to be started
Organizers of the Siouxland Renaissance Festival hope the economy might play to their benefit, with more folks opting to "play in the past" in their own backyard this weekend.
"There are lots of people who are sticking a little closer to home this summer than in past years, so we're hoping many will stop out to the Renaissance Festival," says Val Lietz, also known as Lady Katherine Daubene of Bridgewater.
"Maybe they are staying here rather than driving to similar festivals in Minneapolis or Kansas City," says Lietz, one of the event organizers.
This year's event, the eighth annual festival, is Saturday and Sunday at the W. H. Lyon Fairgrounds.
There's always a large assortment of artists and crafters there, along with food vendors offering a wide variety of products reflecting goods of the 16th century.
"We're hoping for a good turnout - we always have a lot of fun," says Anna Vorhes, who goes by Lady Anne Cook Bacon when she's in character.
All members pattern their characters after real people in history, says Vorhes, executive director of the festival.
Local actors and musicians are joined by people from several states including Texas, Georgia and
Minnesota. Together, they portray residents and visitors to Shrewsbury County, England, in the year 1575.
Watch for the queen's arrival each day at 11 a.m.
Children's games are available, too, including lawn bowling, peasant poacher, serpent snare, slay the dragon, Shrewsbury Pond fishing and a children's joust. Kids also may participate in the maypole, or meet the animals at the Quail Valley Farm Interactive Petting Zoo.
Other children's activities include leather crafting, lucent cords and a noon and 2:30 p.m. craft class where kids can make their own wands, crowns and coats of arms.
Daily jousting matches also are popular.
The Siouxland Renaissance Association is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization. The mission, including having fun, is for historic education and the offering of family-friendly events with a focus on the Renaissance.
