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Where Fantasy Rules – The Door County Renaissance Faire

Royalty reigned, knights jousted, and dragons roamed in a kingdom outside Carlsville last weekend in a break from reality at Door County’s first Renaissance Fantasy Faire.

What exactly is a Renaissance Fantasy Faire? It’s part performance art, part historical reenactment, part festival, and a large part pure fun.

Before you enter the grounds of the Faire peels of laughter and strains of music can be heard from the parking area. As you cross the threshold under castle walls and stroll back in time into a pristine forest setting, the Royal Court is there to greet you. Queen Catherine and her daughter, Princess Margaret, attended to by ladies in wait, are dressed in beautiful Elizabethan costumes and speaking in period accents. You have stepped back in time and crossed over into another reality as enchanting as it is curious.

Continue along the scenic wooded path and you encounter pirates, a dragon and faerie, a palm reader, belly dancers, vendors selling various notions and potions, and three stages with entertainment. There is something for everyone here, and even the most jaded quickly find they can relax and let the moment take them away.

The forest setting eventually gives way to an open meadow where a jousting field has been set up. There, knights clad in 70 pounds, or five stone, we are told, of full plate armor joust upon trusty steeds for the guest’s and the Royal Court’s entertainment and amusement. The performers linger after the joust and answer every question with witty retorts and spot-on historical information. Young and old alike engage in the banter and laughter. “Huzzah!”

Having so much fun can be famishing, and when hunger strikes, there are plenty of options. One can enjoy a period meal with a giant turkey leg and a glass of ale, or those with modern tastes can find a cheeseburger and plenty of other festival familiar choices to fill their bellies.

The Door County Renaissance Faire continues this weekend a half mile east of Hwy 42 at 5226 Monument Point Road, just north of Carlsville. The Faire will welcome guests from 10 am – 6 pm on Saturday, July 3 and from 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday, July 4. Admission is $9 – $12, cash only. Those who doth be interested in dressing in period family friendly costumes or who donate a canned good at the door receive a $1 discount. Kids under 5 and active or retired military personnel get in free.

For more information, call 920.973.8233 or visit http://www.DoorCoWIRenaissance.com

A dragon at the Renaissance Fair.

Faire Subculture

Renaissance Faires have been around in Europe for generations and in the US in smaller forms since the 1950s and 1960s, when the focus was mostly on historical reenactments. Today, Renaissance Faires take on a more modern festival feel but retain the emphasis of being historically accurate and educational.

Sandy Stetler, producer and co-coordinator of the Door County Renaissance Faire, says the event is a labor of love that has been in the works for over two years.

“Our goal is to make the Faire very fun and educational for children and families,” she says. “The entertainment you will see is very educational, but we do it in an interactive and fun way so it sticks.”

The court at the faire.

Such Renaissance Faires have fueled a subculture of people who enjoy dressing in period costumes and attending these events or other reenactments. These costumed participants are known as “playtrons,” a combination of the words “patron” and “player.”

If you visit the Faire, see if you can tell the professional performers from the playtrons, or better yet, come attired as a playtron and join in the experience. No costumes are required, but bringing an active imagination and good sense of humor will vastly enrich the experience.