Knights & Wenches at the Maryland Renaissance Festival

It’s 1543 and you can join King Henry VIII and his Court at the small village of Revel Grove, in Oxfordshire, England, for his annual summer escape from the tedium of ruling England from London at the annual Maryland Renaissance Festival in Annapolis, Maryland, near Washington DC.

The huge Ren Fest runs over 9 weekends from late August, until mid-October and draws over 250,000 attendees, including many of the finest of English noblemen and women, knights, pirates, friars and wenches.   With over a thousand period-attired workers, entertainers and craftsmen selling their wares, it encourages many of the attendees visiting Revel Grove to dress up in period attire.  So start planning your costume for the festivities!  If you prefer to make costume planning easy, arrange for an on-site costume rental available at the fest.

While in Revel Grove, King Henry is wooing yet another potential wife, this one being his sixth. She’s the beautiful, rich and twice-widowed Katherine Parr.  If she accepts the King’s proposal, she would be following in the dangerous footsteps of Henry’s previous five wives.  The fate of Henry’s wives do not show much of a long-term future for a potential new Queen of England and Ireland.  The previous marriages ended with two wives being beheaded (including his last wife,) one that died after giving birth, and two marriages that the King had annulled.

Yet Katherine is also deeply in love with another man, one of the King’s former-wives brothers, the handsome Sir Thomas Seymour, a known womanizer.  He had already proposed to her, but since she has caught the King’s eye, her loving relationship was placed in jeopardy.  The previous year, she was obliged to break off her relationship with the Seymour in favor of King Henry, even though she still loves him.

But there’s more drama in the tiny hamlet this summer.  The inhabitants of a nearby village, Tiddington, are frustrated with the King and his unwillingness to bring his Court to their village for his annual summer celebration.   A group of townspeople are demanding a meeting with the King to air their grievances and to petition for the Court to  visit their quaint little town.

While the Mayor of Revel Grove being less interested in hosting the annual visit and more interested in his own jockeying for a position on the King’s Court, the Mayor of Tiddington, a former resident and Sheriff of Revel Grove, may be ready to make an unscrupulous back room deal.

Revel Grove is also known for its hospitality and hearty food.  Weary travelers and members of the Court can enjoy such classic favorites as steak-on-a-stake, meat pies and the town’s signature dish – smoked turkey legs.  And wash off the road dust a cold mug of ale at one one the town’s pubs and join in a song or two.

Watch the jousting tournament, catch a play or comedy act, or watch any of the many performers on hand to entertain you adn your Court like royalty.

Plus, with over 100 craft shops and artisan’s booths selling everything from stained glass, period clothing, leather goods, and jewelry, shoppers travel far and wide from neighboring villages to enjoy all that’s available for sale.

Maryland Renaissance Festival — 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, Maryland

Dates and Hours – August 28, 29, September 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 & 24 – Hours 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Tickets – Adults  ages 16-61 - $18.00, Seniors – $15.00, Children – $8.00, 2-Day Pass (good for any two days) – $28.00,  Fairever Pass (good for all days) – $80.00. Tickets are available online, by phone at 800-296-7304, or at the box office.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – New Carrollton – Orange line, or Largo Town Center – Blue line, then a 15 mile cab ride.

Parking – Free parking is available.

Images – from personal collection – ©2010 – Jon Rochetti