Thursday, August 6, 2015

Summer Renaissance Events

Summer is in full swing and there is no better way to soak in the sun than through some lace bodices and reenactment armor! Strap on your faerie wings and holster your cutlass then check out some of these great Renaissance Faire events in the Puget Sound area.

Camlann Medieval Village- Carnation, WA, weekends May- Sept
I had the distinct pleasure of visiting this quaint reenactment village in late spring. It was a quiet, rainy day with no festival activities, but I had a great time perusing the grounds with my girlfriends, talking to the interpreters, and having a bite and some meade at the Bors Heade Inn. The festival days are much more exciting, but for the $5 admission, the non-festival visit is also a nice way to escape the city and slip into another time period. 

The day we visited, there was a woman dying wool from a sheep using traditional natural dyes, and she was kind enough to share her process with us.

This faire goes for 3 weekends each summer, and each weekend has a different theme. There are lots of vendors and activities, and the site offers camping as well. I attended on a weekend when there was a jousting competition that was quite a spectacle. Themes include Pirate Weekend, Fairies, and a Royal Masquerade.




Scottish Highland Games- Enumclaw, WA, July 25th & 26th
This festival features traditional Scottish music, athletic competitions, and canine agility & herding competitions. There are several pubs on site but not as many food options as some other events of this nature. The day we attended this year was a bit hazy, which was a nice break from the hot weather we have been experiencing this summer.
My favorite part was definitely the dogs- there was an agility course and many breeds originating from the UK on display that you could pet. The human athletics were fascinating- I had no idea how many heavy objects could be thrown in different ways.

The bagpipe music was pretty much constant at this event, so I couldn't help feeling like we were crashing a funeral. We also saw a Celtic rock band which was fun. Word is that the real music gets going at night and everyone parties hard. Don't forget you kilt!