Tomorrow will mark the 30th anniversary of the Medieval and Renaissance Faire at Ohio State.
The theme for this year’s fair centers around musketeers.
“The introduction to the fair goes like this: A noble lady is the cousin of a French king and comes to England to marry the lord of Buckseye Hollow. The French king doesn’t know she left by her own free will. He thinks she’s been kidnapped and send musketeers after her. The musketeers arrive in town on the same day as the wedding and the Mayday festival,” said Jeff White, guild master of the Medieval and Renaissance Performers Guild.
The event provides a chance for families, students and anyone interested to learn about the culture of medieval times.
“It’s an absolutely wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon at the beginning of May,” said Christine Task, assistant advertising coordinator for the fair. “We expect about 5,000 people to show up throughout the day.”
With a total of eight stages and continuous shows throughout the day, the fair will host many different performances, including the human chess match, pub sing and peasant dancers – all performed by the Medieval and Renaissance Performers Guild at OSU.
The human chess match is a scripted event in which live people must battle each other for control of the board. The pub sing and dancers provide a look into the life and times of people during the Middle Ages.
“You learn to think on your feet. We do a lot of improvisation in the show. It has actually helped me in my job,” said Elizabeth Kearns, an alumni performer who has been involved with the fair for nine years.
In addition to the performances by the guild, the fair attracts other Renaissance groups who tour nationally. Although the groups tour independently of each other, the Council for the Medieval and Renaissance Fair – a student-run organization that plans the fair every year – brings the touring groups to campus.
Some of the visiting acts include, Die Kaiser Lichtefufsknecht von Niedersaschsen, which mimics a German mercenary group. The group offers a pike college, which teaches spectators how to wield pikes.
The Aerial Angels, an acrobatic troupe, will be performing a live show at the end of the day. They have performed at the Ohio Renaissance Fair in Harveysburg, Ohio, and they tour across the nation.
Along with the performances that will be continuous throughout the day, the fair also features merchants selling various items.
Gothic Edge, one of the merchants, will sell real swords. The swords are peace-tied when first purchased so individuals cannot take them out of the sheath. Once taken home, the swords can be removed, sharpened and made into the real thing.
Other merchants include Fancy Face Painting, which offers the Jail and Bail program that allows people to have their friends locked up in a medieval-style jail for a period of time.
Medieval Madder provides the opportunity to create jewelry and other Celtic items, while Bridgit’s Bath offers soaps, bath oils and other accessories.
The fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow on the South Oval, rain or shine. Admission is free.
