Way back in May I met up with Jen, Layla, and the twins at the Renaissance Faire down in Des Moines to watch Evie dance. I’ve already shared the pictures of Evie dancing, but I took plenty more pictures on that day.
This collection is of the knight battle we watched. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting a sword duel that would put the sword fight between Inigo Montoya and the Dread Pirate Roberts to shame. This was mostly dudes in armor kind of grabbing each other and trying to throw the other to the ground.
While Inigo Montoya’s swordplay still stands as the greatest these eyes have ever seen, this battle was still fun to watch.
I’m not steeped in Renaissance Faire culture. I knew some people in college that were involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism, but I was too big of a jerk then to take anything they said seriously. Therefore, I didn’t learn much. But my understanding, is that one of the knights in the battle had to win so many fights to become fully knighted or something like that. I should have taken notes.
One thing I remember clearly is that it was incredibly hot that day, so wearing all that armor and fighting, must have been brutal. The guy trying to earn his title was wearing a helmet that didn’t have a way to access his face, so in between bouts they had to run a tube from a water bottle through the helmet to keep him hydrated.
I still have a couple more collections of pictures from the Renaissance Faire to share.
I wasn’t sure if I was a Renaissance Faire Person, but I had a great time. I hope Evie dances down there again next year and I get to go again.
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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is ART:
ART
ART! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!
But what is an ART image? It is simply a picture of something that is a piece of ART. I would urge you to not just take a standard straight on picture of a piece of ART. Try to see it from a different angle than it might be normally viewed. While your subject might be ART, your interpretation of your subject should be ARTistic. Now a truly arrogant photographer could just claim that every picture they take is ART.
Happy photo harvesting!
I dragged the family to the autumn one (kicking and screaming) back when Charlie was still a baby. Alice and I had fun, but I don’t think we will ever be able to convince the guys to go back. Which is a shame – it is fascinating! You captured it well!
Go without them!
One of the things that was best about this weekend was that it was free. I don’t know if I would pay much money to go.
The best part really was the joust. But it was interesting. I like seeing people doing the things that turn them on as a person. Even if it isn’t my thing.
I know when we went, it was during the major fair (“faire”), so admission was super $$$, as were all of the trinkets and food items. I think that was Jon’s major concern with it, and why I won’t be able to drag him back. I was baby-wearing Charlie at about a year old, so I would gather his impressions now would be different than then.
We saw a joust when we were there! It was really fascinating, but I think it was much more staged (sort of like pro wrestling) than what you are describing. I think there was a preordained winner, etc. Having it actually be a contest would be more interesting! You’re right – I can’t see participating or owning my own horse head like above, but it’s fascinating!
It was a fox head, not a horse. I should have scrolled again.
The joust we watched was also pretty obviously scripted. Maybe not the actual joust part, but definitely everything that happened around it. Including one knight slitting the throat of the other knight. That came with a healthy spray of fake blood. I wish I would have been prepared for that, because I didn’t get a picture of it and that makes me a little sad.
Oh, that’s pretty well exactly what they did when we went! I remember the fake blood specifically because, while Jon and I enjoyed it, four-year-old (and very tender-hearted) Alice had many questions and concerns. Not even a turkey leg waylaid them. It WOULD have made an amazing photo, though – it’s worth going back just for you to get that shot.
Definitely pretty shocking if you aren’t prepared for it. Kind of like the opening scene of HALLOWEEN ENDS. I think I audibly gasped. I assume Evie will keep doing the Irish dancing and they will be back at the Renaissance Faire in May again next year. After having seen it once, I definitely know where to sit now and to get there plenty early to get that spot.
Next Friday is when I share the Joust pictures. Includes a picture of a guy in the crowd who I think might be dressed like the Joker (Joaquin Phoenix version) with a My Little Pony. The Renaissance Faire might beat the State Fair for people watching.
I wonder if the twins were there, and if they also had similar questions! I believe the new Faire grounds are at Adventureland? We’d gone in its old location down by Water Works Park, where there wasn’t an abundance of good seating for the joust (unless you were in the “court” group) – it was just sort of a horse pasture type enclosure.
I cannot wait to see the Joker. I have questions about the Pony. I 100% agree on the people watching being better – they’re letting their freak flags fly there in a relatively safe space, so you really get to see it on display. At the State Fair, there’s at least some moderation. I had taken photos when we went, and just looked – unfortunately, I lost all of them that didn’t have the kids in them (those I’d backed up appropriately) when my old laptop crashed. Bummer, as I definitely took photos of people as we walked around – it was AMAZING people watching. Can’t wait to see yours.
They were there, but I don’t even remember them noticing. Where we were sitting, there is a good chance they couldn’t even see it. We were on the very far end. Their view was probably blocked by other people.
It is at Sleepy Hollow now. It seems like the perfect spot for it. You cross a bridge and you are in a different world. Plus, there is good parking.