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Calling all ye lords and ladies.
Ever feel like you were born in the wrong time period? Is the iPhone/iPad/Bluetooth era too much for you to handle? Do you yearn for simpler days, before technology took over the lives of millions? If so, your escape is nigh. At least for a few weeks, that is.
The 2012 Michigan Renaissance Festival begins on August 18 in Holly, Michigan. Open on weekends (and Labor Day) through September 30, the festival features themed weekends, special events, and even Renaissance themed weddings.
While this year’s festival features the usual offerings, there are a few new events in the mix as well. This year marks the 1st Annual Queen’s Cupcake Wars. On September 29 and 30, entrants of the Royal Rumble must prepare three unique Renaissance themed cupcakes. The winner will receive a cash prize, and all entrants are given two free passes to the festival.
The annual event features a different theme every weekend, kicking off the celebrations with a “Royal Pet & Ale Festival” on August 18-19th, and closes out with “Sweet Endings!” on September 29-30th. The six weekends in between offer events such as wine tasting, an archery tournament, men in kilts competition, tattoo competition, arm wrestling competition and much more.
And what’s a Renaissance Festival without beer? Pints are so popular here that two different guided Pub Crawls are held each day. A ticket for the event includes a collectible mug, one drink at each of the four pubs, and a collectible leather tag.
There’s no reason to drink on an empty stomach when the festival has unlimited food options fit for a king. Feast on delicious creations including turkey drumsticks, gyros, baby back ribs, stuffed baked potatoes, fish & chips, jerk chicken and more. The festival offers five different food sectors, so whether you stop at the Palace Pantry or the Royal Kitchen, you’re sure to find something that will tantalize your taste buds.
After refueling, travel back in time by taking a stroll through the festival’s numerous vendors and crafters. The vast marketplace includes apparel, edibles, jewelry, face & body art, toys, candles & lights, glass, leather, caricatures & portraits, metals, pottery, wood, fiber arts, sculpture and furniture, as well as services like hair braiding, massage and readings.
If you’re a regular at the annual Renaissance Festival, you’ll likely recognize acts including the RoundTable Productions Joust, Washing Well Wenches and Christophe the Insulter, who have performed in previous years. Joining these acts this year are Merbella’s Live Mermaids, a group of “lovely ladies of the deep” based out of Tampa, Florida. The Living Tree, a comedy act, and The Bastard Monks, a story of three brothers interpreting the Bible through puppets, are also making their festival debut this year.
For more information on the 2012 Michigan Renaissance Festival, and to purchase discount tickets online, visit http://www.michrenfest.com/.
