From farm work to heavy lifting, the Chevy Silverado is built to tackle the toughest tasks with ease.
Well, it is that time of the year again. The 2014 Michigan Renaissance Festival is back in town! It kicked off last weekend on Saturday, Aug. 16 and continues to run each weekend through Sunday, Sept. 28 (plus Friday, Sept. 26 and Labor Day). You can enjoy a taste of the 16th century on any of the aforementioned weekends from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., rain or shine.
This is the 36th installment of the event, which (now) takes place in Holly, Mich., and it features 17 acres of fun! From taverns to castles and everything in between, it is the perfect place to take the family, dress up, or just try something different. There are 17 stages featuring jousting, comedy, music, games and much more. There are a plethora of themed weekends, events and entertainers at this year’s rendition of the festival. Let’s take a look at some of the things ye fair maidens and gentlemen can expect to see here.
Themed Weekends
Highland Fling, Aug. 23 & 24: The Feast of Fantasy is available at just about every themed weekend. Tickets cost $70 per person (which includes festival admission), but it is worth it. You get a six-course gourmet meal, beer, wine and live entertainment. You even get your own limited edition 2014 Fantasy Feast ceramic goblet! Score.
Other happenings include the U.S. and Canadian Highland heavy games, beer tasting, Highland dancers, Celtic Village and more. Oh, and last but not least is the Men in Kilts Competition. Vow renewals are also offered at 11:30 a.m. on each of the themed weekends.
High Sea Adventures, Aug. 30 until Sept. 1: The perfect weekend for you pirate folk out there. Does your beard rival those of the cast members on the show “Duck Dynasty,” or old Red Beard himself? If so, join the Beard Competition. For those of you who are into putting ink on your skin, there is also a Tattoo Competition.
Of course, the Perfect Pirate Competition is where the real show is at. All of this and so much more is going down on this weekend.
Sweet Endings, Sept. 27 & 28: This is the last of the themed weekends, so why not mention it? I mean there is a festival dedicated to chocolate (fittingly titled as Chocolate Festival). What else needs to be said? Oh, Cupcake Crusades and the Couple’s Pie Eating Competition truly makes this a “sweet” ending to the fair.
The Fencing Competition and Juggling Competition are also something to keep an eye out for.
Check out the full list of themed weekends.
Other Events
Renaissance Romance: This event is daily at noon, 1:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. and it is a private, one hour-long event for two! If you think you’ve exhausted all options on things to do with your sweetheart, consider this. For $70 per couple you get festival admission for two, a “personal servant” (I’m not quite sure how I feel about this part), two Champagne flutes, a bottle of Champagne and a gourmet lunch. It’s an idea, I guess.
Royal Princess Brunch: This is the perfect opportunity for a daddy/daughter date, or for moms to take their little girls to meet the princesses of the realm (you can reward yourself by sipping on a fresh fruit juice mimosa). The brunch is served at 11:00 a.m. daily and it costs $25 a person.
Pub Crawl: I knew my mother was at the Renaissance Festival last weekend, so when her Facebook status read as “Pub Crawl,” I was quite confused. It all makes sense now. Patrons ages 21 and older can have some fun with a guided pub crawl hosted by entertainers at the festival. You get one drink at each of the four pubs you visit, a Pub Crawl Mug and a Pub Crawl Passport. Sounds fun!
Here is the full list of events.
Tickets for adults cost $18.95 in advance and $21.95 at the gate. Children ages 5 to 12 get in for $10.50 in advance and $12.95 at the gate. Seniors ages 65 and over and students (with valid college IDs) cost $19.95.
Entertainment includes Brothers in Arms (knights), Triton’s Princess Mermaids, Hob the Troll, Pippin Puppets, Boca Musica and so much more!
As you can see, this festival offers plenty to do. You have several weekends to get to it, so why not attend? You don’t have to dress up in Renaissance garb, but you’d be a lot cooler if you did. Kind of.
