The Ren Faire

I've been to a lot of Renaissance Fairs in my time.  I've been to fairs in numerous states, ranging from huge, sprawling fairs that go on for a couple weeks to small weekends where the primary event is a LARP.  I was expecting a smallish fair when I went to El Rancho de los Golondrinas this past weekend, especially since the fair was only a two day event.

The fair was huge.  It was well planned, had numerous events (including jousting) and was laid out with various themed areas.

At the top of the hill (nearest the entrance) was food, vendors, and games.

There were also numerous stages for every kind of entertainment, from belly dancing to harpists to Celtic dancers to magicians and comedians.   There were also singers and events in the placita, where I volunteer with the weavers.

In the placita, it was business as usual for the weavers, with the occasional visit from the nobility...

Yes, that's Cay in the Spanish Loose Gown... she spent the day as an archery instructor.
Here she's getting weaving advice from the Dread Pirate Nichole...

Behind the Placita and down by the tanner's shed, SCA ruled.  They set up an entire little tent village and their own displays, focusing on the authentic in clothing, cooking and armor.

At the bottom of the hill, beyond the combat field, fantasy ruled.  There were fairies, unicorns, an occasional wandering wizard, and a troll on the bridge.

And wandering throughout the fair were pirates...

My biggest disappointment was the events I missed: The Celtic games, where men (and women) in kilts tossed obscenely heavy objects (including the caber) to prove their strength.  Happily, I didn't totally miss the men in kilts wandering the fair.

and, of course, throughout the event there were activities for the kids, including a dragon egg hunt and various craft activities, like building a fairy house.

and, of course, there was the field of combat, where men and women proved their skill with sword and bow and lance...

Of course over the two days I took many more photos than these, including some of the fantastic costumes, the falconry, some of the vendors and some of the games with the kids, but putting out all the good ones would make this post far to large... and it's already pretty long.  Over the next week, I'll put together a slide show to post, featuring some of the costumes and groups that were involved in the fair.