virginia renaissance faire — News

Dost thou crave wonder and merriment? Dost thou seek adventure in a wondrous, mirthful world of fantasy? Dost thou live in the Virginia, Maryland, and DC area? Then mount thy steeds because Virginia Renaissance Faire is coming to life again throughout the month of May and the first weekend of June.

Game of Thrones season premiere have you itching to work on your sword fighting technique? Looking for a reason to finally try out those Westeros braid tutorials you’re not sure why you’ve been pinning? Sure, these are two very different worlds set in two very different time periods and there’s also that minor detail of one being real and the other, well, not, but you know what? I’ll take what I can get.

The Virginia Renaissance Faire takes place at Lake Anna Winery in Spotsylvania, Virginia, roughly 80 miles from Washington D.C., so it’s the perfect distance for a day trip. Not sure when to go? Figured you could choose any one weekend to go and it would all be the same? WRONG. Each weekend has a separate theme to create a unique experience. From the Virginia Renaissance Faire website:

May 9-10: Opening Weekend
We’re back! The Queen is on Progress and has come to Staffordshire. The whole village is abuzz with preparations: merchants have arrived to set up their wares, the kitchens are busy preparing turkey legs and other savory fare, and traveling players have arrived, ready to amuse Her Majesty (and you). Circus Stella performs with dogs, aerial silks, trapeze and rope walking. Our knights prepare for the joust and the Renaissance Man, Ned Alleyn turns horrible history into side-splitting comedy.

May 16-17: Fire, Mystery and Romance
This weekend our little village is invaded by strangers from afar! Watch fantastic feats of juggling, aerial acrobatics, fire spitting and more, as London Broil and KlassKlowne astound you with their bravery and skill. Sashenka the Contortionist walks on a rope and makes a human pretzel. Dinty the Moorand Mars Mandrake’s sleight of hand will have you doubting your own eyes. All of this and more, to the sounds of musicians wandering the lanes.

May 23-24: Pirate Invasion and Military History
Ahoy! The shire is awash in pirates and privateers! The Pyrates Royale and Scales and Crosstones provide musical accompaniment to the invasion. Our joust troupe shows you how knights on horseback trained for battle. The Order of the Marshall demonstrates sword combat. This weekend only, to honor their service, we admit active, reserve and retired military personnel at no charge. (Military ID required, does not include dependents.)

May 30-31: Celtic Heritage
Bring out your kilts and celebrate our Celtic Heritage with Celtic music. The Rogues take the stage with bagpipes and driving percussion. Celtiqueinterwines mirth, heart and wit in a triskel of harmonious voices. In the Tavern, the O’Danny Girls, three very nice girls who sing naughty songs will enchant you with voices and wit.

June 7-8: Closing Weekend
The Rogues are back for a final weekend. Bob Da Vinci visits the shire, bringing his wacky view of art, history, inventions, culture, and opera parodies and Fletcher Moone extols audiences with rousing songs of ale and adventure in the Tavern. This is your last chance to visit the shire until next year!

Tickets are $10 for ages 6 and up. Children ages 5 and under are free! LivingSocial is currently offering 2 tickets for $12 for select weekends. Take advantage of this discount before the event ends!

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