Are You Going to Scarborough Faire?

Last year I went to Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie, Texas. It was my first time at a Renaissance Faire, and I loved it. It was a perfect day for taking photos: sunny, but not too hot. There were lots of things to take photos from, from kitchy signs to full-on jousting. Then there was an array of carnival food (“Ye Olde Nachos”) and handmade items. There were a lot of things to see and do, but the best part of Scarborough Faire were the people. From the women in sexy medieval corsets to the Trekkies in anachronistic cosplay, I could have spent all day people watching. When it comes to Renaissance Faires, it’s all about the human experience.

Jousting Tournament

Scarborough Faire Jousting 1

“We are Spartans!”

Scarborough Faire Jousting 2

A little jousting would spice things up.

Scarborough Faire Jousting 3

Hand-to-hand combat.

Jumprope

Jump Rope

A pretty redhead jumping rope.

Parade

Scarborough Faire Parade

Here comes the parade. The guy with the Tudor Rose tunic seems nice.

Peasant

Scarborough Faire Peasant

A peasant on a pleasant day.

Swordfighting

Scarborough Faire Swordfight

More combat. This time with balloon targets.

Turtle Racing

Turte Racing

Turtle racing. Slow and boring. They need to throw a hare into the mix.

Belly Dancing

Belly Dancer

This belly dancer was dancing to a medieval rendition of “Kashmir”.

Wooden Bunny

Girl with Wooden Bunny

A girl with a wooden bunny.

Carillon Player

Masked Carillon Player

A masked carillon player. Note the cowboy hat. This is still Texas.

Llama-Go-Round

Llama-Go-Round

A llama-go-round.

If you’ve never been to a Renaissance Faire, I recommend you go. I had always wanted to go to one back in Michigan, but in all of my years of living there, I never quite got around to it. It wasn’t till I had been living in Texas for a few years that I finally got to go. Now I’m glad I went. So glad, in fact that I went back this year too.

Have you ever been to Scarborough Faire? What about other Renaissance Festivals? If so let me know your thoughts in the comment section.

Steve Lovelace

Steve Lovelace is a writer and graphic artist. After graduating Michigan State University in 2004, he taught Spanish in Samoa before moving to Dallas, Texas. He blogs regularly at http://steve-lovelace.com.

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3 Responses

  1. Mary says:

    Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

  1. July 25, 2012

    […] an annual Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas, an hour south of Dallas. My friends and I went back in 2011 and had a blast, so when the 2012 festival rolled around, I had no qualms about going back. It was […]

  2. April 19, 2013

    […] No, what I like is the full academic regalia of the professors on stage. It looks like a damn Renaissance Fair up there. Except that the faculty members are still wearing modern dress clothes. (And by modern, I […]

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