Maryland Renaissance Festival
By: Anthony Herrera
When considering events that are coming up in the Baltimore area, I immediately thought about the Maryland Renaissance Festival, running each weekend from August 26 to October 22. It’s been going on for 41 years and it’s exactly what it sounds like: “…nine weekends of thrills, feasting, handmade crafts, entertainment and merriment in Crownsville, near Annapolis, Maryland” (as quoted from www.rennfest.com).
This year’s story line is: King Henry VIII (I am) and Katherine of Aragon visit the Village in 1527, when Anne Boleyn surprisingly shows up to the festivities. Is it corny? Yeah kinda, but I’m a corny dude who likes carnival food, booze, and axe throwing. Not only do the performers give it their all, but some of the costumed patrons do as well. It’s hard not to get caught up in the shenanigans.
If you want to learn about village life during the Renaissance, you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m sure you’ll learn something, but I’m not in any position to vouch for its accuracy. I’d recommend stopping by the Baltimore Museum of Art for their “…magnificent collection of 15th- through 19th-century European art includes masterworks of northern European and French art, and Medieval and Renaissance works” (NOTE: BMA always has free admission).
But I recommend putting aside that book learnin’ for a weekend. You’re going to be staring down the barrel of a whole semester’s worth of book learnin’, so get your friends together and go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. You deserve a good time before projects, papers, and exams crush your soul. Admission is $19 until Sept 16, when it goes up to $25. If you go later, you’ve got a good shot at missing Maryland’s oppressive summer heat, which means a pleasant day out in the woods.
But you don’t have to take my word for it (big ups to LeVar Burton).