So Close, Yet Centuries Away...
Annual Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire Offers 16th Century Merriement

Within 100 minutes of the megalopolis of the Philadelphia, Baltimore-Washington corridor, amidst the lush green pastures of Lancaster County’s Amish Farmlands, lies the Shire of Mount Hope, home of the annual Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Fashioned after a rollicking country festival in merrie olde England, the Faire celebrates its season of mirth and merriment from mid-August through October. 

As the Faire day unfolds, the entire 35 acre Renaissance village is filled with high spirits and abuzz with anticipation, for their beloved Queen Elizabeth is about to arrive in full processional. 100’s of colorfully costumed characters have gathered about the castle gates. The Herald Trumpets send up their musical salute, the Beefeater Guards lead the Royal Procession, the Royal Court follows behind, and the Royal Carriage, drawn by magnificent stallions, rumbles along the path as Her Majesty is greeted by a chorus of “Huzzahs!” from villagers and guests alike. Elizabeth is wearing a gown worthy of an Oscar-winning Hollywood design, and She waves graciously to the assemblage. The cannons fire, the gates swing wide, and the festivities commence in joyous song and dance. For one soul-resting day, all who pass through the castle gates become citizens of Mount Hope and participants in one of the grandest celebrations of its kind in all the knowne worlde.
 
Thou Art Surrounded By Merriement!
 
Inside the gates is one spectacular sight after another. 100’s of Tudor buildings dot the village lanes. Twelve stages are filled with over 90 shows daily. Over 20 Royal Kitchens serve up hearty Elizabethan fare including giant turkey legges and baked goods baked fresh in brick ovens.
 
A whole section of town has become an entire gaming village where the medieval axe throw and crossbow are the extreme sport of the moment. Nearby, children await their turn at the Quintaine, a wooden jousting horse ridden down a cable-slide to lance a brass ring for accolades and prizes. Not far are the war horse rides, petting zoo and children’s glen where the storytelling is as fanciful as the surroundings that fill the eyes of the children in amazement at their new found discoveries around each corner.
 
The ancient guilds are ever-present with scores of artisans demonstrating and offering their age-old crafts for sale. Along Guildsmen’s Way, Swashbuckler Grove or Pirates Cove you encounter scores of craft merchants and artisans. The glassblower makes a vase that will find its way into the home of an appreciative patron at the end of the day. The leather smith fits a magnificent new belt for a guest who then watches his one-of-a-kind treasure crafted before his very eyes. In all, more than 75 merchants are on hand each day offering unique and unusual hand-made wares.
 
  New Performers
 
To be sure, many entertainers at the Faire are so widely popular they return for command performances  to the grateful applause of seasoned Faire patrons. Among returning Faire favorites this season are the Royal Falconer whose dazzling display of birds in flight never fails to captivate Faire audiences and the Royal Hypnotist whose trance-filled performances of audience “volunteers” lead to the conclusion that he must surely be a direct descendant of the immortal Merlin.
 
Yet each season also brings new troupes of singers, dancers, jugglers, fire eaters and purveyors of the unusual.
 
Checkmate!
 
As mid-day approaches, the tempers of the antagonists have become heated and the Queen has called for a match of Human Chess in an attempt to resolve their differences. The huge 64 foot square of red and yellow is filled with Lords and Ladies, minstrels and players, and many of the wenches and waifs you’ve encountered along the lanes throughout the day. What transpires is a spectacular stunt-filled extravaganza, complete with swordplay, hand-to-hand combat and lots of laughs.
 

But even this stunning display of action is only a hint at what’s in store at day’s end--the spectacular, and always dramatic, Ultimate Joust. As the sun begins to set over the massive four-story reviewing stand from which the Queen presides, peasants are leading thousands of spectators in cheer for their favorite knights. The drummers are pounding out a heart-thumping beat and fivearmoured knights ride in on horseback. Soon the clash of steel and lance resounds across the entire village.  For a while it appears that bedlam is inevitable, but with a stern command Elizabeth restores order.  Weapons are cast aside, a victor is declared, and everyone heads for the Finale In Song celebration at Shakespeare’s majestic Globe Theatre in preparation for a magical celebration to the days revelry.
 
You’re One Of The Stars
 
Your mind is still swirling and whirling from a day unlike any you’ve ever experienced. As you exit the castle gates, you come face to face one last time with the scores of unforgettable village folk who made you smile and feel at home-- the Lords and Ladies, the knights in armour, the wenches who serenaded you at the Boarshead Inn, and the rogues who taught your children to walk like a pirate. At the end of this gauntlet of affection is the Queen, there to bid you safe journey and to command you to return soon.
 
The marvelous fantasy of the Faire unfolds Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day Monday, mid-August through October; the gates are open from 11am until 8 pm.
 
Location:

The Faire is set amidst the splendor of the formal gardens of Victorian Mount Hope Estate and Winery, Route 72, 15 miles north of Lancaster and 14 miles east of Hershey, one-half mile south of PA Turnpike Exit 266.

For further information:

• call (717) 665-7021, ext. 120

• visit www.parenfaire.com where advance discount tickets are also available