|
My
Lords and Ladies, Get Ye to the Texas Renaissance Festival!
by Paris Permenter & John Bigley, Editors, Lovetripper.com
>
more on Renaissance weddings & getaways
For seven autumn weekends,
this Texas-sized celebration transports visitors back to the days
of King Henry VIII. Here you can step back into a fantasy world
where the king and 500 subjects process through the streets at
noon, where jesters and jugglers provide a colorful entertainment
at every turn, where craftsmen rekindle ancient skills, and where
Anne Boleyn once again loses her head for you-know-who.
Located near Houston between Plantersville and Magnolia, the Texas
Renaissance Festival is the largest Renaissance Festival in the
country. Over its seven-weekend run, the event draws 325,000 visitors.
The fairgrounds are transformed into a medieval world with 300
permanent structures all constructed in the true Tudor style.
Dont be shy about arriving at the festival bedecked in medieval
regalia. Many guests blend right in, so much so that craftsmen
and actors are identified with leather badges.
Budget an entire day for the festival (and a whole weekend if
you intend to enjoy several shows). Just covering the entire pine-shaded
grounds takes time, and, in true Renaissance style, you dont
want to rush a la 21st century.
One way to kick back to a slower time is the King's Feast, a two-hour
event that combines a six-course meal with rollicking and sometimes
bawdy entertainment. Between courses, guests (each sporting a
red or blue hat, some with multiple points) enjoy entertainment
by Merlin the Magician, bellydancers, a tightrope walker, and
musicians. Those who dont partake in the feast will find
plenty of good food throughout the park, from turkey legs to shrimp
kabobs, washed down with red wine or a mug of ale. And for wine-loving
couples, there's also the King's Wine Tasting for a chance to
enjoy eight premium wines.
Authentic arts and crafts fill the booths throughout the festival.
Look for glassblowers, jewelry makers, leather workers, candlemakers,
potters, and more. Over 300 arts and crafts shops are positioned
throughout the grounds.
Equally authentic are the shows, scheduled throughout the day
at stages across the park. Mud wrestlers. Jousters. Chariot races.
Magic shows. Twenty one stages entertain visitors with over 200
performances every day.
Getting There:
Festival
grounds are located between Plantersville and Magnolia on FM 1774,
northwest of Houston. From Houston, take I-45 north, turn left
on 105, turn left on FM 1774 at Plantersville and drive six miles
to the grounds. Parking is free as is camping.
Bridal Bits:
If
youve had visions of a wedding Romeo and Juliet style, heres
your chance. Fantasy wedding packages are available for any weekend.
While at the festival, we witnessed a beautiful wedding ceremony
held in the center of the festival grounds. Following a procession
of costumed actors representing friars, Anne Boleyn, and ladies-in-waiting,
the bride arrived in a horse-drawn coach. Her arrival at the ivy-covered
wedding bough was heralded by the sound of trumpets. Guests sat
on simple benches in the wedding bough and following an exchange
of vows performed by a costumed minister, the party enjoyed a
feast of medieval foods. [Click
here for more on getting married at the Texas Renaissance
Festival.]
For More Information:
Call (800) 458-3435 for general information
and ticket prices or see www.texrenfest.
Wedding
photo courtesy Texas Renaissance Festival
|