A Trip to Medieval England: A Parent's Review of the PA Renaissance Faire

8/24/16 - By Becki Melchione

At the Mount Hope Estate and Winery just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lancaster County, the King and Queen are eager to welcome guests to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. As summer turns to autumn, festivals abound. For an enjoyable day of low-tech amusements, it’s hard to beat this trip back in time.

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Visitors approach the Castle Gates from parking located on grassy hills. The walk from the car to the gates can be lengthy depending on when you arrive, so bringing a stroller or wagon for smaller ones will be helpful (it will continue to be helpful inside as well). The entrance is like walking through the imposing gate of a medieval castle with faux stonework towers, and friendly, costumed greeters who chat with you to give the feel of being transported to Medieval England.

Inside the festival grounds, there are several main thoroughfares (Queen’s Market Way, North and South Guildman’s Way, Faire Way, Privy Lane, and Bacchus Boulevard), with less well-trodden paths crossing here and there. Signage isn’t great and it’s easy to get turned around, but everything is in fairly close proximity, so exploring adds to the sense of discovery. When we really needed to get somewhere, it was easier and more fun to ask one of the many actors wandering around for directions. At the very least, the directions you’ll receive will be given with an interesting accent. Bathrooms are located mainly on the outer edges of the festival (one set is located just outside the entrance gates for easy access before entering or after leaving), while the others are by Swashbucklet Grove, Glen’s Market Square, and, aptly, Privy Lane. The bathrooms aren’t fancy, but they were clean.

There are four reasons we go to Renaissance Festivals: the anachronism (pretending that you’re visiting another time), the shopping (unique, mostly handmade items that you won’t find in Target), the entertainment (one word: jousting, but there’s lots more), and the food (how often does one get to eat roast turkey legs with one’s hands).

   Posing with the Daughters of Ireland.  

There aren’t many places around where the whole family can put on their medieval garb and enjoy a day out together. Although dressing in costume is encouraged, we didn’t dig out our Renaissance King and Queen Halloween costumes from last year, even though I bought them with this in mind. A sweltering hot day plus 100% polyester costumes didn’t sound like it was going to end well (cheers to the the festival for having a cooling station, which helped). Our four year old twin daughters did accessorize their summer dresses with some fairy and princess accessories from home (wings, flower crowns, wands) and they received lots of attention from the actors who would greet them, “Ahhh…fairy princesses are joining us today.” Interacting with the actors was their favorite part of the festival, from meeting a pirate who had a talking parrot and gave them each a pirate coin, to talking to a trio of Irish princesses with whom they took a photo, and interacting with a flower seller from whom they received pretty wooden roses. My daughters were on the hunt for the King and Queen and any princesses they could find, and were in awe when we finally found them. They were so intimidated, they wouldn’t even wave, but that isn’t the fault of any of the actors. Everyone we encountered was incredibly friendly, nice, and helpful.

I figured that if my daughters were already wearing some princess accessories, they wouldn’t want any of the beautiful dresses, headpieces, crowns, and jewelry that so many of the shops carried, and that we could avoid a tantrum. It worked for them, but not for me. Although we did our best to try to avoid the shops, I couldn’t help but swoon over the adorable kids’ costumes at Wee Dragon and the fun, low-tech toys at Enchanted Forest and Sir Launch a Lot. If anyone is looking for a pirate or princess or any sort of medieval costume, this is the place to buy it.

    Circus Stella perfoming aerial acrobatoics. 

Next, the entertainment. There are 15 stages plus demonstration areas with performances that include singing, music, acrobatics, magic, dancing, mind reading, hypnotism, dramatic plays, comedy skits, readings, and much more. We received a schedule upon entry and tried to pick the kid-friendliest options. The schedule is impressive: every thirty minutes from 11 AM - 7 PM, there are anywhere from seven to eleven options from which to choose. Most programs stay within those 30 minute windows while a few extend to 45 minutes. We sat down for four shows and wandered into and out of a few more.

 The Daughters of Ireland singing.  

Although much of the entertainment is appropriate for all ages (some shows have adult content and are marked on the schedule with an asterisk), some are geared especially toward the younger set such as Children vs. Peasants, King’s Calvary, Trunk Shows, and the Magical Merriment Parade. A small stage, the Discovery Stage, near the Children’s Discovery Garden also has stories/shows for kids. With props like inflatable horses, swords, shields, the Children vs. Peasants show is an interactive treat, with a group of kids selected to train to defend His Majesty from the peasants threatening revolt. A Lady Mayor directs the kids in learning to wield a sword, defend using a shield, and ride a horse, with comic effect on the peasants they’re fighting against. The Circus Stella includes elements that entertained the kids -- the dogs jumping through hoops and doing tricks -- while we enjoyed the more difficult aerial performances, and the jokes and double entendres from the performers. Even though much of the entertainment is appropriate for all ages, it does not necessarily entertain all ages. The Mud Squad was funny for a few minutes because there was slapstick humor and lots of falling in mud (beware the front row), but it didn’t keep our attention beyond that. One note I have to make: at the stages we attended, a good portion, I’d say quarter to half of the seating is shaded which makes a huge difference on a hot, sunny day like the 90-plus degree day we attended. One of the other positives is that you can come and go from the audience when the kids get bored or tired or cranky and no one is disturbed by it.

Other forms of entertainment include the man-powered rides and games. There was a cool-looking dragon swing (the Hippogriff) close to the Chess Board, which my daughters absolutely refused to get on despite my pleading, and a winding ride (the Crow’s Nest) in which a group of men twist your carriage up a pole and then let it unwind down. If there’s a better way to remind kids of the benefits of electricity and encourage them to be grateful for the ease of turning on an iPad to entertain themselves, this is it. The Gaming Village has a variety of Renaissance-style games to play that older kids (ages 5+) would love.

Is there a way to roast turkey legs at home like they do at the Renaissance Festival? Can one even buy only the turkey leg? Either way, it’s much easier to spend the money here and indulge your craving for ripping the meat off of a giant bone. The meat is a bit smokey, perfectly roasted, delicious. Something about the way it feels authentic makes gnawing on the leg even more fun. My kids enjoyed a few bites of the turkey, but they had already eaten hot dogs, french fries, and half of my pickle on a stick. There is plenty of standard kid food like pizza, macaroni and cheese (one place called Macbeth’s Mac & Cheese sells only that), hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, and much of it is concentrated along Queen’s Market Way.

Although children aged 4 and under are a little young to fully appreciate and take advantage of all of the offerings of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival, we had a fun day. In a couple of years, I think they’ll really enjoy all of the entertainment and games that the festival has to offer and then we’ll come back, ride the Hippogriff and much more.

The Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival runs every weekend from August 6 through October 30, 2016.

Here are a few tips for making the most of your day:

Get Dressed: How many times is it socially acceptable (not to mention fun).  

Plan ahead: There's so much to see that it's impossible to see it all. Take a few moments when you arrive to plan what you don't want to miss.

Pack smart: Bring plenty of refillable water bottles and sun screen, but no outside food (it's not allowed).

Bring cash: Some merchants don't take credit.

All photos are courtesy of the author.

Places featured in this article:


Mount Hope Estate & Winery