Margaret Spitznagel
March 4, 2011
JOU 2100
Feature Story
Three women emerged from the gold and purple cloth tent, jingling with each delicate step, as they went to stand in front of
the king. Drums, flutes, and tambourines began to flow from the tent, as the women danced in harmony before the king.
Walking past the king’s court, one encounters delicious aromas, the sound of children laughing, women weaving and beading,
men bantering in 15th century languages, and credit cards being swiped.
“This is our third year here,” said Selema Hammon, a resident of Pensacola. “It is always so interesting.”
The 10th Annual Renaissance Fair visited the Pensacola Fairgrounds on Saturday to take the modern individual for a visit back
through the ages. Bringing in around five thousand tourists, kings, queens, students, knights, parents, and children, the fair
offered something to all ages and to all centuries.
Wooden signs greet you as you enter the grounds, directing you to places such as Camelot, the dungeon, the dragon’s cave,
and the knight’s arena. Gold and red flags greeting you to the fair whip in the wind as royal blue flags declare their territory’s
name.
The marketplace was a bustling area of aromas, sights, and clamor. With turkey legs being fried deep into oil, swords clashing
against each other in the sunlight, and children laughing atop a high elephant’s back, there was something to captivate
everyone’s attention.
“This is our first time here, and so far, so good,” said Bill Williams of Fairhope, while snacking on salted almonds and fresh
lemonade. “We’re planning to be here all day, and are very eager about the jousting.”
From classic Greek food to blue raspberry slushies and seasoned pork hanging from tent, the food varied in both modern and
ancient favorites. Open coconuts offered a refreshing break to the king’s belly dancers, while hotdogs slathered in mustard
offered the knights a fueling meal for their game.
With woven rugs covering dusty grounds, vendors set up their cloth tents with wooden poles. Peaking inside, each tent
revealed a different display of goods. Scarves entwined with coins, large steel pints, and suits of armor were found priced
amongst wax candles, Chinese umbrellas, and hand-beaded jewelry.
Following the sound of the applause on the far side of the marketplace, a woman bickers in the middle of the jousting arena
with two men about finding buried treasure. Children cheered from the bleachers for the man in the purple and the man in the
red as they both drew out their swords and fought with their blades and their 15th century banter.
“I have never been here before, and I like this a lot,” said Sarah Miller, a student at Pensacola High School. “The sword fight
was so good.”
With no modern technology to announce the jousting tournament, a woman stepped into the jousting arena and piercingly
called out the arrival of the jousting knights.
Lining up with their horses, the knights in their armor shined in the sunlight as they prepared to fight. Children cheered, and
adults smirked as the game began. One name was called after another, announcing the title of each knight fighting that day.
Each competitor grabbed their wooden joust and spurred their horses. A collective gasp was heard in the audience as an
impact could be both seen and heard in the middle of the arena. The winner was called, and the audience responded in an
uproar of applause.
Classic fair games could be found on the outskirts of the marketplace. Men clothed in classic Renaissance attire stood manning
the booths with their yellow lens sunglasses on. Children threw darts at balloons for stuffed animal prices, while others
donned butterfly face paint on their cheeks.
Uproars of laughter could be heard on the far side of the fairgrounds. A man wearing stockings and a floppy hat stood
balancing on a ladder on a stage in front of dozens of people. His accent was of the 15th century, while his humor was of the
20th century.
The man twirled a rope around both himself and the ladder as he called three children up to the stage. The children ducked
under the rope, and the man lassoed them tight. His tricks gained more laughs and a roar of applause.
Behind the laughter coming from the stage were nervous chuckles from both children and adults. Two Dromedary camels and
a large elephant offered exciting rides to those seeing a thrill. Thick red woven rugs draped over the back of each animal while
four riders sat atop with wide eyes as they rode in circles swaying back and forth.
“We come every single year, and plan to keep it that way”, said Mike Hammon, a resident of Pensacola.
As the modern tourists left the Renaissance that day, they left with beaded jewelry adorning their neck, pictures of a sword
fight, butterflies painted on their checks, stomachs full of both familiar and new cuisines, and memories of what once existed
in the 15th century.