By Lydia McAllister & Madison Moench
The Gulf Coast’s 24th Annual Renaissance Faire once again brought whimsy to Pensacola over the weekends of Feb. 22nd to 23rd and Mar. 1st to 2nd. Established by Steve Melei, the faire encourages costumes but does not require them which makes those who do participate in the Medieval garb more novel.
This event had everything expected of a renaissance faire with the comically large turkey legs to the jousting tournaments and many more things that were not expected but made the experience all the more celebratory; mainly the cowboy stage featuring an Elvis impersonator and a pirate stage near the entrance welcoming guests in with sea shanties.
With sunny skies and a breeze, the faire hosted eager crowds, all with the background of the hustling and bustling tents and booths set up with vendors selling their wares. An example of this is Sue Lincoln and her small business: Uncustomerry. Lincoln detailed how she and her daughter make their products and sell them at fairs and events like this one. “I get to dress up everyday and have fun,” said Lincoln.
Her love for Renaissance Faires has been lifelong as she attended the very first renaissance faire in Aguara, California in 1963. The Uncustomerry booth was home to beautiful upcycled wooden cigar boxes with designs carved into them. This renaissance faire was a treasure trove of handmade items and was plentiful with vendors greeting and detailing their products with an enthusiasm that makes browsing feel more special; Uncustomerry was one of many charming small businesses.
One small business in harmony with the themes of the event was Captain Joy with Pirate Industries LLC who took the time to explain to me the ingredients and remedies in the tea Captain Joy makes. Tea lovers may be interested to hear that Pirate Industries LLC releases a new tea every year after the crew members first try and approve it.
The Pirate Industries LLC is based in Marshville, North Carolina but the captain and crew have been going to renaissance fairs across the country for ten years and have an active website and Instagram page in their namesake so you can still shop online for some treasure if you get hooked.
The people moving through the booths and entertainment also had a curiosity for the items and how they came to be, it was beautiful to see so many people in happy conversation and I made friends during one of the jousting tournaments with a lovely couple, Grace and Mikey Springfield, who later sat down with me and answered my questions about their motivations for attending. Grace Springfield said she “loves people” and described how being involved with a fun event and putting themselves out there encourages an “important sense of community” for her. Mikey Springfield described how they loved asking the vendors questions and understanding the jovial performers who live their lives at conventions and Renaissance fairs like this one.
Among the performances and vendors, there was a petting zoo, and further into the faire was even an area sectioned off for kids to take a short ride on a camel or horse. This, combined with the fantastical theme, makes the renaissance fair a nice event to take kids for a weekend. Many kids get a spring use out of their Halloween costumes. From fairy wings and flower crowns to wizard hats and homemade armor, the grounds were bursting with an appreciation of the theme. Seeing the costumes and creativity of the other guests was one of the most enjoyable parts of attending because it was a constant conversation of admiring the costumes and recognizing characters like Ariel and Gandalf.
While the booths were plentiful, you cannot have a renaissance faire without the jousting. Saturday’s jousting match began at 4:00 P.M with the two sides, England and Scotland, throwing insults at each other to rile up the crowd of onlookers. During the first act of the joust, each knight sliced, pierced, or spiked a watermelon that was staked to a podium. There were three rounds of this act with each round using one watermelon. Swords, rapiers, and maces were used to entertain the crowd as the knights swung at the melons. However, the crowd wanted to see more than just watermelon spiking. And so, the second act of the joust, the act that everyone wanted to see, began.
Unlike the first act with the watermelons, the knights did not wield actual weapons. The knights instead used color-coded red or blue plastic lances that would shatter on impact if they hit the opposing knight with enough force. There were five rounds of this joust with the Scottish being heavily favored to win. Between rounds the actors of either side kept rallying the crowd either through insulting one another or performing cartwheels. Then, once the final round ended, both knights got off of their horses and began dueling with swords for the final act, act three.
This final act would solidify who won the joust along with stating which country was far superior. The duel started out with either side clashing their blades into the other’s blade along with a few tussles to break up the sword banging. Eventually, the Scottish knight overpowered the English knight – not once – but twice, solidifying the Scottish as the winner of Saturday’s jousting performance.
For those who did not get to go to this renaissance fair, the Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire will also be putting on a Celtic Music Fest on April 12, 2025. You can find details about it on the Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire website. These events are great opportunities to make friends, support local businesses, enjoy the chance to dress up, and flaunt your creativity.
