The 2006 Tennessee Renaissance Festival is in full swing on New Castle Road in Triune every weekend in May. Filled with fun activities for the whole family, the Renaissance Festival offers, jugglers, jousting, sword fighting, strolling minstrels, food, fairies, Queen Elizabeth and a village full of entertaining peasants, lords and ladies.
Billed as family entertainment, the Renaissance Festival takes pains to monitor costuming and to keep the festival fun for even young children. However, there is ale served on the premises, and Axel the Sot is given a PG rating by the fair for his racy act, so be advised not all the activities are meant for children.
Two knights engage in a sword fight atop their mounts.
The jousting matches are events not to be missed at the festival, but prior to the jousting is the equally entertaining human chess match with comedy and sword play from performers dressed in period costumes. Events such as these make the festival a hit both with history buffs and fans of Middle Earth and Narnia.
Paolo Garbonzo juggles the sword of death, the flaming stick of death, and the, er, onion of death while also keeping rowdy children in line.
One crowd pleaser is the juggling of Paulo Garbonzo, who tosses witty comments and sharp objects with equal measures of skill. At his show, a heckling youngster earned the child’s mother a verbal “Parenting Award” from Garbonzo to the applause of his audience. Garbonzo’s juggling was followed by the belly dancers of Baraka Mundi.
Baraka Mundi, the trio of belly-dancing gypsies, decide to perform the dance of the fans instead of eating glass.
Right across the way is the beautiful Castle Gwynn. the lifelong dream of Bill Freeman – a Renaissance castle slowly being built in Triune to exacting detail.
Attending the Renaissance Festival is like taking a trip back in time. The crafts, wares for sale, entertainment and man-powered rides are all from another period. Although hot dogs and Cokes can be found, so can Leg of Fowl and Scottish Eggs. The experience is enhanced by dressing for the period in a tunic, long skirt, or altering that bridesmaid’s dress or prom dress you just don’t know what to do with!
The festival ends on Memorial Day, so there is still time to take the family back in time to the days of Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo, Shakespeare, and Sir Frances Drake, and you don’t even need to crack a code to get there!
Once is not enough – We had so much fun at the festival on the 13th, we went back on Memorial Day!
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