Better than Disney World: Why the Renaissance Faire is the Perfect Summer Adventure For the Whole Family

Every kid dreams of their first trip to Disney World, and some adults too for that matter! It's a shame that Disney Parks are so far away for most, so time consuming, and so costly. Let's face it. Geek is chic nowadays for folks of all ages and it can be challenging to get your fandom fix, especially when it comes to funding fantasy for the whole family. What if I told you that in a park near you, hides another world where knights, queens, heroes, and villains reign supreme for a mere $20 a ticket? 

Just a short drive away there's probably a renaissance faire about to kick festivities into high gear for the summer with jousts, maypole dances, first class entertainment, and fairy magic. You'd be a fool to miss out on the fun!

The finest food in the kingdom!

Renaissance faires boast delicious turkey legs fit for Henry VIII and treats to wow kiddies and parents alike. Faires offer chocolate covered bacon, funnel cake, and even Butterbeer for the wandering witch or wizard!

Carolina Renaissance Festival DavidsonNews.net 

Merchants and artisans galore!

Talented craftsmen and women from around the country gather at faires to showcase everything from blown glass to blacksmithing- even children's toys! My favorite is the marshmallow catapult found at the New York Renaissance Faire. It sure makes for an interesting drive home!

Sterling Renaissance Faire starryskies.wordpress.com

Entertainment for all!

Fire eaters, belly dancers, and bawdy songstresses- Oh my! There's something for everyone at renaissance festivals whether you enjoy acts of daring, acrobatics, or comedic magicians. 

Stephanie Veto for The Intelligencer 

Mirna L. Faulkner NYRF

Costumes to die for!

Some people spend years collecting or hand crafting their costumes and those that are provided for the cast always add that extra wow factor! Prepare to be amazed and enchanted by your surroundings.

Cherry Bomb Photography

Family Travel Files Ezine

Action and adventure!

No renaissance faire is complete without knights hurtling lance first on horseback down the field of battle and buxom women exchanging blows! Jousts and living chess matches will be sure to thrill even the staunchest curmudgeons in your party.

Minnesota Renaissance Festival Family Outings blogs.twincities.com 

Romance galore!

Heading to your local faire is the perfect way to celebrate your relationship! It's a fantastic first date or even a chance for long married couples to dress up together and rekindle that still burning flame in a thrilling immersive environment. Chivalry and romance are very much alive at the renaissance faire!

NY Renaissance Faire renfair.com/ny

History so close you can touch it!

For the history buff's in your family, a visit to the royal court is a must! Cinderella step aside, because at the faire, you'll get a chance to meet her royal majesty Queen Elizabeth I and the members of her retinue- all played by actors who are passionate about sharing their fascinating stories. This is the perfect way to get children interested in important historical figures.

Kimberly D Stockton

Fantasy for all!

Get swept up in the experience. After a day at faire, it can be hard to return the harshness of the real world but the fairies will always be waiting for your next visit! Your children will be enchanted by interactions with magical spirits and legendary heroes like Robin Hood. Adults will be transported to another era by wielding swords and enjoying flagons of mead in this enthralling environment. It's impossible not to fall in love with this irresistible escape and luckily it's easy for it to become a yearly outing! 

Twin Cities Daily Planet

Theta_sigma Bristol Renaissance Faire

Premiering TIA

"What do a Broadway-or-bust diva, an avant-garde performance artist, a dancer starting too late, and a hapless jack of all trades have in common? Find out in the new webseries, This Is Art, a satirical love letter to the postgraduate misadventures of undiscovered artists living in NYC."

THIS IS ART is a comedy created by and starring my best friend Emily Floyd, who has been mentioned on the blog several times, and myself. We just premiered in partnership with BroadwayWorld.com Comedy and we'd love for you to tune in and watch! The first two episodes are out and available for viewing with a new episode airing every two weeks afterwards. 

In 2011, we did an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the show and exceeded our $6000 goal by over $1000. We successfully crowdfunded our entire first season and dove headfirst into production. After a whirlwind ten day shoot, we started a bumpy post production period that lasted years as we worked to complete what equated to a full length feature film, requiring the talents of industry professionals willing to work for way below their typical pay grade.

This is also a wonderful look back in time to a older version of myself. I'm no less proud of my performance and all the hard work I put into this show but this was a pre- Project Reroll Anne. I hardly recognize that girl when I see her on screen and I am so grateful that I've been able to pursue performance more vigorously since getting serious about personal health. I'd love to bring my new self, experiences, and physique to a new season of THIS IS ART.

If our audience for the first season is good, we may get an order from Broadway World to make more seasons of the show. Please watch and consider supporting us by sharing on your social media pages.

Here's our premiere on BWW Comedy:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwcomedy/article/STAGE-TUBE-Watch-Episodes-1-2-of-New-Webseries--THIS-IS-ART-20150113?PageSpeed=noscript

Our website:

Http://www.watchthisisart.com

Like us on Facebook:

Http://www.facebook.com/watchthisisart

Twitter:

@followthisisart

Subscribe on YouTube:

Http://www.youtube.com/watchthisisart

You can also contact us at thisisartwebseries@gmail.com

Thanks for supporting our show!

It's Happening!

Mango smoothie

Banana

Turkey slices 

Cashews

Dried mango 

Salmon

Hard cider 

Day 17

Banana

Mixed Berry Juice

Steak, Onions, Mixed Veggies

Salmon

A few bites of gross squash (RAGE)

Hard Apple Cider

I SAW INTERSTELLAR. I have so many thoughts. It was a lot like Contact, which is one of my most favorite movies ever. The acting was superb and the science was all pretty solid. I had feels. I'm still processing it. It was a really interesting look at what happens to Earth when it gets used up and what the risks of interstellar space flight might be. I've always been fascinated by the concept of time slippage and how time on Earth might pass differently than if you were traveling around anomalies like black holes and worm holes and they really rooted all of their scientific concepts for the plot of the movie in emotional human needs. 

I really don't want to say much more except for SEE IT and let me know what you thought in the comments!

Day 16

Eggs, Bacon, Onion

Tea, Almond Milk, Stevia

Apple

Cashews, Dried Mango

Mixed Berry Juice

Steak, Broccoli 

Day 15

Juice
Banana

Apple
Cashews and dried mango

salmon, brocoli, squash

white wine (too much white wine)
Pastry

GUYS. I learned something. Excessively drinking leads to bad dietary decisions. I'm not ashamed because as far as diet is concerned, it was not the worst day. I had eaten too little to begin with and I didn't get my break till 4pm and they closed the catering before I got there. So letting myself starve all day, basically, while being active, getting mad and anxious, going for drinks and not being super responsible resulted in pastry eatage.

And believe me I'm paying for it this morning. But I'm going to give myself a break and just make better decisions today.

End of week 2

This, on the whole, has not been my strongest week. It's ok because I learned some things and I'm not giving up, bud gaaahd. I'm annoyed that yet again todag I are outside of my guidelines. Today was a problem because I woke up late and was unable to prepare for the day in the way I needed to because I basically had to get up and rush out the door to work. I started at 9 and was supposed to get a half hour break at 1, but after work I had tickets to a dress rehearsal of the Christmas Spectacular and right after that, I had an hour to get uptown to see Dane Cook in the NY comedy festival, leaving no time for cooking or shopping at my go to eateries because the time was too short. I knew I couldn't reheat anything because I hadn't had time to pack a lunch before I left and I also couldn't live off of my morning juice, some nuts, and an apple till 11pm. To make matters worse, when I got to my break time, there was chaos on the floor and I didn't end up going on my break until 10 minutes into it. So left with that I had to grab the first protein that was available and shove it down my gullet. I ended up picking up a sandwich at lunch and gulping down hot soup between the two shows. Calorie wise, I think everything still probably turned out okay, but it definitely wasn't a Paleo day. I'll do better tomorrow.

Mango/Orange Smoothie

Turkey, cheddar, lettuce, mayo sandwich

Split pea soup