Maidens, minstrels and pirates: Ren faire is almost here
Listen up, fair maidens, wandering minstrels and pirates at heart, for it’s nearly time to celebrate the 6th annual Texarkana Renaissance Faire, to be held Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept 24, at the Four States Fairgrounds The faire promises to be bigger and better with what’s won so many fans in its first five years: stage acts, merchants, live music, cast members, food and demonstrations of various crafts that all strive to create an authentic faire experience here in Texarkana.
Aly Wint, co-owner of the Texarkana Renaissance Faire, says many acts are returning for this year’s rendition. Gates open at 10 a.m. and the last show starts at 6 p.m. each night.
“Most of our stage acts also do lane acts,” Wint said. So there are plenty of chances to see the entertainers, whether on the grounds between merchants or up on the amphitheater stage.
Entertainers performing include The Bilge Pumps, purveyors of pirate tunes and comedy through their songs of the sea and Celtic music. Then there’s Wild Sky Tribal, who provide a stirring show of belly dancing and drumming.
“Always a big draw, fun to watch,” Wint said of the belly dancers.
Capt. Jack Sparrow’s School for Young Pirates returns for another year of teaching youngsters the ribald ways of nautical mischief. Fire hooper Annie Tyson has a scintillating show with dancing and music. Frostylocks & Splinter craft characters that visit themes from Medieval and Renaissance times. They’re a couple: Frostylocks as a wandering minstrel and Splinter as a dark fae.
Red the Clown & Friends use puppetry to create laughter, while The Seadog Slam pontificate poetically with vivacious verse. Count Queen Claude and the French Court as among the special visitors to the Texarkana Renaissance Faire, her interactive villagers adding to the street cast.
Of Red the Clown, Wint says, “He’s a troubadour in its truest form in that he does magic. He’s also a clown. He does balloon animals. He does a danger show. He lays on a bed of nails. He does fire eating. His whole crew is pretty cool.” They also run Disasterpiece Theater puppet show for the kids.
Those gypsy musicians and performers known as Native Souls will delight the audience with Celtic musical merriment and comedy, while Green Man Clan perform Renaissance and fantasy tunes. Dr. Harmonious Scott is joined by Professor Whatever for a spell of drinking songs, sea shanties and tales taller than a ship’s mast.
The Green Man Clan are the Renaissance faire version of the von Trapp family, Wint says.
“This year as a special guest, we actually have Kitara, who is a Eurasian eagle-owl. A giant bird. She has to be 10 or 12 pounds,” she said.
Fairgoers will see a blacksmith demonstration, too. It’s a bladesmith from Historic Washington State Park. Other craft merchants will demonstrate, too. Horse rides, a unicorn included, will be another form of entertainment at the faire.
With the merchants, expect to see everything from pirate treasures to leather goods, chainmail jewelry to apothecary assortments, animal art to perfumes, corsets to other sorts of creative clothing.
“Everything from lotions, potions and oils to woodworking, to leatherworkers,” Wint said.
And when it comes to taste treats, vendors will provide smoked turkey legs, sausageon-a-stick, baked potatoes, kebabs and more. There’s even Greek food.
With the pond gone, expect the Texarkana Renaissance Faire to use more of the wooded green space available to them. Most merchants will be located along the circle, however. There’s a parade at 1 p.m. each day.
“Our motto is bigger and better every year. And really what’s worked the best for us is kind of word of mouth,” Wint said. “People who’ve been and enjoy it and love going, and we really try to target the people that are going to come. We had a table at the comic con a couple weeks ago … and so (reached out to) the cosplayers who like to dress up and do stuff, the people who really dig Halloween.”
(Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12 and free for kids 5 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at Eventbrite.com. More info: TexarkanaFaire.com.)