A Step Back in Time to the Renaissance Faire

A knight prepares to joust at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (Photo by medievalfaires.com)

A knight prepares to joust at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (Photo by medievalfaires.com)

At 7:30 a.m. on October 17, 2013, the sixth grade gathered in front of Shallcross Hall to depart on a journey to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. In Social Studies, the sixth graders have been learning about the Middle Ages, so visiting the faire provided them with further knowledge about medieval times. There were many shops and attractions for them to visit that were both informing and entertaining. The sixth graders split into seven groups, and these groups had two chaperones each. There were a number of activities in which each group could participate, including mudbegging, jousts, chess, melee battles, and magic shows. At mudbegging, actors pretending to be homeless serfs performed a comedy act in the mud pit, as they would have in medieval times. Sixth grader Emma Gordon said, “I really liked all of the Renaissance Faire, but I really enjoyed watching the comedy knife throwing. It was really funny and I liked seeing Mr. Barry stand still and have knives thrown around him!”

There were two jousting matches, one in the middle of the day and one at the end of the day. Two knights on horseback with blunted lances charged at one another and attempted to knock the opposing knight off of his horse. There was also a few magic shows; there was a hypnotist, alchemist, and a magician. At the human chess match, Queen Elizabeth and Ireland’s Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley faced each other in a battle of the wits and strength, but a winner was not declared. The sixth graders finished the day with an Ultimate Battle in which Queen Elizabeth’s Knights fought The Pirate Queen’s and, of course, Queen Elizabeth was the victor!

When asked about his experience, sixth grader Thad Bashaw said, “It was really really really fun, and it was interesting to see the style of life people lived back in the Renaissance.”

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