From eating turkey legs to buying Elizabethan fashion, the North Florida Renaissance Faire gave history-enthused patrons in the Panhandle a taste of 16th-century Europe. The event hosted its second annual Renaissance faire on March 21 and 22 and marked the first time the North Florida Fairgrounds held the event in Tallahassee, a change reflecting the North Florida Renaissance Faire’s consideration of audience feedback.
The fairgrounds teemed with patrons dressed in everything from historical royalty garbs and townspeople to fantasy cosplayers, fur suits, and favorite pop culture characters. The setting curated an immersive atmosphere with wooden and cloth tents and period-accurate regalia.
“The first associations for [Renaissance] faires might be knights and beer wenches, but you’ll find so many others representing. From [science fiction] nerds and anime cosplayers to circus performers, Shakespeare nerds and clown core enthusiasts, everyone is welcome,” FSU honors professor Christina Owens said to the FSView. “[Renaissance] faires provide a rare setting where cross-generational whimsy and cross-subcultural creativity are celebrated.”
Knights of Valour bring extreme jousting to the fairgrounds
Performers included the Tallahassee Irish Step Dancers, the fire and dance troupe Entertainment Ignited, musicians Celtica Nova, and the Knights of Valour, the largest extreme full-contact jousting company in the world.
Patrons gathered around the jousting field, with a lucky few claiming coveted bleacher spots. The crowd roared as the knights aimed their period-accurate lances at their opponents’ chests.
As the knights donned full armor, the danger of the sport was palpable with lances splintering upon contact and riders falling from their horses. Despite the intensity, guests remained unconcerned for the knights’ safety, instead rooting for their favorite competitors.
Many knights and other Renaissance Faire staff members have worked in the industry for decades. Canadian Knight of Valour TJ “The Mountain” Duquette has competed for 27 years and sustained 26 dislocated shoulders during that time.