Renaissance Festival brings thousands to Sunset Park

By Diana Cox

Monday, Oct. 13, 2008 | 4:51 p.m.

The haunting sounds of chanting monks filled the air, interrupted by clangs of metal hitting metal in the distance. The smell of smoke and cooking food mixed with scents of burning incense. A peasant stepped on the skirt of Queen Elizabeth I, causing it to rip from the bodice. The lucky gentleman was fortunate enough to keep his head.

For $10, visitors to Sunset Park this weekend experienced life during the age of chivalry at the Clark County Parks and Recreation Renaissance Festival, which took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The event featured tournaments between jousting knights, lessons in sword fighting, floggings of misbehaving wenches, guilds of belly dancers and court jesters.

Fair-goers were treated to the sounds of the Celtic harp and the nyckelharpa, medieval musical instruments. Musician Scott Williams played the hammered dulcimer, a xylophone-type instrument brought to Europe from the Middle East during the Crusades.

More than 200 artisans and craftsmen from throughout the United States and Canada demonstrated and sold their wares. Booths included gold and silver smiths, costume makers, woodworkers, toy makers, leather workers, and sword, dagger and armor makers. Demonstrations of cloth weaving were shown on a wooden weaving loom, and food vendors cooked up turkey legs and shepherd's pie. English beers and ales were available for lords, ladies and peasants of 21st century drinking age.

Los Angeles resident Cara Benecke, owner of Spirit Circle and Wise Woman Products, sold homemade powders, perfumes, lotions and jewelry of Renaissance.

"I've had a blast out here," she said. "I love RenFair people, you can spot them a mile away. They are great people."

Tim James, owner of Pendragon Jewelry in St. George, Utah, began dabbling in making medieval and Celtic style jewelry while recovering from surgery. He has now turned the hobby into a thriving business and has been coming to the Renaissance Faire at Sunset Park for the past 10 years.

Friends Jeremy McClenahan and Richard Dennis, members of the Dogs of War Guild, posed for pictures with fair-goers. The two men, along with friends, formed the guild out of a love for the Renaissance culture. The group represents warriors of the time period, and members make their own costumes.

"It probably comes from playing pretend swords as a kid," Dennis said.

Jen Tidwell and Tim Gardner were there with Harbingers of the Crimson Nightfall, a Scottish re-enactment group. The group sets up a historically accurate encampment of travelers with different back stories and offers tours to fair patrons.

Prior to joining the fair, Gardner said, "We had been coming to the fairs for years."

Their setup is historically accurate, down the to level of luxury afforded to different characters, they said. The group features the last four Knights of the Templar, made popular in Dan Brown's best-seller, "The Da Vinci Code."

Last year, the four made a show of the fact that they were hiding from the authorities after Mary Queen of Scots called for their heads. This year, they were free to roam after their queen afforded the four a pardon at the end of last year's fair.

"We are definitely a group of historical enthusiasts," Tidwell said.

In the arena, knights in metal body armor jousted and re-enacted hand-to-hand combat with medieval weapons. Spectators were led in a chant of "God save the queen, God save the queen," earning a ceremonial wave from the Queen seated at the end of the field.

About 35,000 people attended the Renaissance Fair last year. This year's numbers were still be tallied as of Monday.

Diana Cox can be reached at 990-8183 or [email protected].