Those hoping to escape to romance and maybe a little bit of
revelry are in luck as the Northern California Renaissance Faire
returns to Casa de Fruta. For five weekends in a row, Casa de Fruta
will be transformed into
”
Willingtown
”
a fictional 16th Century village where it might be common to
hear phrases such as
”
Good Morrow!
”
and
”
Fetch me an ale!
”
Those hoping to escape to romance and maybe a little bit of revelry are in luck as the Northern California Renaissance Faire returns to Casa de Fruta.
For five weekends in a row, Casa de Fruta will be transformed into “Willingtown” a fictional 16th Century village where it might be common to hear phrases such as “Good Morrow!” and “Fetch me an ale!”
The annual event, in its seventh year under Play Faire Productions, allows visitors to experience the re-creation of an Elizabethan village. The Renaissance Faire brings in hundreds of crafts and artisans, and there are various shows and musical acts throughout each day.
The faire will be offering an array of music performances starting at 6 p.m. for the after-hour crowd according to Maurene Drew, the faire’s entertainment director.
And of course, there are the costumes. Faire employees have to wear them, while visitors can do as they please – for the most part.
“The customers can wear anything they want, unless it’s … indecent,” Drew said.
The faire will be held every weekend starting Saturday and will end Oct. 17. Festivities will be held throughout each day starting at 10 a.m. before closing at 6 p.m.
Entertainment includes music and dance from traditional styles of Celtic, Gypsy Tribal and Morris and English Country. A Royal Garden stage will host Renaissance theatre throughout the faire’s run. A number of other stages will have live bands and comedy shows.
Drew noted some of those comedy acts, such as “Manly Men in Tights,” which involves some lively sword fighting, and “Dirty Laundry,” which she described as “two women that are hilarious.”
At the Tournament of Horses Arena there will be daily showcases of swords, daggers and lance jousting.
Starting the second weekend, each week will feature a new theme that highlights the Renaissance in different ways. The first one Sept. 24 and Sept. 25 will be “Pirate Invasion Weekend.”
The faire this year is offering free admission to children ages 12 and younger. Drew also stressed how it’s a family-friendly event and mentioned some features for children such as sing-along shows and the Piccolo Puppet Players doing the “Punch & Judy Show.”
The Renaissance Faire this year also will feature a bilingual show, called Teatro de Espana, while the overall theme of the 2010 event is “Blame it on Drake.”
That’s as in Sir Francis Drake, an icon from the period, whose crewmen “basically wreaked havoc on our town,” Drew said.
Northern California Renaissance Faire
– 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday
– Casa de Fruta, off Highway 152
through Oct. 17
– www. norcalrenfaire.org
– Tickets are $25 for attendance to one day. To attend an entire weekend the price is $35. To purchase a pass to the all five weeks, the price is $150 per person. Tickets are available at the event’s website.
– Children 12 and younger are free.
– Those willing to participate and dress up are able to rent costumes at the event’s gates. Prices range from $8 to $65.
Editor Kollin Kosmicki contributed to this report.
