Rod's Travel: Sat Feb 24, 2007 Arizona Renfest Pleasure Feast

A renfest in the middle of the desert? We must be at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. The grounds is less than 15 minutes from Apache Junction where our motel is. We arrive around 9:45 a.m. We are on the first row of the desert parking lot. To the north are red mountains which overlook the grounds.

Standing high on the front gate ramparts, the nobles are welcoming the guests.

Our Pleasure Feast ticket also serves as our Festival ticket. A first for us is the color souvenier ticket worthy of a scrapbook. As we pass the gates, we are given a trifold schedule with the map of the grounds on the inside . There is also a free program that you can pick up. Peggy checks with the souvenir shoppe and find to our dismay that they carry no souvenier pins.

The entire village of Fairhaven must be out here to greet us. The village of Albright did the same last time I was at the Louisiana Renfest. The two nuns from Hey Nunnie, Nunnie is seated before the Cavalier statue which greets the guests.

Peggy and Heather stop for coffee while Mary and I head to the Monk's Bakery located conveniently next door to the Cappuccino Inn. Why is it that I am always attracted to something that has powdered sugar? The bakery had a wide selection of pastries, and I chose a lemon bar. Powdered sugar looks so good on black velvet. Yeah, right. Oh well, it tasted good.

We walk past a member of the Tynker Clan blowing bubbles and find a bench to rest while we eat.

The bench is next to a soft path of green grass. You can still see the square patches of the sod. Before the food court are two men are playing a game of flipping coins into mugs.

Two jesters on stilts walk by. They too are from the Tynker Clan. They stand nearly 10 feet tall. Check out the baby shoes at the end of their stilts.

A jester also from the Tynker Clan juggles in the pathway.

The Green man poses for photos

Hey Baby, check out my dragon.

Here's a couple of familiar faces -- Don Juan & Miguel at the Fairhaven Theatre.

Bridges are everywhere. If it rains, they will provide passage over the gullies.

Our Pleasure Feast begins at 11:00 so we have time to wander a bit. We walk past Mother Goose's house.

The kids are lined up to see both her and her geese.

A man comments about Peggy's pet cat who is lazily watching the birds from her shoulder. He supplies me with a pet of my own - a duck which he places on my shoulder.

Tartanic is on the Falconer's Heath and invites us to join them. We'd love to but it is time to head back.

Hmmm...I wonder how much is the reward?

This little village girl has been stalking Mary for sometime and now reveals herself.

We register at the Fairhaven Feast Hall...

where we are entertained by musicians as we wait.

A band trumpets the start of the feast. The Sheriff introduces the Feastmaster and his assistant Rook. The Feastmaster has a large medallion with Feastmaster cast upon it. A huge bite is taken out of it. As the Feastmaster calls out my name, I answer a hearty "Yo!" and step into line. "Ahhh, a musketeer," he says. "You are two musketeers short of a candy bar."

We are seated on individual benches at a table resembling a "U". We adorned with muffin hats...even if we are already wearing hats. The room is well lit and airy. We are served an excellent six course meal.

Appetizers of cheese, dark grapes and almonds await us as we are seated. A long basket of bread is to be shared among us. We have a cobalt blue ceramic souvenir goblet which they keep filled with tea, soda, beer, white wine, red wine -- whatever you should choose. The wenches do an excellent job of keeping my goblet filled with beer. The Feastmaster and Rook draw for who would make the announce the meals. Eric from Phoenix is chosen for the task. Each of us must stand as Eric makes the proclamation and the wenches parade into the hall. Sliding our benches back is difficult on the large flagstones. Our second course is soup and a long twisted breadstick followed by salad. Rook was to search for the King. He returns with an Elvis lookalike and is told to look again. The first main course was spicy sausage, pork with currants and a turkey leg. Yes, I did say first main course.The second main course was juicy prime rib.

It is at this time that Rook returns with King Henry the Only and his royal court.

They take the time to greet each guest.

It's difficult to eat while talking to the nobles. I really should have introduced myself.

The entertainment consisted of acts from the festival: Thom Selectomy -The Sword Swallower,

Yep, that's a big knife you see being thrown towards yours truly by one of the jugglers of London Broil.

Syrene Bellydance is a new act here at the festival.

The Feastmaster and Rook kept us entertained throughout the two hour feast. The end of the feast arrives, and it is time to collect the muffin hats and napkins. Rook becomes a bull followed by a wench carrying a large basket. You can throw your hat onto Rook's horns (his hands) or into the basket. My hat actually lands in the basket. Next comes your napkins.

As the feast comes to an end, our wenches stroll out with trays of ceramic medallions.

Heather has to return to the room so Mary and I wander the festival grounds while we wait for her and Peggy to return. People are playing a game of balancing mugs and plates. The privies has real toilets and urinals as well as port-a-potties. The urinals are interesting. They are waterfree, but are still pleasant smelling. A few trees and bushes are scattered here and there. Shaded tables are provided for the patrons who are eating. Not many patrons in garb, and the grounds are not all that crowded for such a nice festival.

The Pirate Shantyman and Bonnie Lass are on Teatro de la Rosa. As you can see, the stages are very elaborate.

This show was brought to by the letter "Arrr!"

The Leonardo's Flying Machines was cute. As you were spun around, you pulled on a rope which flapped wings or spun a corkscrew.

More bridges... A few buildings look like ships.

Ye Olde Broom Shop

On the Rialto stage is another familiar act...Arsene Dupin.

The Dancing Pig Pub is a dark and cool tavern. Jamila Lotus do fire-eating...

sword dancing...

and belly rolls - ouch. Click the photo and watch for a spell.

We catch the tail end of the Cast in Bronze act at the Palace Theatre followed by the antics of the Tynker Clan.

Chain Maille Fashion has a shoppe here, but no fashion show....sigh. I also didn't see any chainmaille babes this weekend.

As is customary with many renfests nowadays, there is a historical village - the Local Yokels Village which demonstrates the spinning of wool, cooking, etc.