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Hourly and 10-day forcast
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Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire begins Saturday
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| The Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire continues to grow in popularity. Organizers say the average daily attendance in the past 10 years has increased by 17 percent. |
Ten is the magic number this year for the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire.
The living history event, now in its 10th year, will be opening its doors free to couples celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary or children celebrating their 10th birthday. Volunteers from the past 10 years also will be returning this season to play their original characters. And, favorite acts from the past 10 years are sure to perform again.
"We'd get in trouble if we didn't keep the old favorites. Such a cry would go up if those groups didn't come back!" said Tammy Duncan, executive director of Renaissance St. Louis.
The fair begins Saturday, and will be open weekends and Memorial Day from May 17 to June 8 at Rotary Park, 2577 W. Meyer Road in Wentzville. Gates are scheduled to open at 10 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. each day.
This year's scenario takes visitors back in time to the mid-16th century town of Petit Lyon, France. There, Charles III, duc de Bourbon, has just been exiled from France after teaming with Henry VII of England and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to plot against King Francois. About 200 volunteers will help re-create the scenario with costumes and mannerisms from the era. Ninety merchants also will set up booths to sell pottery, silver and jewelry while 30 entertainment acts perform on nine stages throughout the fair's four-week run.
New acts this year include MooNiE the Magnif'cent, a whistling acrobat comedian, and Willie's Wenches, a group of reject jugglers. The fair also will offer new food this year, including a beef kabob stand and English pub food. People who come to a Renaissance Faire want to try something different, so organizers do their best to bring in new merchants and products each year, Duncan said.
Still, she said, fair organizers know they're doing something right. In the past 10 years, the average daily attendance to the Renaissance Faire has increased by 17 percent. Duncan thinks that can be attributed to word-of-mouth, but also the unique and entertaining way volunteers present real history.
Those volunteers typically work for months to put on a great show, attending history classes and workshops to develop accents and learn how to interact with guests.
And this year, they'll be giving it their all, Duncan said.
"They jumped in with both feet. It's been great," she said.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: 10th annual Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire
WHERE: Rotary Park, 2577 W. Meyer Road in Wentzville
WHEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through June 8, plus Memorial Day
COST: $13 for adults, $11 for seniors and students, $8 for children 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger enter for free. Two-day tickets and season passes are available. Couples celebrating their 10th anniversary and children celebrating their 10th birthday must bring a marriage license or birth certificate to enter for free.
INFORMATION: www.stlrenfaire.com; 636-928-4141
What's so great about the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire? Hear it from the volunteers:
"It has been a great way for the three of us to be involved in an interest that we all enjoy and to spend more quality family time together."
Judith Russell and sons Joshua and Jonathan Russell, first-year volunteers
"What brought me back? The smiles, the laughter, the magic ... I am a part of cast so that I can fill the woods with song, put a smile on a child's face, and help everyone to use their imagination for the day."
Ariel Rotenberg, two-year volunteer
"The people who keep me coming back are the patrons, from the new people who are trying to figure out what a renaissance faire is to the 'playtrons' who come dressed up in a variety of ways to become part of the magic. It is a great feeling to hear people say, 'It's like a different world.'"
Richard C. "Dick" Mintzlaff, nine-year volunteer
"What got me interested was when the first time I came as a patron I saw dozens of crazy, nerdy people just like me. They got to wear funny clothes, talk with accents, mess with people's minds and express their historical obsession in a appreciative setting! It was amazing! It was like walking into a family reunion!"
Grace Boehm, three-year volunteer
"I joined for the history and the idea of creating another place and time. When I got involved in St. Louis, my commitment was built on the team effort leading up to that season; the hours spent burning leaves and working in the rain getting the site ready. The bond that grew between the people out there, building that site, created friendships that will last a lifetime."
Connie Jacobi, nine-year volunteer
"We brought our 2-month-old daughter out to the fair. One of her favorite photos is of the fairy queen holding her as a small child. Over the next four years, my daughter became completely taken by the fair. Every week from about March on I get the question, 'Is it time for the fair yet?'"
Jason D. Smallen, first-year volunteer
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