The 48th Maryland Renaissance Festival begins Saturday on 27 acres in Crownsville, just outside Annapolis. The festival, at 1821 Crownsville Road, runs for nine weeks, on Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 20. Tickets are $26 for adults, $23 for seniors, and $14 for kids. Prices will increase in October.
Backstory
Each Maryland Renaissance Festival reflects a different year in the timeline of Henry VIII, the former king of England. This year, the festival is set in 1537, when Henry married his third wife, Jane Seymour, and the royal couple, along with select courtiers, visited Revel Grove for a harvest festival. Stage shows and improvisations throughout the festival grounds convey the tale.
Turkey legs and more
Though food and sealed water bottles are allowed, coolers and other receptacles are not. Expect one-pound turkey legs, steak on a stake, a seafood raw bar, and more than 42 food and beverage emporiums. Sweet treats and both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages are also available.
Performances
The village is an immersive experience, with stilt walkers, beggars, hermits, wenches, pickpockets, and rogues wandering among guests and improvising their characters. King Henry and his Royal Court walk throughout the village, along with a fool named “O” and LaLa the mime.
More than 200 performers will take to the stage. A 3,000-seat arena features armored jousting on horseback. Internet phenomenon Jacques Ze Whipper — known for his whip work — will perform during six of the nine weekends. The comedy duo Puke and Snot are returning with their sword-fighting performances.
Leave your sword at home
Visitors are welcome to wear family-friendly costumes, but patrons are not permitted to perform or actively engage with others outside their group. There are options to rent or buy costumes from vendors, but many arrive in costume. No weapons, real or fake, are allowed.
Artisan alley
Over 140 vendors will exhibit and demonstrate predominately handcrafted goods in Renaissance shops. The craftspeople were selected through a jury process, chosen from thousands of applicants. Visitors can watch clothing, jewelry, masks, puppets, weapons, chainmail, ceramics, furniture, among others, being crafted. Services on offer include henna dyeing, hair braiding, face painting and massage.
