My First Renn Fest! Huzzah!

I'm a little embarrassed to say I've never been to a Renn Fest until now. That's not great Nerd Street Cred (oh yes, that's a real thing) but now I can hold my flagon high and count myself among the many blessed fold! Huzzah!

Apple creates count as a gate, right? YES THEY DO!

I attended the NY Capital District Renaissance Festival, which is held at the very nice Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont, NY.

Website here ---> Look for the Pandorica Restaurant. - I AM A LINK!

I had LOTS of preconceptions coming into today. Images from everything from the Lord of the Rings to MST3K flooded my mind. I kept my expectations low just in case, but I also kept the theme from Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell on 'repeat' in my head.

Every AD+D game I ever played.

What every AD+D game I ever played turned into.

Squeak!

There may have been a lot of Men Without Hats: Safety Dance playing in my mind but that's a rumor I will not comment on. What I found was a very good time and a well spent afternoon with the family. Indian Ladder farms is over 100 years old and now sports a brewery, farmer market, and a cafe beyond their working acreage. Did I mention it is a working farm?

Here and EVERYWHERE! Love this sign.

 Let's see some pics. Note! I was taking in so much I didn't take pics of LOTS of the stuff we enjoyed. There was a Fairy Trail for kids. The archery game (yes I made the Skyrim joke) had a bow on up to a ballista. There was a pub crawl which looked fun. And a bunch more! 

Vendors, and shopper, and tents. Oh My!

A number of fine hickory weapons were available from Hickory Arms, such as these bokken.

A fine piece befitting an elegant lady from the Kingdom of Ass Kickings.

Leather with rings of steel. I don't know the name for this configuration.

Plate armor. The glass and silverware armors were nearby. I'll be here all week.

Romeo and Juliette as told by Vixens En Garde, an all-woman fight company hailing from NYC. Neat!

The Society for Creative Anachronism braved the heat for demos and time with kids. This group is from the Barony of Concordia of the Snows.

Blacksmiths made an appearance. And like comic cons, which are more Pop Culture events, Ren Fests draw people of all interests. Because it isn't a Renn fest without a Tie Fighter.

Which explains why a Dalek was there. It isn't a Renn Fest without a Dalek.

I spoke with the builder. The piece had a lot of work into it, as you can imagine. It is the forth he's built. The voice changer worked well! So drop that turkey leg and prepare to get exterminated with lots of hard work and time.

Owls = Harry Potter. And sideways glances...

Ravens =  Harry Potter. This raven was a sweetheart. Poor thing was hit by a car and is now missing an eye and will never fly again. But, it is well cared for and now helps educate kids on wildlife. Huzzah!

Notice the eyes

I can't remember what type of falcon this was. The kind with feathers, I think.

This is a bar-b-que sundae. This was amazing. Some of the best pulled pork I have ever had.

My face when I saw hotdogs were $8.

A young Red Tail Hawk practices for his Lady Hawk II audition. 

You could not throw a stone without hitting a bard. And I threw A LOT so I would know. These fine chaps are Three Pints Shy. They were very fun.

Ye Olde Hula Hoop seminar.

We had fun and we intend on coming back next year to catch a few things we missed due to timing. LIKE JOUSTING. WE MISSED THE #&$^ING JOUSTING!

I know...I know...