Yesterday I attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival as a part of my friend’s birthday celebration. It was the first Renaissance Faire that I’ve ever attended, although I had been wanting to go to one for many years.
There was no question about the fact that I’d be going in costume. I love medieval, Renaissance, and Tudor style clothing. When I was a teenager, my mother sewed me a gorgeous Guinevere costume. It took several weeks to sew and was extremely complicated, and my mother joked that it would double as my wedding dress. It was a greyish blue satin with long billowing sleeves and a train worthy of royalty. I was hoping to be able to wear it, but between then and now, I developed actual boobs, and now there’s no way that I can get into it. It’s sad, because the dress was so much fun to wear.
The festival itself was quite lovely, and filled with mead, revelry, and jousting. I even rode an elephant! In our wanderings, we discovered a bookstore, where I purchased the book Sex With the Queen by Eleanor Herman. The book is about queens who took lovers throughout history, and it looks fascinating. In an incredible stroke of luck, the author was there for a book signing, and I got to meet her.

Here are some of the other highlights from the day. I can’t wait to go back next year!






I love this. How I would like a fair like this. I’d go in costume as well.
That book sounds very interesting.
It was a lot of fun to play dress-up for the day. I’m excited about the book, especially the parts about Catherine the Great.
I have been to the Maryland Faire in many years, but it looks like it has continued getting better. I always enjoyed the jousting and other shows.
This was my first time going, and I loved it. I’m kind of sad that this was the last weekend it’s open this year.
Looks like fun! I attended that faire some years ago — have to go again next year. Glad you met an author! L.
I didn’t expect the bookstore, let alone the author signing. 🙂
I love the Renaissance Faire! Looks like you had a great time, I’m glad it lived up to expectations.
If my career as a librarian fails, I will run away and join the Renaissance Faire. #newlifeplan
I’ve been, but not in costume. Maybe next time. Looks fun and I like the sound of the book.
It’s definitely more fun in costume. I was the only one of my friends to dress up, but just seeing what everyone who dressed up was wearing was more than worth the cost of admission.