A Rendezvous of Culture At The Ohio Renaissance Festival

Guest contributor Kellie Eckhardt shares the details of her family’s
day at the Ohio Renaissance Festival. Thanks, Kellie!

Be sure to see the “Meet Kellie” box at the bottom of the page.

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For eight weekends from September through October, Middle England comes to life in Southeastern Ohio. British bards, bubbly ale, and potato bowls. Poets, pirates, pilgrims, and Harry Potters. The 30-acre thematic landscape offers a taste of our past-palatable to young and old alike.

The historical significance may have been initially lost on our 4 kids, but by the end of the day the sword-carrying, accent-dropping wee ones marched along the landscape amidst the other medieval seekers with a speck of awe in their eyes. We may be slightly biased, but we think they learned a little something. Sure, most of their questions focused on the sights in the Dungeon of Doom, but they were able to use “joust” and “lute” correctly in sentences…by the end of the day, of course.

Our adventure began by absorbing the sights of a parade of pirates, knights, damsels and coats of arms. The participants tipped their hats at our wide-eyed crew and spread their merriment through song. After some kettlecorn and ale, we followed the caravan to the jousting field. There, our kids stood high on their toes, to catch a glimpse of the knights charging down the alley. As the challenge came to an end, our kids were lured away by human propelled rides. After a quick back-and-forth, it was off to the medieval marketplace.

Shining armor, razor sharp knives, axes and tools of all kinds rested safely behind the storefront displays. While our pre-teen tried to convince us of his maturity, we settled on wooden swords and miniature catapults. Our daughters can attest to the craftsmanship, as an assault of miniature marshmallows has continued for days. As the weaponry made way toward edible delights, and drinks, we paused to share roasted corn, caramel apples, a gigantic turkey leg (and caramel apples, again). Our kids ate like journeymen who just arrived home. Waving pirate flags and swords, we marched on!

Just when we thought our experience could not be more English-like, a light rain misted from above. This is at the time we decided, despite the written warnings, to take a tour of the Dungeon of Doom. Our family, as well as the other visitors, was a gasp at the reality of the scenes – but the most amazing part was how inquisitive everyone was. Our older kids read every placard – our younger ones stood by every sign jumping up and down, chanting our names until giving was to informative recitation that we were, well nearly tortured, to read. After leaving that part of history behind, we trotted along somehow understanding how the incense and natural bars of soap fit into the culture of this brazen lot.

The kids danced along signing popular tunes while a musician played his lute. We spoke with other visiting historians and shared our “must-sees” and “must-eats”. Amidst flying marshmallows and clattering swords, our enlightened crew turned their backs on the chattering and cheers and headed to the car – each carrying with them a piece of their past…and a bit of a belly-ache!

Disclaimer: This writer received media passes for promotion of the show. As always, all opinions expressed are those of the writer and in no way influenced by companies or products mentioned within. Post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for clicking through them! It helps keep this site here for you