Georgia Renaissance Festival brings olde world merriment

FAIRBURN — For the 31st year, history — the 16th century, to be exact — will be repeating itself for eight weekends as the Georgia Renaissance Festival begins a new quest to re-create “olde style” entertainment.

Located off Exit 61 of Interstate 85 just south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a re-creation of an English village from the 1500s will come to life on April 16. By the time the festival closes June 5, about 200,000 people will have gotten a taste of Renaissance life.

Visitors are “going to feel like they just stepped into the 16th century in a quaint little English village,” said Robin Moon, director of marketing for the festival. “I say little, but it’s 32 acres. Basically, it’s an amusement park and it’s Renaissance themed. They’re going to be meandering down the pathways and the walkways, in and out of village shops.”

It’s a time and place far away from the age of cellphones and electronic entertainment. The festival is full of live theater and activities.

“There are 10 stages scattered throughout the village where they (visitors) are going to be constantly bumping into endless entertainment, anything form circus-style entertainment to musicians, acrobatics … we even have a hypnotist (Rick Stratton) bringing people up out of the audience,” Moon said. “He brings them on stage and hypnotizes them, which can be funny.”

The village also has arts and crafts vendors, pubs, food and a marketplace.

And knights with lances.

“Of course, we have the joust, which is the star of the show,” Moon said. “We have a troupe of males and females that participate who are highly trained equestrians. They do trick riding, jousting with lances on the 2,000-pound horses. They do chariot races. The trick riding is backwards, forwards, you name it. They can do it all on horseback.”

The jousting troupe, Equus Maximus Extreme Joust Show, debuted at the Georgia Renaissance Festival in 2015.

“Last year was our 30th anniversary, so we kind of went all out,” Moon said. “That’s when we brought in the new jousting troupe. They perform a different type of jousting show than you see at any other Renaissance festival around the country. That made us even more special. We’re bringing back that troupe; they’re on a multiyear contract.”

Other entertainment comes from Barely Balanced, a group of circus-style comedic acrobats, and Icabod Wainwright, who’ll perform two shows — the Wheel of Death, where he is atop a 30-foot-high wheel without net, and Blades of Death, where he throws sharp blades at his assistant while balancing on a slack rope.

The Geoff Marsh Fire Circus is new this year, bringing magic, fire, clowning and juggling. The Birds of Prey Show is returning, and in a limited engagement, Lady Gail Mirabella and the Dynamo Dogs will be at the festival April 30-May 15.

“We try to mix up the entertainment,” Moon said. “We have some old favorites that have been here 15 to 20 years, but we have some new ones coming in this year for a little taste of something different.”

Visitors will have plenty of food options.

“We certainly have the period turkey legs,” Moon said. “We have a really large menu because we have three really large food organizations out there. You can find pretty much anything on a stick. Fried mac and cheese on a stick. Key lime pie on a stick. Chocolate covered bananas on a stick. Steak on a stake. But we also have fish sandwiches.

“And they’re large portions. That’s one thing that’s in keeping with the 16th century. Everything’s larger than life.”

Along with the aroma of food, there’ll be music in the air that’s appropriate to the period, played on the types of instruments used back then. “You won’t find any electric guitars,” Moon said. “You’re more likely to find a dulcimer. They make a beautiful sound.”

Visitors can get into the spirit as much or as little as they like. While performers and workers at the festival will dress the part, costumes aren’t required, though many people show up in them.

“You don’t have to, but a lot of people do,” Moon said. “A lot of people feel it gets them more in the spirit if they do, but it’s optional. If they get here and haven’t dressed and suddenly decide they want to, we actually have a vendor right at the front gate that rents costumes.”

Youngsters will find plenty to keep them busy, she said. Kids Kingdom at the festival, Moon said, has a “very large playground” sponsored by Superior Play System.

“Kids can spend hours climbing all over that thing,” she said. “Plus, there are a lot of kid-friendly shows, kid-friendly food items on our menu. A lot for kids to do.

“It’s a very family friendly festival. There’s a lot for kids to do.”

The authenticity goes all the way to the arts and crafts that are demonstrated, shown and sold, she said. It includes areas such as glassblowing, pottery, leather-work and blacksmithing.

“We have a marketplace of 130-plus demonstrating crafters,” Moon said. “We try to keep them authentic. For the most part, we feature crafts people that are making their own items.

“We have those demonstrations going on all day. There are no additional charges for any of the shows. It’s a really good value, for a family especially.”

The festival is open 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends April 16-June 5 and on Memorial Day. Admission is $22, adults; $10, children ages 6-12, and free for children 5 and younger. Discount tickets are available on the website and when purchased in advance through the mail.