See books written by Paul Pakusch at https://www.amazon.com/author/paulpakusch



Monday, August 19, 2019

Sterling Renaissance Festival

After years of both of us putting it off, Stacey and I finally visited Sterling, NY for the annual Renaissance Festival.  Yesterday was the last day of the season.

I had planned on wearing my kilt, and Stacey had a dress that she was going to wear.  But when we woke up to thunderstorms in the area and a forecast of high humidity, we both decided to wear cool street clothes.



The setting is Warwick, England in 1585.  The website (www.sterlingfestival.com) describes the realm as "Tucked within a luscious forest, surrounded by a sea of rolling green, hides the village of Warwick, England. You’ll find that people are spirited and the grounds are especially well-kept—particularly on the eve of the Queen’s arrival.  Come and explore this majestic, boisterous celebration set upon more than 35 acres of untouched land." There are plenty of shows, artisans, food, shops and music.  Guests and workers alike dress in period costumes, and guests can rent or buy costumes on site if they wish.




We watched a musical performance by Empty Hats at the Merchant's Bend Stage, a group of singers and musicians performing Celtic music. After walking through the village to see what else was on the premises, we walked down to the Grotto Stage to be entertained by an "R" rated performance of Filthy Irish Stories, told by "Churchyard" O'Shea.  He wasn't kidding when he joked that we wouldn't expect to see that kind of humor at this festival. But they did warn us to keep kids away.




I then tried my luck with archery; I don't recall doing it since grammar school, and I thought I did pretty good!  I had 12 arrows and I actually hit the bull's eye with one of them!  After walking around some more, we stopped at the Rose and Crown Tavern for lunch.

We sat down at the Swan Stage to watch an "opera" by the Da Vinci Brothers.  It's a comedy where the audience does the sound effects and acts out the show. The next thing I knew, I was called upon to be one of the actors in the skit called "Go Figaro."  I played the part of Viva De Las Vegas.




Then we went to the Festival Stage to watch a show featuring Judas and Magnolia, a husband and wife team of escape artists.




Late in the afternoon, with a thunderstorm approaching, we decided it was time to head back home.



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