Arizona Renaissance Festival in Apache Junction, AZ
May 2, 2012
The Arizona Renaissance Festival has had a lot of entertainment for a long time, every time I go I learn something new, I watched fire jugglers on the grounds, and fire eaters, which fascinates me, I don’t know how you decide that this is a vocation, but it is crazy cool to me for some reason.
I just love the man that is a tree, or perhaps the tree that is a man. Of course there are the falcons and their trainers! I love the little lady faeries, and men in their capes and boots. Heck this year I saw a live Minotaur. I never know who the strolling performers vs. the patrons are; this is the only festival where I don’t ever want to know.
I think my favorite part of the festival itself is all of the costumes. I know that that’s why many people go, I personally don’t dress up, but I do carry my wooden sword because where else can you carry your wooden sword?? =) The festival itself is a lot of fun to be a part of, and this year I brought my Grandma, and since she is 92, we need to stop now and again, and the areas for sitting and eating were well shaded and easily accessed. They had a plethora of drinks to offer all over the place, they really took in account that it was getting hot and put up a lot more shaded areas than I remember from about 10 years back when I first started coming to the festival.
Grandma had two loves this year, and I will write this part from her eyes. She loves elephants and they had several of them giving rides to guests this year, and while she didn’t feel like her back could handle the ride itself the trainers allowed the people behind the fences to pet the elephants and touch their trunks. This turned my Grandma into a 12 year old little kid, we must have reached out and pet the elephant a dozen or more times. She grinned from ear to ear all the way home.
The other thing that completely fascinated her was the candle maker making candles with all the rainbow colors and then dipping and dipping and then cutting the slices out of the hot wax, twisting them and reapplying to the candle making all of these pillars turn into works of art. She fell in love with one with a rainbow and had to buy it. The thing I like about the candle is that you can use it all the way to the core, but the outer layers never melt, so you can add a votive candle to the center from now on and have a permanent design, additionally they are quite easy to clean too, I know this as I purchased one several years back.
From my own perspective they had a lot of permanent displays that are just my favorites to go through, the storybook house for instance is a display I could stay in for hours. I want you to see it for yourself, but I will tell you that they took many fairy tales and brought them to life in 3D fashions such that as you tour the house, each room told a story, literally. Don’t forget to look up! And down for that matter.
I had to get my bread bowl! You really need to be hungry if you order one, they are soooo good, and made right on the spot, so it is hot soup inside the delicious bread. I actually got too full to finish, that was a first for me. Mine was so big! Oh here’s another tip, keep your drink cup, if you want a refill they will give you one for a cheaper price, and they will refill your cup with ice for free all day long. I was so hot for a bit this year I refilled mine 3 times, the vendors understood and I appreciated this a great deal.
As far as the rides go, there was a giant rocking horse that intrigued my Grandma, she watched people climb in and out of it for quite a while. I am certain she had never seen something so big =) I for one would have ridden it if given the opportunity, it looked quite relaxing.
The vendors are so laid back; we bought our name on a crest. I hung it on the wall at home, it is very handsome piece of history, and I will always treasure that piece, they matted and framed it so beautifully. I like that you can make a wax hand, I would love to do this someday, I have seen it in many venues, I just haven’t decided what I want it to look like yet… chuckles, I have time to decide that I suppose.
The stage shows are funny as always. Don Juan and Miguel. The Clan Tynker family of siblings were so much fun to watch, except for the juggling of the knives around the guest, which I had to watch between clenched fingers laced over my face. Cast in Bronze is the main reason I wanted to go, that’s an amazing phenomenal Traveling Carillon… it is so beautiful. I know two Carillon players here in Arizona and they play for the holidays, I get goosebumps and just smile!!
Oh and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention hubby’s favorite sword swallower and comedian Thom Sellectomy. Grandma and I were totally grossed out by his willingness to take a nail and hammer it up his nose…. And he did swallow a balloon sword which I couldn’t watch either, in fact he swallowed a lot of swords I’m told. But it thrilled hubby to no end, we stay to the end of the show and laughed his head off, I stayed to the end of the show, but I was looking at my shoelaces quite a bit (sorry Thom), he was very funny and I laughed, I just am not sure about the nail up the nose thing. *chuckles*
All in all I will go back to the Renaissance Festival, it is a staple. I need to see the horses, and geese, and the costumes and I have to carry my wooden sword. =)
https://arizona.renfestinfo.com/
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