There are so many fun things to do in Texas. Like yesterday, for instance. My wife and I took the kids to the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville. We had a truly fantastic time. Not being originally from Texas, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Texas Renaissance shindig. Knights in Tony Lamas and ten gallons, maybe?
I needn’t have been concerned. It was by far the most fun I have had at a Renaissance festival, and I’ve been to a few of them, in four states now. First of all, you need to know that the place is huge. There is no way you can see and do all the cool things in one day, so expect to stay overnight if you want to see it all, or plan to come back before the festival ends. If you check out the festival website (click the link above) you’ll see that they’ve made staying overnight easy for us, there is dry camping onsite, camping areas offsite, and several area hotels and motels to stay in. Secondly, the festival only runs from this weekend through November 29th, so don’t dawdle. Thirdly, know that anything you want to see and do at a Renaissance festival is available at the TRF, and some others that I’ve never seen anywhere before. Well, okay, they don’t actually put on any of Shakespeare’s plays in full, but they do have an act that quotes from the Bard. I didn’t get to see this performance so I can’t say much more about it. They have jousting tournaments, of course, several per day. They have all the food and drink you can consume and imbibe, in wide varieties. Although, I did hear a few guys complaining that they no longer serve Budweiser at the festival, so I’ll pass that along. You wouldn’t know it by me. They had Bass Ale, so I was happy. If they start serving Newcastle, I’ll go every week. Okay, maybe not, but I would like that.
I gotta tell ya, it is gangs of fun to wander around aimlessly in a re-creation of a 16th Century western european town all day with a beer in one hand and a turkey leg the size of club in the other, while extremely authentic-looking knights, ladies, barbarians, warrior women, wizards, witches, magicians, and all manner of other real and fictional characters walk by (I even saw three characters from Star Wars and a Teletubby–Apparently they didn’t get the memo).
Admission and the shows are free, but food, drink, rides, and anything else you buy costs extra. The shows alone, however, were worth the admission price for us, and we only got the chance to see a few of them. Definitely don’t miss Arsene Dupin. I won’t give away anything about his act, but I will say that we thought it was hilarious, he’s got a major league resume–including a private performance at the White House for President Bush (Senior) and Mrs. Bush–and he’s the guy that the Cirque du Soleil go to for juggling instruction. Also, don’t miss the Ded Bob Show. It was a tad bawdy, but very funny.
It’s a great time. Check it out, if you’re looking for something new and fun to do this fall.
Here are some pictures we took: