Renaissance Festival Comes to Enfield This Weekend

This weekend, the Enfield Green will be home to jousts, medieval merriment and aerial acrobats as the Enfield Renaissance Faire sets up to entertain its subjects.

The event hosted by The Connecticut Renaissance Fair is the first of its kind in town and will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. In addition to knights and court jesters fascinating the crowd, the event is also a fundraiser for Kids First of Enfield, an organization dedicated to aiding children's causes in Enfield and raising money for the Enfield youth center

Kids First officials are responsible for bringing the faire to Enfield because they were looking for a new and unique event for fund-raising purposes.

“We wanted to try something new,” Kids First President Tom Arnone said, “to help out kid's causes, and the fair seemed like a good way. [The Connecticut Renaissance Faire] do these weekend things, and we are hoping this will become a signature event in Enfield every year.”

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire first opened in 1999 and regularly expands in both festivities and attendance. The Faire attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually to the days of Olde England with its blend of entertainment, craft demonstration, and marketplace.

 “We always want to give our visitors more, and this year is no exception. It’s the perfect time for us to introduce a new festival to join our annual productions of Robin Hood’s Springtime Festival and King Arthur’s Fall Harvest Faire,” said Eric Tetreault, marketing director of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire.

“The Enfield Renaissance Festival will be a weekend of thrills, adventure and fun for the entire family.”

 In addition to the show and attractions, there will be plenty of food available for purchase including turkey legs, beer, wine, and other old world foods.

And then there is the royalty. Visitors can interact with characters including knights, peasants, and even the King. The fair will also include vendors of trinkets and treasures not available in modern shopping malls.

King Henry VIII, or someone dressed like him, will be in attendance along with his counselors; guests will encounter the royal court wandering around the grounds celebrating the merriment of the festival. His Majesty will be honored with many events, including jousting tournaments, armored combat, comedic adventures, breathtaking performances by aerial acrobats, fire-eaters and magicians, live music and dances, games for the entire family, craft and historical demonstrations, and a bustling, medieval marketplace, among other entertainment.

Guests are encouraged to arrive in costume and participate in the events, but are certainly not required to do either.

The Enfield Renaissance Faire features 16th century fun with performances by favorite Renaissance faire-circuit acts, including Jana Lee, whose appeared on America’s Got Talent and Ellen, Zoltan the Adequate, Vixens En Garde, Cirque du Sewer, and many more. It is a family friendly fair, and fun can be had by all ages.

Those seeking more information about the show, including ticket discounts, shows and merchants, should visit http://www.ctfaire.com.

The Enfield Green is located at 820 Main St. in Enfield, CT. Parking is available. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the gates.