Note: I wrote this review a day or two after I attended the SRQ Medieval Fair in 2007, left it in a folder and I haven't edited it at all since I originally wrote it. Read this review and compare it to what I had to say about the 08 Fair...completely different!
Also...if you are squeamish about spiders, be careful looking at the photos that accompany this review - there are 2 spider pics, and 1 is a close-up!!
Review starts here...
Although this is called the SARASOTA Medieval Fair, it is held at Hunsader Farms in BRADENTON. Not a big deal, just a little clarification!
This was my first Medieval/Renaissance type fair, and I had a GREAT time! Definitely 10 out of 10 for people watching...events like this really seem to bring out those costumes you usually leave in the back of your closet! Admission was around $15.00, and worth every penny. There was jousting, fighting, wandering minstrels, pirates, wenches, comedians, Fushu Daiko (Japanese Drummers) and SO much more.
Definitely a ton of food booths, and a ton of vendor booths that were selling everything from fairy wands to leather boots. Prices weren't bad at the vendor booths, and same for food...it was all pretty reasonable.
My favorite part was the Japanese drummers. Why they were at a Medieval Fair, I have no idea - but it was awesome, and I'd love to see them again. My least favorite part was the ginormous spiders that were COVERING the trees by the petting zoo. HUGE huge spiders....biggest I have ever seen in my life (other than tarantulas at the pet store). If you aren't afraid of spiders, you probably don't care that I am mentioning this...however, if you are afraid of spiders...this is something you NEED to know. Be careful.
There is one booth where you can pay to fence your friends or any given opponent. I am very proud to say that Hubby Dearest not only won once...but won THREE times - and he was fighting the booth owner. No other person that we saw was able to beat that guy! Yay Hubby!
All in all, we had a great time. The weather was perfect, the parking was free, the people were friendly, and I will be back next year!! See you there!