Age of Chivalry

Last weekend we took the girls to the Las Vegas Renaissance Fair.  It was also our first time attending.  I had no clue what to expect and was pleasantly surprised.  I definitely have an appreciation for that era and find the artsy side of it all fascinating.  I look forward to going back next year and hope that it's at Sunset Park where is has been in the years past.

We experienced the likes of royal parades, one-act Shakespearean plays, full contact jousting tournaments, no holds barred gladiator battles, strolling minstrels, sheep herding exhibitions, a fire breathing dragon, magicians, storytellers, comedians, jugglers, flame eaters, black smith forging demonstrations, singers and belly dancers and a variety of entertainers.   Some of the Guild's and costumes were out of this world.  Truly Renaissance and truly amazing!


GUILD

FAIRIES...of course Kady fell in love with this pair.  They told her they would come to visit when she lost her first tooth.

Pirate Parrot Show...Zoe was fascinated with all these birds as was I.  They would land on your arm if you were holding a $1 bill, grab it and fly up to the stage and place it in the tip jar.  Needless to say this pirate scored a few bucks from us.

Queen.....We searched and searched until we could find a queen.  Needless to say we found the queen and her entire family.  They were gracious and kind.  You wouldn't believe the detailing in these costumes. Gorgeous! 

 

 Human Tree...this costume was out of this world. To be able to walk on stilts in an outfit like this in 90* takes dedication  and skill.

ALL SMILES....a seat to enjoy the sights and a Snow Cone for the road.  It's Fall right?

"The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not uniform across Europe, this is a general use of the term. As a cultural movement, it encompassed a flowering of literature, science, art, religion, and politics, and a resurgence of learning based on classical sources, the development of linear perspective in painting, and gradual but widespread educational reform. Traditionally, this intellectual transformation has resulted in the Renaissance being viewed as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era. Although the Renaissance saw revolutions in many intellectual pursuits, as well as social and political upheaval, it is perhaps best known for its artistic developments and the contributions of such polymaths as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who inspired the term "Renaissance man".
There is a consensus the Renaissance began in Florence, Tuscany in the 14th century. Various theories have been proposed to account for its origins and characteristics, focusing on a variety of factors including the social and civic peculiarities of Florence at the time; its political structure; the patronage of its dominant family, the Medici.

The Renaissance has a long and complex historiography, and there has been much debate among historians as to the usefulness of Renaissance as a term and as a historical delineation. Some have called into question whether the Renaissance was a cultural "advance" from the Middle Ages, instead seeing it as a period of pessimism and nostalgia for the classical age, while others have instead focused on the continuity between the two eras. Indeed, some have called for an end to the use of the term, which they see as a product of presentism – the use of history to validate and glorify modern ideals. The word Renaissance has also been used to describe other historical and cultural movements, such as the Carolingian Renaissance and the Renaissance of the 12th century."