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Ren Fest 2004, Part I
Feb. 8th, 2004 07:08 pmAhh. The first Saturday in February. It can mean but one thing: the opening weekend of the Arizona Renaissance Festival.
This year was a bit more special. I have attended the Festival since its beginning, I believe it was around 15 years ago, and almost every year has seen some expansion or improvement. The first year saw just one “leg” of the grounds, you turned right at the main gate, it went up to the Palace Theatre (the usual home of Don Juan and Miguel) and pretty much ended. The jousting arena was in the middle of the grounds in what is now the Falconer’s Heath where the Birds of Prey show is held along with Morris Dancing and who knows what else. So you had the Palace, I think you had the Middleshire Stage just beyond the main entrance, and you had a stage tucked into the corner that became the Mud Stage for the Wyld Men Show. I almost forgot the Middleshire Stage to the right of the main entrance before you got to the Falconry Heath.
The next year or so saw the completion of “the loop”, the fair now formed a large circle, with shops along both sides. What was to become the Boat House Stage was added, along with the Moon Calf Stage. A year or two after that saw the completion of the Tournament Arena, and the original arena became the Falconer’s Heath with the construction of a large building for the birds used in the show.
(It should be noted that these are the main stages, there are several smaller stages such as the Dancing Pig Pub and Stage next to the entrance of the jousting arena. I’m just listing the major stages where the major acts are, or at least the ones that I’ll normally frequent. )
Subsequent improvements have mainly focused on infrastructure, things such as putting canopies over stages so you don’t get quite as parbroiled as before, improving the grounds themselves to control mud pits (yes, it sometimes rains in Arizona), things like that. The most significant improvements 2 or 3 years ago were the replacement of Porta Potties in some areas with actual walk-in restrooms. It was greatly appreciated by women with complicated costumes that require a feat of mechanical engineering to achieve relief. (said walk-ins are outside the main entrance, next to the Mud Stage, and between the Teatre de la Rosa and the main entrance. All others, as far as I know, are still Porta Potties.)
This year saw something bigger come in. A feast hall.
The area to the left of the main entrance was a village green that was used for part of the Queen’s Court. They built a goodly-sized feast hall there with seating for 100. The interior layout is a large rectangle missing part at the top for people to come into the middle, all feasters sit on the outside facing in.
Thus begins the Royal Feast.
This is a full six-course dinner. Two hours of eating and entertainment with good food and good drink. It isn’t cheap, this being the inaugural year, they’re cutting $10 off their normal price of $80 per person. It is adult-only, must be over 18. I could be mistaken about the age requirement, but I don’t think there any youths in it, certainly no small children.
It was great.
Two friends, Rich & Karyn, learned that the feast was up-coming and got on a mailing list. As soon as the list announced that reservations were being accepted, they told their friend (who told their friends and so on and so on…) and put together an order, this was September last year. I requested four tickets as I had friends who were either Ren Fest junkies or whom I really wanted to take. Between September and now, my ex- (then and now) girlfriend got married, a couple relationship possibilities for me didn’t pan out, and my best friend’s mother gets shingles and she cancels on us. Well, the ex-girlfriend now has a husband, and there was an additional friend who did not hear of the original order from Rich & Karyn who really wanted to go, so at least all four of my tickets were used.
The feast was Saturday, the first ever public seating. This being the Ren Fest, there has to be some opening hoopla, and this was no exception. After some initial strangeness we were led into the hall to our area. Having a group of eight, we wrapped around a corner quite nicely which made it easy to talk to each other without having to yell past a half dozen people.
Already on your plate is an appetizer of three British cheeses (including a crumbly stinky cheese, one of my favs!), a small sprig of champagne grapes, some sliced apple, fresh baked bread, and some chutney. Cumberland chutney, to be specific, whatever differentiates it from other chutneys I do not know. This was Champions Begin.
The two Feast Masters, previously met (but unmentioned) outside the Hall, begin conducting the feast from the middle of the ring of tables. We all stand to greet the next course, which was a very nice creamy potato leek soup. Whilst consuming the soup, we are entertained by one of the Fair’s performers, I believe it was Bathos the Muse, he’s a magician and has good shtick/patter. (It was quite noisy in the hall, stone floors and hard walls, so most of the time I could barely hear what was being said. This was a complaint echoed by several others.)
The next course, properly greeted, was a mixed salad. I wasn’t terribly impressed with said salad, but that’s sometimes the way it goes. The entertainers was a juggling trio called the London Broil. They were amusing to watch and didn’t bobble too many clubs.
This was followed by Flaming Bandoliers of Joy, “Chicken breast brushed with honey plum molasses, smoked turkey legs, applewood smoked Portuguese pork sausage - all grilled to perfection.” I didn’t bother with the turkey leg, the sausage was good, the chicken was fantastic! The sauce was just great. Highly recommended.
And by the way, for those who have done Brazilian multi-course dinners, this is not a case of “a slice of this, a slice of that.” This is a whole turkey leg, a whole chicken breast, a whole sausage. Trust me – you will not go away hungry from this feast.
The entertainers for this course was The King and his Royal Court. His Majesty came and personally spoke with everyone who attended the feast, or at least most everyone, I think he only made it around maybe 2/3rds to 3/4ths of the tables, but he did make ours. The rest of the Royal Court gave them enough numbers that everyone in the hall was visited, even if they didn’t get the King personally. It was a good entertainment, he could spontaneously spout quality free verse and did so for a member of our group.
We were all pretty well stuffed at this point, but that was course 4 of 6.
Next up was prime rib. It was accompanied by “Roasted garlic potatoes Anglaise and vegetable of the day”, both of which I found quite disappointing. The prime rib itself was quite good, and this was a case where I would have liked a second slice, but that’s OK. The other thing that came with dinner was Domba, the belly dance troup. Eight women, all quite attractive and very nicely attired, danced for our pleasure, and at least in my case, I was pleased. Their troop has been around a long time and they really have their act together.
I just noticed perhaps the only problem with the feast – the prime rib course was supposed to come with French and wheat rolls with whipped butter. I never saw such, at least in our corner of the table. Oh, well.
And finally on to the Decadent Delights, the dessert. “A fabulous fanfare of freshly picked berries in a tuille trumpet garnished with Melba salsa, double chocolate and Chantilly crème”. Basically a chocolate cup with fruit and creams. Very much yummy. All the plates that I saw were clean. This time the entertainment was our Feast Masters, doing a wind-down. It flowed well, we were given our commemorative medals, and back into the sunlight we went.
A couple of few things to note, and I’ll be posting again on the Ren Fest later (I want to get this one up) was that the meal came with unlimited beer, wine or iced tea. I settled for wine and water, as did Richard. It wasn’t a great wine, but it was pretty darn good, and we were both more than a little unsteady leaving the fair. Fortunately we knew we’d be spending another 3 or 4 hours, so driving home sobriety was not an issue. Also, there were silly hats involved, the number 13 and outrageous coincidence, random drawings, the ritual torture of someone not in Festival garb, and a penguin. Though I might have hallucinated the penguin.
Posted 2/8/2004 at 10:51 AM - email it
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3 Comments
Y'know, I remember when Richard and Karyn first sent out those invitations to the Feast. I turned it down at that time because of the expense. Having seen your report, I'm doubly glad that I did so. I've fought hard in the last few months to change my eating habits, the better to control my weight and my diabetes. The biggest change to my eating habits was to exercise moderation, and doing so would have meant that I would have been disappointed because I could not have eaten as much as I would have liked to. In fact, my appetite has diminished to the point that I doubt that I could have physically eaten as much as I would have wanted to. Still, it sounds as good as when I first read the menu of what would be served.
And I'm just as glad that I didn't have to wander around the RenFest grounds after having stuffed myself at the Feast.
Posted 2/9/2004 at 2:41 AM by Magic_Rat - delete - block user
Sounds like you had a great time. I'll echo Jason's comment re: the menu being heavier than I could possibly eat. I've lost a lot of weight in the last year or two (a combination of low-carb, high caffeine and back to the booze). Yesterday I put on a corset and discovered that my chest is now flat as a boy's with only light lacing. That's probably TMI, but costuming was mentioned in your post, so there!
P.S. I like the costume photo in your blog profile!
Posted 2/9/2004 at 7:09 AM by deborak - delete - block user
I guess I started buying a few costume pieces after you fled the heat, Debora. The shirt and vest I got at the ren fest several years ago, along with some pants. I replaced the pants quickly as they had no pockets. I love the shirt, but it's a dense weave and can be overheating very quickly. So the first time I went to Chivalry Sports in Tucson, I bought a great pair of pants that have pockets. I also got a lighter weave creme poet's shirt with a lace front.
Generally I can do the cranberry shirt for the first weekend of the fest and then it's too hot, I did the light shirt for the feast because the sleeves are much more manageable for a sitdown dinner.
Posted 2/9/2004 at 6:41 PM by The_Wayne - delete
This year was a bit more special. I have attended the Festival since its beginning, I believe it was around 15 years ago, and almost every year has seen some expansion or improvement. The first year saw just one “leg” of the grounds, you turned right at the main gate, it went up to the Palace Theatre (the usual home of Don Juan and Miguel) and pretty much ended. The jousting arena was in the middle of the grounds in what is now the Falconer’s Heath where the Birds of Prey show is held along with Morris Dancing and who knows what else. So you had the Palace, I think you had the Middleshire Stage just beyond the main entrance, and you had a stage tucked into the corner that became the Mud Stage for the Wyld Men Show. I almost forgot the Middleshire Stage to the right of the main entrance before you got to the Falconry Heath.
The next year or so saw the completion of “the loop”, the fair now formed a large circle, with shops along both sides. What was to become the Boat House Stage was added, along with the Moon Calf Stage. A year or two after that saw the completion of the Tournament Arena, and the original arena became the Falconer’s Heath with the construction of a large building for the birds used in the show.
(It should be noted that these are the main stages, there are several smaller stages such as the Dancing Pig Pub and Stage next to the entrance of the jousting arena. I’m just listing the major stages where the major acts are, or at least the ones that I’ll normally frequent. )
Subsequent improvements have mainly focused on infrastructure, things such as putting canopies over stages so you don’t get quite as parbroiled as before, improving the grounds themselves to control mud pits (yes, it sometimes rains in Arizona), things like that. The most significant improvements 2 or 3 years ago were the replacement of Porta Potties in some areas with actual walk-in restrooms. It was greatly appreciated by women with complicated costumes that require a feat of mechanical engineering to achieve relief. (said walk-ins are outside the main entrance, next to the Mud Stage, and between the Teatre de la Rosa and the main entrance. All others, as far as I know, are still Porta Potties.)
This year saw something bigger come in. A feast hall.
The area to the left of the main entrance was a village green that was used for part of the Queen’s Court. They built a goodly-sized feast hall there with seating for 100. The interior layout is a large rectangle missing part at the top for people to come into the middle, all feasters sit on the outside facing in.
Thus begins the Royal Feast.
This is a full six-course dinner. Two hours of eating and entertainment with good food and good drink. It isn’t cheap, this being the inaugural year, they’re cutting $10 off their normal price of $80 per person. It is adult-only, must be over 18. I could be mistaken about the age requirement, but I don’t think there any youths in it, certainly no small children.
It was great.
Two friends, Rich & Karyn, learned that the feast was up-coming and got on a mailing list. As soon as the list announced that reservations were being accepted, they told their friend (who told their friends and so on and so on…) and put together an order, this was September last year. I requested four tickets as I had friends who were either Ren Fest junkies or whom I really wanted to take. Between September and now, my ex- (then and now) girlfriend got married, a couple relationship possibilities for me didn’t pan out, and my best friend’s mother gets shingles and she cancels on us. Well, the ex-girlfriend now has a husband, and there was an additional friend who did not hear of the original order from Rich & Karyn who really wanted to go, so at least all four of my tickets were used.
The feast was Saturday, the first ever public seating. This being the Ren Fest, there has to be some opening hoopla, and this was no exception. After some initial strangeness we were led into the hall to our area. Having a group of eight, we wrapped around a corner quite nicely which made it easy to talk to each other without having to yell past a half dozen people.
Already on your plate is an appetizer of three British cheeses (including a crumbly stinky cheese, one of my favs!), a small sprig of champagne grapes, some sliced apple, fresh baked bread, and some chutney. Cumberland chutney, to be specific, whatever differentiates it from other chutneys I do not know. This was Champions Begin.
The two Feast Masters, previously met (but unmentioned) outside the Hall, begin conducting the feast from the middle of the ring of tables. We all stand to greet the next course, which was a very nice creamy potato leek soup. Whilst consuming the soup, we are entertained by one of the Fair’s performers, I believe it was Bathos the Muse, he’s a magician and has good shtick/patter. (It was quite noisy in the hall, stone floors and hard walls, so most of the time I could barely hear what was being said. This was a complaint echoed by several others.)
The next course, properly greeted, was a mixed salad. I wasn’t terribly impressed with said salad, but that’s sometimes the way it goes. The entertainers was a juggling trio called the London Broil. They were amusing to watch and didn’t bobble too many clubs.
This was followed by Flaming Bandoliers of Joy, “Chicken breast brushed with honey plum molasses, smoked turkey legs, applewood smoked Portuguese pork sausage - all grilled to perfection.” I didn’t bother with the turkey leg, the sausage was good, the chicken was fantastic! The sauce was just great. Highly recommended.
And by the way, for those who have done Brazilian multi-course dinners, this is not a case of “a slice of this, a slice of that.” This is a whole turkey leg, a whole chicken breast, a whole sausage. Trust me – you will not go away hungry from this feast.
The entertainers for this course was The King and his Royal Court. His Majesty came and personally spoke with everyone who attended the feast, or at least most everyone, I think he only made it around maybe 2/3rds to 3/4ths of the tables, but he did make ours. The rest of the Royal Court gave them enough numbers that everyone in the hall was visited, even if they didn’t get the King personally. It was a good entertainment, he could spontaneously spout quality free verse and did so for a member of our group.
We were all pretty well stuffed at this point, but that was course 4 of 6.
Next up was prime rib. It was accompanied by “Roasted garlic potatoes Anglaise and vegetable of the day”, both of which I found quite disappointing. The prime rib itself was quite good, and this was a case where I would have liked a second slice, but that’s OK. The other thing that came with dinner was Domba, the belly dance troup. Eight women, all quite attractive and very nicely attired, danced for our pleasure, and at least in my case, I was pleased. Their troop has been around a long time and they really have their act together.
I just noticed perhaps the only problem with the feast – the prime rib course was supposed to come with French and wheat rolls with whipped butter. I never saw such, at least in our corner of the table. Oh, well.
And finally on to the Decadent Delights, the dessert. “A fabulous fanfare of freshly picked berries in a tuille trumpet garnished with Melba salsa, double chocolate and Chantilly crème”. Basically a chocolate cup with fruit and creams. Very much yummy. All the plates that I saw were clean. This time the entertainment was our Feast Masters, doing a wind-down. It flowed well, we were given our commemorative medals, and back into the sunlight we went.
A couple of few things to note, and I’ll be posting again on the Ren Fest later (I want to get this one up) was that the meal came with unlimited beer, wine or iced tea. I settled for wine and water, as did Richard. It wasn’t a great wine, but it was pretty darn good, and we were both more than a little unsteady leaving the fair. Fortunately we knew we’d be spending another 3 or 4 hours, so driving home sobriety was not an issue. Also, there were silly hats involved, the number 13 and outrageous coincidence, random drawings, the ritual torture of someone not in Festival garb, and a penguin. Though I might have hallucinated the penguin.
Posted 2/8/2004 at 10:51 AM - email it
Give eProps or Post a Comment
3 Comments
Y'know, I remember when Richard and Karyn first sent out those invitations to the Feast. I turned it down at that time because of the expense. Having seen your report, I'm doubly glad that I did so. I've fought hard in the last few months to change my eating habits, the better to control my weight and my diabetes. The biggest change to my eating habits was to exercise moderation, and doing so would have meant that I would have been disappointed because I could not have eaten as much as I would have liked to. In fact, my appetite has diminished to the point that I doubt that I could have physically eaten as much as I would have wanted to. Still, it sounds as good as when I first read the menu of what would be served.
And I'm just as glad that I didn't have to wander around the RenFest grounds after having stuffed myself at the Feast.
Posted 2/9/2004 at 2:41 AM by Magic_Rat - delete - block user
Sounds like you had a great time. I'll echo Jason's comment re: the menu being heavier than I could possibly eat. I've lost a lot of weight in the last year or two (a combination of low-carb, high caffeine and back to the booze). Yesterday I put on a corset and discovered that my chest is now flat as a boy's with only light lacing. That's probably TMI, but costuming was mentioned in your post, so there!
P.S. I like the costume photo in your blog profile!
Posted 2/9/2004 at 7:09 AM by deborak - delete - block user
I guess I started buying a few costume pieces after you fled the heat, Debora. The shirt and vest I got at the ren fest several years ago, along with some pants. I replaced the pants quickly as they had no pockets. I love the shirt, but it's a dense weave and can be overheating very quickly. So the first time I went to Chivalry Sports in Tucson, I bought a great pair of pants that have pockets. I also got a lighter weave creme poet's shirt with a lace front.
Generally I can do the cranberry shirt for the first weekend of the fest and then it's too hot, I did the light shirt for the feast because the sleeves are much more manageable for a sitdown dinner.
Posted 2/9/2004 at 6:41 PM by The_Wayne - delete
