meats on sticks

Today we traveled back in time to 16th Century England, at the ever awesome Maryland Renaissance Fair.  Growing up in the DC Metro area, I've gone to this fair since I was a teenager.  Its grown so much, but some of the performers and attractions are the same as when I was growing up.  Its the 2nd largest Renaissance Fair in the country, and its done so well.  Family friendly, with something for everyone and more food on sticks than you can shake a stick at.  We met our fun friends Micce, Mary Ann and their boys A & A and enjoyed the day together.  Awesome people watching.  I think the boys are still too young to have noticed all the heaving bosoms everywhere, thank goodness!

Each time we go, we spend a lot of time watching the glass blowing.  Thankfully the boys are too fascinated watching the glass being blown to ask us why the dude is wearing leather short shorts.  But its really fascinating to watch the molten glass morph into beautiful pieces of art right before our eyes.

Johnny Fox, Sword Swallower Extraordinaire, has been performing at the fair for 30 years.  The boys LOVED this show, and their eyes were huge as he swallowed several swords, each bigger than the previous.  The climax was when he swallowed a 2 1/2 foot long balloon and then popped it inside himself, pressing on his stomach to make squeaky sounds.  They loved it.

that's a mighty big sword you got there.

The cursing well at the Museum of Unnatural History.  I didn't go in but Dylan was a bit freaked out by the dragon bones, preserved fairies in a jar, and the eye of cyclops.

Mary Ann and I and the boys flew down this giant wooden slippery slide.

Years of going to the fair and Andrew finally got his first medieval turkey leg.

And then you have the awesome people watching!  Oh. My.

We need one of these in our house.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your skulls