Harpsichordian: Renaissance Faire

You'd think I'd have learned from my number of failed attempts at finding real gems on the ol' community calendar. But after all these years, I am still trusting my instincts on what will truly be a wonderful community event. I have been to a glorified spinning-wheel extravaganza that I thought would be an alpaca show, have gotten lost in a maze of farms looking for a Cherry Picker's Trot and Pit Spit only to end up at the wrong farm hours after the spitting occurred, and stood in line at a lentil festival for the much-touted free chili that ran out by the time I got to the front of the line (I returned the following year and had success). I know I'm forgetting a bunch more.

This is not to say that all community events I've been to have been disappointments, of course, but this has happened to me enough times that I have some questions. Is it just me? Is it Spokane? Does the limited space in newspapers create inaccurate depictions of events, or do I have a wild imagination? Why don't these events have websites with more details?

I think all of these elements were working against me the Saturday morning I decided we should go to the Renaissance Faire.

Here are a few things that I knew going into it:

1. I personally knew people who went to this several years ago and were thrilled by it.
2. It was kind of out of town, near Nine Mile Falls, which meant a half-hour drive.
3. People would be dressed up.
4. The faire would be going on from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Some things I imagined vs. the reality:

1. I could get good food here, like maybe gnaw on a chicken leg. | Snacks were likely all purchased at Costco.
2. There would be a variety of activities to watch. | You will be watching people play make-believe everywhere, and depending on when you arrive and how many people like you are there, you will feel very uncomfortable as an observer of this.
3. Lots of people would be there. | The parking lot was mostly empty.

Some things that were not publicized:

1. The schedule of events. We got a little slip of paper when we arrived that listed the agenda. We got there just after the jousting match, which was really one of the only things on the entire slate of events that interested me.
2. It cost $10. Per person! Yikes. Not cool, Rennies (my term for them), not cool.

Alas, it was an experience that I am not so sad I tried. There were some highlights, like a woman playing a double ocarina. And the peacock who roamed the premises. And I bet if we had only gotten there for the jousting, this would be a different kind of review.

If nothing else, here's proof we were there: