Canterbury Renaissance Faire

I went to this Renaissance Fair last year and I’m going again tomorrow. I went to a few faires last year and this one was truly the best! The setting is in the trees just like the Sherwood Forest and the actors and participants play their parts beautifully. the jesters are very rugged and manly and sweaty. it’s awesome!

This fair was awesome! First one I ever went to. Good beer, lots of shops and lots to do!!! Good feel. People really play their part. The turkey legs were also much better than the Hillsboro fair!
I will be back for more trouble.

Just came back from week 1 of the 2014 Faire. Thought I’d put up an update. :)
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Tired and happy from the first weekend of Canterbury Renaissance Faire. If you haven’t been to this one, it’s a nice faire located in a grove of fir trees. I had a brilliant time, saw some amazingly raunchy, fun, side-​splitting shows. Enjoyed a lot of music from pro musicians and ate some really good food. Honestly, for food at an event, Canterbury’s vendors are both good cooks AND affordable. If you’ve ever eaten at a county fair or other venue, you know it can be stupidly expensive (hello 8.00 hot dogs?)
The path wends its way through the trees, to many wonderful booths. I met several new vendors this year that I will definitely spending money with in the future. On Saturday it was really hot out, but under the trees it was comfortable, even in my heavy costume. Because of all of the fir needles and such, the dust never really became a problem either. And, if you get tired, there are plenty of benches and hay bales to rest upon.
My favorite horse, Buttons, was there. She’s adorable, and you have to see her crazy mane. She is a rescue horse and is great with the kids. I’ve been told she is a Norwegian Fjord — She is the only one I’ve ever seen, and I think she’s just great. Also Casanova the rooster… the only chicken I like that isn’t fried. He’s friendly, and his handler will tell you all about him, raising the roosters like him, and let you scratch his head.
Of special note was a nest of barely-​fledged peregrine falcons living above the Monger’s guild yard. The first day they fluttered around their nest, but on Sunday they were chasing one another through the grove. You don’t often see 3 young falcons so close to people and seemingly uncaring that we’re there.
One other thing — the Crêpe booth owner is awesome. He filled my mug with coffee yesterday morning, allowing me to pay him later. That was awesome and I was very thankful. Eat his crepes, they’re delicious.

Canterbury Renaissance Faire is, in my opinion, the best RenFaire in the Northwest. The staff are polite, professional, and highly skilled. The performers are excellent, and often visit with attendees around the village between performances. The vendors sell mostly handmade crafts, which are of the highest quality, and unlike many faires, are reasonably priced for what you are buying. You simply don’t see the classic «Faire Gouging» going on here!
This event is on a private horse ranch near Silverton, OR, which means parking in a field (for free, by the way), with some occasionally bumpy dirt paths to travel, it is very accessible for all. My friend who has a wheelchair bound stepson brings his family to Canterbury, because while it may not be paved paths, they can still manage to get around quite well. I have also seen the staff go above and beyond the call of duty to help attendees who had special needs, including my sister-​in-​law, when she was attending and was still recovering from surgery. She was using a walker to get around, and the staff kept an eye on her to make sure she was alright, even with the rest of her family around.
Canterbury may be a smaller faire, compared to some of the big events elsewhere in the nation, but it has a very inclusive feeling. You are made to feel like family and friends by all involved, which many larger faires cannot accomplish.
Finally, Canterbury Renaissance Faire is held in a forested setting, so the majority of the village is completely shaded from the hot summer sun, which really makes this faire stand out above others.
My wife and I have been going to Canterbury for 4 years now, and we always look forward to this event every year.

I would like to say it was a day of good, clean, family fun, but that would be a lie.
We walked out of the Canterbury Renaissance Faire covered in dirt, with a whole arsenal of inappropriate jokes and couldn’t have been happier. After attending some very large Renaissance Faires [1] in my youth in Northern California, I knew going in that this wouldn’t be a large scale festival. But, I ended up really enjoying the scaled down experience.
We visited right when they opened on Saturday morning and the staff and vendors seemed very well prepared with regards to the logistics. Parking (free) and admission were a breeze. The entry gate and many vendors even took Mistress Visa and Master Card (their phrasing). While not cheap, adult admission was $ 13 and children 6– 12 and seniors were $ 10, I felt fine about the expense. Primarily because once you are in, it is very easy not to spend a ton of dough and really enjoy the full experience. This is in stark contrast to many festivals where you feel gouged everywhere you turn (parking, ride bracelets, special attractions, dining, etc.).
There was a beer garden (Ye Olde Ale House), and a few food vendors offering themed fare like turkey legs, in addition to more typical festival food (burgers, pizza). Every person we encountered working at the festival from food vendors to merchants to the entertainment had the best attitude and were ‘in character’ the entire time. They went out of their way to entertain younger kids (pony rides and kids version of the joust) and it was just a fun place to be.
Many visitors, and all of the vendors, were dressed in costume, but if you don’t have any Ren Faire ware in your closet, you could rent an outfit for the day or purchase pieces for your collection. Ladies could have their hair braided and men could purchase flasks or visa versa. Merchants had a wide range of goods from metal work, including a forge going during the festival, to leather belts, vests, corsets, and yes, weapons. This held the most interest for my son. We actually picked up an English longbow here that we ordered last month from the vendor who is usually at the Portland Saturday Market.
Most vendors and the entertainment work a Renaissance Faire circuit up and down the West Coast, so it was fun to hear about the other faires. For example, the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire in August is about four times the size. At this location, the merchants and several of the stages were in a grove, so you could wander around in the shade most of the day.
The nice part about a smaller faire is that there were almost no lines and it never felt too crowded. Of course the jousting event, held two times a day, was absolutely packed. It featured three knights who had to complete a variety of skills on horseback and while dismounted. Throwing a javelin at a target, spearing small rings with their lance, and then jousting an opponent. While not quite as exciting and sexy as the jousting in The Tudors, it was fun. Depending on your location in the audience, you root for one of the knights (always bet on black) and some good old fashioned smack talk is part of the show.
Another highlight was Adam, the Bawdy Juggler. I don’t know who was enjoying the act more, Adam, or the audience. But ladies should be forewarned that he will pick a young lady out of the audience to ‘hold his balls’. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for younger children or conservative relatives, I thought it was pretty funny considering the surroundings.
My oldest who is a history nut and loves acting, considers this one of the highlights of his summer. Not to say that every visitor will think this is the best thing ever, but if you are in the right frame of mind (or drunk), it is a pretty damn good time.
[1] Mr. K and I remember one Ren Faire from ages ago where a performer was locked in the stocks and yelled insults at everyone passing by. The brilliant part of this performance piece was that you could buy rotten tomatoes to throw at him. Really, does it get any better than that?