Huzzah! The Faire Is Here! A Review of the Shows and Interviews With the Kids

By: Meghan 
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One of the great joys of being a parent is seeing the world with the fresh perspective of your children’s vision. Things that were dull before become vibrant as they experience them for the first time. Holidays become sparklier, colors become brighter, trips become adventures. One of my favorite adventures that we take as a family is our annual time travel to King Richard’s Faire in Carvershire (Carver to those of us that live in the 21st century). 

Though the journey takes us back historically nearly 500 years, the easy drive from the Lower Cape is less than an hour.  This year’s visit was special because we introduced dear friends to the Faire and got to watch as they experienced the magic of the Faire for the first time. All summer my kids shared their excitement with their friends and by the time fall rolled around, they were on board for joining us on our visit this year. 

My kiddos are 5 and 7 and they LOVE the Faire. Beginning in July, they start asking if it’s time to go and begin planning their outfits. Yes, we dress up. All of us (stop laughing!).

It truly adds to the experience, bringing you into the realm as you interact in your role with the actual performers. It’s so fun for me … I mean the kids, yes the kids. 

We were lucky enough to be there for the opening ceremony this year, which is truly a treat. The King, Queen, and various other Royals and court members welcomed the crowd, introducing the characters and storyline that would be woven through the day. As the crowd moved in the Washing Well Wenches hung over the railing saying hello to handsome fellows and requesting cartwheels from men in kilts. My kids were thrilled to be met inside the village by the King, Queen, and the King’s mother. They curtsied beautifully and charmed the royal family with their princess manners.

My favorite moment of the day may have been when our 8-year-old friend stood staring in amazement at the Faire’s village and said “I never imagined it like this. It’s like someone took Chatham back to the middle ages!”

 There were several new acts this year that were truly wonderful! One of those was a fantastic new show at the Dance Stage which is set up among the picnic tables near the food stands. There were huge red strands of silk fabric hanging from the sky above the stage. As we sat eating our huge turkey legs we were thrilled to find out why – the aerial silk show Draiku began performing beautiful aerial acrobatics that took our breath away! The new Big Cat Show is a huge improvement over years past with a lot of educational

The jousting tournament was again amazing with gorgeous horses and talented knights showing their yeomanly skills. We love cheering for Sir Jeffrey and always sit in his section of the jousting field. 
After the afternoon’s jousting match it was time to visit the artisans of the realm. My kids have become enamored of dragon pets that they can only find at the Faire. Every year they add to their growing family and buy a dragon each. It is their special remembrance to get them through until the next year’s trip. Apparently they’re good for snuggling too. 

 It was another wonderful trip back in time and clearly I enjoyed it, but this year I decided that it was time to let my kids have a turn sharing their thoughts about King Richard’s Faire. So fair readers, here is an interview with my tiny time travelers Fiona (7) and Coco (5):

1.) Girls, how do you know that it’s time to go to King Richard’s Faire?

Coco: Because you just know!

Fiona: Because it’s fall and then we get our costumes and then we get our tickets!

2.) How many years have you two gone to King Richard’s Faire?

Coco: 3 years

3.)Can you think back to the first year we went and tell me what you thought it was going to be like? 
Fiona:  I didn’t know actually. I just thought it was someplace kingly and queenly and witchy. 

Coco: I thought it would be like it is

4.) What is your favorite memory about King Richard’s Faire?

Coco and Fiona: Getting our first dragons!

5.) Why do you want to go back to King Richards Faire?

Fiona: Because it’s really awesome!

Coco: Because it’s really nice!

6.) What makes it awesome and nice?

Coco: Because the whole thing is nice, I can’t describe it.

Fiona: It’s nice in a way that people want to go every year once they try it. If they go this year they’ll probably go again next year.

7.) What is the craziest thing you’ve seen at King Richard’s Faire? 

​Fiona: The tournament! PS – don’t be scared about what I’m about to tell you, but there is a bit of violence in the tournament. 

Coco: Yeah, it was crazy when the King said the tournament would be to the death. Yech.
(Mom note: There are three tournaments and they get progressively more intense, the 3rd joust is mortal combat. We have actually never attended that one as my kids are pretty sensitive.)

8.) What was you favorite thing about the Faire this year?

Fiona: The dragons!

9.) How did it feel to meet the king?

Fiona: Kind of weird an kind of nice and kind of freaky, because he’s a king and I never met a king before. 

10.) What was your favorite show this year? 

Fiona: The tournament

Coco: The cat show

11.) What was your favorite ride?

Fiona: The jousting horse ride, I actually speared the little ring out of the dragon’s mouth when I went riding down on the horse! 

Coco: The swan swing, it went so high and I almost fainted!

12.) Did you eat any food?

Coco: I ate at the kings feast, we had a giant ice cream

13.) What did you think about the acrobats on the silk 

Fiona: Cool but scary! 

Coco: I don’t think I could do that!

14.) What about the guy on the tight rope?

Fiona: He walked on it with high heels on! I don’t know how he walked on there!

Coco: I was freaked out for him!

15.) Did you see any interesting characters

Fiona: The Laundry Monster

Coco: The king’s mother was there this year!
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Fiona: I met Tree Fairies too and they can’t talk to grown ups but they did talk to me!
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16.) Anything else people should know?

​Coco: The horses are pretty!

17.) Would you go back?Fiona: Yes!
Coco: Even if we couldn’t bring our cat we’ll still go back!

So there you go! King Richard’s Faire is the place to be! The Faire runs weekends through October 25th in Carver. Check out more information at www.kingrichardsfaire.net. Huzzah!