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"Lords and Ladies, prepare thyself for merriment and mischief!"

Words similar to these are heard at various times throughout the year, shouted from faux castle walls and ramparts, announcing the festivities of renaissance festivals in various spots around the United States. For those who have never experienced Shakespeare, seen the musical "Camelot" or the spoof "Spamalot", played Dungeons & Dragons, or studied medieval history, you should still consider attending a renaissance festival. When you do, make sure it's one of high quality with an excellent track record: The second largest in the U.S. is the Maryland Renaissance Festival (www.rennfest.com) in Crownsville, a mere stone's throw from the capital city of Annapolis.

The grounds cover 110 acres of hilly land, with both tree shade and open fields, upon which the festival provides plenty of parking and all necessary amenities (bladder relief, first aid, wheelchair access, etc.). When the festival began in 1977, it was little more than a ramshackle village, but since then the permanent Crownsville site has grown steadily, in both scope and size.

Theater: Wanderers, Actors, and Other Rebels

One of the most enjoyable parts of any renaissance festival is the atmosphere, and the MRF takes this to the highest level with plenty of engaging personalities. These sociable characters wander the small English Tudor village of Revel Grove, greeting and conversing with patrons and fellow townspeople. During any given weekend, you're liable to meet the town fool, the fishmonger, a pirate, knight, or magician, a gaggle(?) of very amiable and unobtrusive mimes, or if you're lucky, a member of the Royal Court of King Henry VIII.

And those are just the festival actors. There are patrons who are so into the renaissance theme that you begin to wonder who actually works there and who doesn't. Ever since a certain Disney-inspired pirate movie came out a few years ago, I've seen Captain Jack Sparrow swaggering about the MRF with all accouterments in place, including the braided beard, numerous rings, ambling gait, and the roguish charm. I spoke to him briefly this year, but didn't think to ask about his employment at the time; I could be wrong, but personally, I think he's just an annual patron who enjoys being an extremely recognizable character. There are dozens of others who also make a good show of correctly wearing renaissance garb, adding to the entertaining goblet-full of characters.

The MRF hosts more than 40 different acts

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