WOW was this an awesome Saturday! Hello all! I know it’s late on a Saturday night, but I just couldn’t contain myself! I had to share with you what happened today while all the lovely details are fresh in my mind!

Today I went to the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, New York. Now, I don’t think I would ever have gone to this event without an invitation from a best friend and a nudge of encouragement. Living on eastern Long Island, I guess I just wasn’t exposed to these thrilling fairs (or I was I just oblivious?) I’ve been to Blues fairs, Greek fairs, and Jazz fairs, but I’ve never attended a Renaissance Faire, and may I say I was EXCITED to do so.

So, the lot of us woke up in the wee hours of the morning (hey- they were wee hours for a Saturday) and arrived at Tuxedo by 9:30 in the morn. Jon Markle was our friend who drove us all, so we could experience our first Renaissance Faire! He was so ecstatic, with his custom-made, loosely-fitted Renaissance garb and his chain link carrying case. Sadly to say, I did not get dressed up. Neither did my friends Renee Levine or Emily Kurland. Emily and I joked around, saying we’d see such few people at the fair WITHOUT costumes, that when we spotted someone with jeans, we’d exclaim: “No way! You look like us! Are you from the 21st century too? What sort of time travel did YOU use?” Luckily, that discussion never sprung into action. Besides, there were TONS of people who didn’t go full-out with the proper time-period attire. They were probably poor college students like us, unable to afford costume rentals.

I must mention that there was this enchanting pathway in the woods leading from the parking lot to the actual Renaissance Faire. Renee described this pathway as the metaphysically earth trodden trail that led from our world to the world of the Renaissance. This pathway was like our closet door to our Narnia, except it led to a closed gate that opened after a 15 minute skit, which presented a storyline for the rest of the day’s events.

The greenery we passed through.

Here’s the front gate where we watched and listened to the skits take place.

The Renaissance Faire was based on the tale of Robin Hood and Sheriff Nottingham; a common story which has been Disney-fied into our hearts

Here’s Robin Hood, playing the observer for the time being.

Once we entered the Faire, so so SO much was going on! I was immediately drawn to this hair braiding booth, where I decided on a design! Check it out!

This is my hair after it was put into a Diagonal French Braid with 2 ropes! Hopefully you can see how detailed it is from this picture.

I want this hairstyle to last until at least Monday. That might sound gross, but I paid “mad dough” for that doo, and I want to get my money’s worth! My hair braider named Sam said people normally leave it in from 3 to 5 days. In order to do so, you have to use lots of hairspray and wear something silky on your head at night so it doesn’t create friction. My roommate found me a shower cap and I’m sporting that at the moment. Stylish! I look like I’m about to milk some cows.

One event I really enjoyed was the Maypole dance. This is where dancers would weave in and out of each other while holding long ribbons or streamers in order to braid the pole. It was a form of celebration to commemorate May Day. I just want to mention how nice the employees were, because as soon as they finished braiding the pole, they took audience members and danced with them. It was as if they’ve known each other their entire lives. That’s just how natural and pleasurable I observed their dancing to be.

Polly Solomon and Renee Levine dancing during the Maypole dance with Captain Jack Sparrow behind them.

Another event I liked was the giant chess match. This chess match took place on a giant field spray painted with white squares to signify the board. We had Robin Hood and his men vs. Sheriff Nottingham and his men. This was no ordinary chess, however. It was even better than the chessboard in Harry Potter, because in this “board,” the characters would stage fight with one another using swords and other forms of weaponry. Here’s some action shots!!!

The bad guy in mid-air after he was FLIPPED!

Sheriff Nottingham vs. Robin Hood during a crazy sword fight.

OH and I cannot forget the main reason we came to the Reniassance Faire. We actually have a New Paltz Alumni, Polly Solomon, acted in so many of the events through out the day! She was the smallest Gypsy and she performed her famous Flying Gypsy Act! She actually learned this unique skill from the N.Y. Circus Arts. While she was still at SUNY New Paltz last year , she starred in our yearly student choreographed dance recital called Fresh Dance, where she performed this same sort of “flying” but at a much greater height (since McKenna stage is much larger)! Here’s some pictures of her act as the Flying Gypsy!

Polly Solomon being the little gypsy she is, just….hangin’.

I love this move! It looks so difficult to do, though!

Now I believe, would be the proper time to end my blog with someone close to my heart. I must mention that Renee Levine, my best friend, became a celebrity through out the Faire today. It has an anecdote that goes along with it. Well, as soon as we entered the gates this morning, there were these stocks you could get into and pose to take pictures. There were 2 adjacent stocks and so I asked Renee if she’d get in one with me for a schnazzy snapshot. She kindly declined, not liking the idea of sticking her head and wrists in a limited space at a 90 degree angle.

Here’s me and Emily Kurland in the stocks. Apparently, I am an insufferable diva and Emily is a nagging shrew.

Well, let’s just say she paid for that decision, greatly. The actors got word of her refusal and claimed she was a guilty sinner who needed to pay the consequences for her actions. Luckily, Renee is a good sport. However, that doesn’t mean she wasn’t scared out of her wits by EVERYONE who worked at the faire. Word spread quickly. Pretty soon the entire staff would shout her name throughout the day. Some would even make the effort to converse with her so she could save her culpable soul. One man in particular liked to bellow her name as loud and as long as he could. Who was that man, you ask? The executioner! He loved to carry his sharpened ax in one hand, and a cleanly sliced head in the other. As he walked, sweat dripped from his shiny, bald head and into his thick beard. Lucky, lucky Renee Levine. Or should I say: lucky, lucky RE-NAAAAAAAAY LA-VIIIIIIIIINE (as she was more commonly called.)

Here the executioner is pressing the dead head he recently chopped off into Renee’s face. Kissy Kissy! As you can tell, she’s thrilled.

Well, by the end of the day Renee went from being hassled by the employees to being respected by them. I felt that all those exuberant and accepting people working the Renaissance Faire saw in Renee what I see everyday: a lovable, comedic, charitable, unostentatious human being. That’s why she’s my best friend.

Ok, well enough of that mushy stuff. It’s raining buckets outside right now! Sorry the pictures came out so tiny. Again, I’m still getting a knack for this blogging thing. Hope everyone stays dry for Sunday!

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 14th, 2008 at 5:55 am and is filed under Residence Life, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.