MONROE — Captain Hook, Peter Pan, the Dread Pirate Roberts, a samurai and two Roman legionaries were among the attendees Sunday at the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire.
It was the first time the gathering was held at Sky Meadows Park near Monroe.
Traffic to the grounds was constant. Cars were lining up to park four hours after the gates opened. Once inside, guests were treated to activities like an archery range and sword fighting lessons. Knights in plate armor and chainmail fought for cheering crowds near the main entrance.
Stages sprinkled throughout the grounds hosted puppet shows, comedians, jugglers, fire breathers and musicians. The biggest draw was the jousting arena. There, knights competed in races on horseback and smashed their wooden lances into each other’s shields.
“It’s a whole different world compared to everyday life,” said Kevin Reed, 19, of Longview. “And really brings out the child in people.”
Pikemen guarded the queen’s procession as she mingled among the peasantry. Tent after tent of sellers lined the faire’s boundary near the main entrance. In one tent, Paul Brunetti, 27, sold walking sticks, figurines, jewelry and other wooden art under the name Darthead Stickcraft.
An individual blows bubbles using their hand as a wand during the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire at Sky Meadows Park in Snohomish, Washington, on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Brunetti originally hails from Omaha, Nebraska, but for the past year he has lived out of a van. He travels across the country selling his wares at festivals “and collect sticks as I go.” He said there’s a welcoming camaraderie among faire-goers and vendors alike.
“You got families. You got weirdos. You got the nerds. It’s a very open and accepting kind of place,” Brunetti said, adding, “It’s something everyone should go to experience.”
The rainbow-haired Sarah Pitel, 31, traveled from Sacramento, California, to sell her custom leather masks under the name Rogue & Regalia.
“If you told me six years ago I’d be doing this for a living, I would have never believed anyone,” Pitel said. “But it’s the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done.”
She has attended the Washington faire for years. While Pitel does miss the previous site at Kelley Farm outside Bonney Lake for sentimental reasons, she likes how spacious the new venue feels.
“I really like it so far. It’s beautiful,” Pitel said. “The dust and the wind — not my favorite, but comes with everything.”
Kids feign battle during the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire at Sky Meadows Park in Snohomish, Washington, on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Not everyone was selling clothes or trinkets. At the PNW Larp booth, $5 buys a quest. It’s a list of tasks that can be exchanged for prizes when completed.
“That’s fun in my mind, and nobody else is doing that,” said Caleb Patterson, of Portland, Oregon.
Normally he’d be selling hand-drawn treasure maps, but was out that day. He planned to stock up again for next weekend.
While people came to shop and watch live entertainment, the biggest draw for folks who spoke to The Daily Herald was seeing everyone dress up. One person dressed as a rat and wore a sash with the word “Plague” across it. Another paired Renaissance garb with an oversized lizard mask.
“Really there’s no right or wrong way to dress out here,” said Dano Laurion, 31, of Longview. Just so long as it’s “anything that keeps you out of your mundane clothes.”
Many attendees cosplayed as characters, like Link from “The Legend of Zelda” video game series and Monkey D. Luffy from the anime “One Piece.” Others wore tunics and corsets, sometimes paired with fantasy elements like pointed elf ears or glittering fairy wings. Maddie Bailey, 29, of Whidbey Island, wore a sack and a crown made of wheat, calling herself a “harvest fairy.”
Not everyone was in costume. Some people like Eugene Trapp, 26, of Federal Way, planned to shop to build up their wardrobes. This was his first Renaissance faire, and the number one thing he wanted to buy was a kilt.
“I’ve been wanting one for a while,” Trapp said. “The Scots had it right. We don’t need pants.”
Performers joust during the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire at Sky Meadows Park in Snohomish, Washington, on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Jason Link, 26, wore typical Renaissance clothes, but his 4-year-old bearded dragon Lizzie proved to be especially popular. A staff member scolded Link, of Beaverton, Oregon, because pets aren’t allowed at the faire, but he wasn’t too worried.
“I’m moving across the country at the end of the month, so this is my last hurrah,” Link said. What he enjoyed most about the faire was “everybody not taking themselves seriously.”
Miles Baron, 64, and Lisa Case, 57, of Mount Vernon, embraced the weekend’s theme of steampunk and pirates. The two wore top hats and 19th-century garb to resemble “steampunk time travelers.” Baron lugged around a hollowed-out book to hide his smartphone.
For lunch, the two had meat pies and donuts, washing them down with sweet butterbeer. Other snacks for sale included nachos, pizza, gyros and the classic Renaissance faire turkey leg selling for $22. They also said seeing all the costumes was a highlight.
“The variety is ridiculous. The creativity is amazing,” Case said. “I think the adults enjoy it more than the kids.”
The faire goes for another two weekends this month, but tickets have sold out. Faire organizers encourage folks to buy early when ticket sales go live in January.
Eric Schucht: 425-339-3477; eric.schucht@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EricSchucht.
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