Lords, Ladies, Warlocks and Wenches galore, the 37th Bay Area Renaissance Festival brought fantasies to life at the MOSI in Tampa.
In case you missed it, time travel to the renaissance period took place from Feb. 14 to March 29, with seven different themed weekends, such as Shamrocks and Shenanigans, and High Seas Adventure.
When I was a kid, my parents would ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“A doctor, firefighter, veterinarian,” I would answer.
Today, I am still asked the same question, but my answer has changed.
I want to be Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, Mother of Dragons and Breaker of Chains.
At the Renaissance Festival, I found that I was not the only one with a childlike fantasy.
The festival was filled with 16th century shops and taverns, creating a village and, to me, a labyrinth.
I could be a queen for the day. Guests dressed in a variety of 16th century fashion, from corsets to kilts. If your outfit was too 21st century, you could rent an outfit from Fiona’s Costume Rental.
As a queen, I cracked open a fresh oyster to find a pearl inside at Pearls of the Realm. An artisan crafts the pearl into a necklace. A lucky few open the oyster to find a black pearl. They say the uglier the oyster, the more beautiful the pearl.
For those fascinated with the spiritual realm, psychic readings, tarot and palmistry were available, as well as all things natural with medicinal oils.
I found the festival is more for adults, as the Tortuga Twins performed an R-rated show that shocked the audience.
Other events kept the festival kid friendly.
A master of the art of illusion defied gravity with Fushigi magic gravity balls. The performer gave the illusion of levitation, as well as having three or four hands as he made Fushigi magic.
An aerial silk acrobatic gave a breathtaking performance. She danced in trees as she hung from two silk ribbons.
Altogether, the food, mead and entertainment were fit for a queen.
