If you fancied yourself a weekend away before Halloween takes over; a break from smart screens, flashing lights, and tech noise, than you likely found yourself making your way to the Thorndale, Ontario Fairgrounds for The Oxford Renaissance Festival!

Whether you dressed up or dressed down, there was a myriad of events hosted from Friday to Sunday to keep the masses entertained. From Birds of Prey information sessions to cannon fire, whip demonstrations and much more.

I, myself, attended on Saturday, having been years prior when it was hosted in Dorchester, I was eager to see how the event had grown and organized in the new space. Parking was relatively easy. If you didn’t pay for Preferred Parking (close to the event itself), or have an Accessibility pass, you were headed to the fields just outside of town to catch the shuttle. Parking was on a donation basis, which many were happy to provide, and spaces were well-organized and separated so everyone had room to park, unload and change. Shuttles were done by school bus, and it was a bit nostalgic sitting on the back of the bus, especially in a full costume, heading to an event.

There were a variety of food vendors, most lined up outside offering a variety of things like Butter Beer, Iced Coffee, Kawartha Ice Cream, Fish n Chips, and the favoured Turkey Legs (which were definitely lacking in both flavour and quality this year). Inside the main building, you could find Bards and Dancers, some singing old sea shanties, while others danced with swords atop their heads. Of course, all of this could be enjoyed with a nice cold pint as well!

Vendors outside ranged from the ever-popular sword and weaponry booth to home-made trinkets, crochets and more. I was heavily intrigued by the booth that had hand-made pipes. Each one was hand-carved, and smoothed out from different wood. Mahogany, Olive, and many others were on display, beautifully crafted, with staff happy to answer any and all manner of questions.

Pelts and leathers adorned other booths, and even a Blacksmith had set up shop just on one of the outfields of a baseball diamond to showcase his skills for many wide-eyed kids who approached. Of course, popularity came in waves for the Mead and Honey booth, with samples provided that had them handing out bags left and right from their sales. I managed to try both the Peach and Blackberry, the latter being a bit sweet but still delicious. Honey came in flavours reminiscent of things like lemon and lime, or my favourite, watermelon and green apple. Delicious!

While friends and I wandered the grounds, we weren’t too keen on the overall outdoor vendor layout that was haphazard at best. Aisles were almost non-existent, with some spaces spread out more than 20 ft and others leaving narrow gaps for people to squeeze through, while also avoiding the ropes and poles sticking out of the ground to keep their tents in place. It seemed like a lack of foresight on the organization’s part.

That, coupled with the amount of vendors clearly selling temu/aliexpress/wish knock-offs was exhausting. Many booths I avoided due to recognizing the same bits of jewelry over and over again at mark-ups of $25+. This was the same case with some of the 3D print vendors or crochet vendors which left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth and took away from those who actually do hand-craft their goods. It really shadowed those who put in hardwork for their creations, with eyerolls from patrons and frustration causing them to avoid booths with similar wares, despite some actually being handmade.

Of course, the main event is truly all about the Full Metal Jousting! Yes, men dress in FULL armour, to ride on horseback, and smash into each other with VERY REAL weaponry. This also featured the World Champion, all in hopes of bringing recognition to a sport that may soon be washed away.

Round 1 occurred at the 1:30pm mark, with 4 men taking to their steeds for a 1v1 battle, lance to lance. Our favoured red knight was knocked from his horse, and left to concern but was able to stand much to the applause and relief of his beloved fans. After another 1v1, seeing Theodore, the Mountain, knocked from his steed, it was up to the 4pm event to pit brother against brother in a winner take all event!

Jousting anyone?

If you didn’t click on the video link, you see in the very first round that both brothers take each other out! It was WILD, and the sound of impact was EPIC! This is where the crowds were for much of the day, eagerly awaiting their personal Champion to ride out for victory! And as expected, the World Champ still reigns supreme!

It’s a fun-filled day with lots to see and do, with aerial acrobats, sword-fighting, and story-telling to keep you from getting bored. We really enjoyed the day, but I didn’t come for the vendors in the first place!

You can find out more about the Oxford Renaissance Festival via their website, and get your bar maid, armour, or DnD outfit ready for next year!