*I was given free tickets for my family to King Richard’s Faire, but all opinions are my own.*
Did you know that Ninjette has been knighted? Yes, indeed she has! Last year, I ventured to a Renaissance festival with my in-laws. It was my first time at anything like that, so it was quite the adventure. We stumbled upon the jousting and afterwards, the Queen of the festival knighted the brave children of the day and Ninjette jumped at the chance. I mean, who doesn’t want to be knighted, right?
This year, I was given the opportunity to check out the King Richard’s Faire in Carver, MA and since my child was already a knight, we had to go! Carver is about an hour south of Boston (not too far from Hingham – before or afterwards, you can go grab some of my favorite Wahlburgers!!!). Go in costume or rent one while you are there!
Find your shield and sword – they are so cool and made out of wood!
Then, be serenaded by minstrels and various musicians and performers. Let me know if you find the white dragon!
One of the cool things about the Faire is that everyone is in character and plays a part. You may run into the sheriff with his drinking cup on his head or the Queen – maybe even King Richard, himself! You are really getting immersed into the 16th century. No worries, though, because the privies (a.k.a. bathrooms) are fairly modern. All the rides are hand cranked – literally!
Don’t miss the various shows put on by the performers of the Faire. We loved the acrobat duo of Thunder and Star!
Of course, there is jousting – you definitely do not want to miss your chance to cheer on your favorite knight! Grab your turkey leg and get settled for some good old fashioned 16th century jousting and games.
Finally, here are five tips to make your trip to King Richard’s Faire awesome:
1. Bring cash – lots of it! You can purchase your tickets online, but if you want to buy at the gate, bring cash. There are ATMs near the entrance, but BRING CASH. All the rides and games cost around $2-3 each and they only accept cash. For food, drink, and adult beverages, you will need to purchase food tickets (in cash only) from the various booths. Each ticket is $1 and they sell it in $5 books. (No outside food or drink is allowed in the Faire and they will also do a bag check.)
2. Wear comfy shoes for walking around a forest. The Faire is nestled in a beautiful forest with great shading from all the trees. Everything is outdoors, so just be mindful of the weather when you are dressing up in that armor.
3. Practice your archery and cross bow. The games are a lot of fun and challenging!
4. Go around the grounds and explore what’s there. The Faire is set up in a circle, so you will hit everything, eventually, but you don’t want to blow all your cash on the torture dungeon (yes, there is a dungeon where you can see how the 16th century tortured their criminals – not good for kids). There is also Thai food near the pony rides/tiger show area – it’s away from the rest of the main food stands. You can always circle back!
5. If you are bringing kids, there is a kid’s cove area with various princesses, knights, and a cool little play area. All the games and rides are relatively kid friendly, but grown ups will probably need to help younger ones. Just don’t do the torture castle/dungeon with kids. (I made that mistake last year – oops!) 
King Richard’s Faire is fun, family friendly, and a great way to escape to the 16th century for the weekend! If you are Game of Thrones fans, check out the Faire this weekend (Sept. 27th – rain date Sept. 28th) as they will have GoT trivia, costume contests, and themed prizes! King Richard’s Faire happens every weekend until October 19th. For more information and details, go to: http://kingrichardsfaire.net/about/visitor-information/
Fare thee well!