Where kings and pirates tread

Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival

Morelandshire

112 Renaissance…

Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival

Morelandshire

112 Renaissance Lane, West Newton (about 40 minutes from Pittsburgh)

September 10 – September 25

10:30 AM – 6:30 PM

Adults: $14.95 Children $5.95

Here we are at the start of another school year. Most of us have gone to at least one of our classes, purchased our books and met our neighbors. Signs that students are adjusting to the drastic changes around them are everywhere: Fewer freshman are wandering aimlessly in search of the enigmatic structure known as “The Cathedral” and almost all of the returning students have come out of their awe-induced comas, brought on by the shock of new hyper-luminescent lights, decorative shrubbery and – can it be? – a railing on Bigelow Boulevard. Now the excitement is dying down and it is time to think about the future, and that means two words: job fair.

Yes, the job fair, where the professionals of tomorrow meet with the companies of today, picking up pamphlets, business cards and as many free pens as they can fit on their person. But I have come to find that most job fairs are woefully insufficient in providing opportunities for a marginalized sector of the unemployed: the pirates.

With this in mind, I took time this past weekend to journey into the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania to a different kind of fair – a festival to be exact – the 12th Annual Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival. I had heard rumors that this event was not only open to pirates, but that it was actually encouraging their attendance. “Finally,” I thought, “someplace for these savvy entrepreneurs of the sea to gather and swap trade secrets, cures for scurvy and tales of romantic conquest.”

When I arrived in Morelandshire, a Brigadoon-like hamlet that appears every August before disappearing again with the close of September, I found that they were open not solely to pirates but were also welcoming to wizards, knights, lords, ladies, minstrels and a whole assortment of yeoman, craftsmen and even fairies.

I also found that Morelandshire wasn’t really a job fair at all, but rather more of an autonomous collective where the inhabitants of the realm gathered to sell their wares, demonstrate their skills and just generally be rowdy – all under the watchful of eyes of their monarchs, King Richard and Queen Rosalind, of course.

The colorful grounds and shady paths of Morelandshire were bursting with the shops of everyone from sword merchants and leather workers to potters, basket weavers and jewelers. The air was filled with scents wafting out of booths where soap makers, herbalists and perfumers sold their goods. Some, like a skilled glass blower, were showing their trade to anyone who stopped by, taking the time to respond to any queries.

Wandering further into the village, I discovered some who made their livelihood through entertainment. Storytellers gathered people together to tell them tales of amazing feats whilst magicians drew them in to watch as they produced their own brand of amazement, often with a twist of comedy. Throughout the festival, musicians performed ballads, jigs and other such tunes and gypsies danced and sang around the fire of their encampment.

Clowns, jugglers and actors abounded as acrobats climbed ropes to perform from precarious heights above the Morelandshire grounds. Others chose to go into the ground rather than dangle high above it, performing works of theater in the mud in what they appropriately dubbed “The Mud Show.”

I was impressed by the popularity of the King and Queen as they strolled leisurely about their realm to raucous cries of “Huzzah!” from their subjects. Three times a day, at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., they gathered with the royal court and their guests at the King’s Field of Honor to watch their knights perform feats of equestrian skill, battling for the crowd’s praise. The final joust escalated to a duel to the death between the two knights, something I have heard is a common occurrence between the knights of Morelandshire.

Then, of course, there were the pirates who had been my inspiration to travel to this fair land. I was happy to discover that I had chosen to visit Morelandshire on the weekend the King and Queen were paying respect to the long heritage of the pirate. As a result, the village was bustling with all manner of brigands and privateers.

I was delighted to see that many buccaneers were gainfully employed, running rides for the amusement of the King and Queen’s guests and giving shows. These pirates were going to remain in Morelandshire until the close of the festivities. Most, however, were simply guests for the weekend and so spent their time wandering about the fair drinking from tankards, looking gruff and, naturally, being pirates.

I learned that the King and Queen, in their magnanimity, often invite such groups to Morelandshire for the enjoyment of their subjects and their guests. This weekend, September 10-11, they are opening the gates of the fair to Shakespearean performers. The following weekend, September 17-18, they’re welcoming the wonders of Italy, from wine and pasta to a rousing game of bocce. Finally, from September 24-25, the King and Queen are greeting the harvest with an Oktoberfest celebration before departing from the Laurel Highlands – along with their subjects – for another year.

The Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival and Craft Market is held Saturdays and Sundays in Morelandshire (112 Renaissance Lane, West Newton), located about 40 minutes from Pittsburgh off of Exit 51A on I-70. For more details about the festival, including entertainment schedules, themed weekends, discount tickets and directions, visit http://www.pgh-renfest.com or call (724) 872-1670.