‘This Is Our
Happy Place’
Where
Renaissance Festival
fans gather
The first time Zulma Urrego attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival, she was shocked when a couple of the regular patrons suggested that she’d arrived “naked.”
“I learned they meant that I’d shown up in my normal street clothes and not in Renaissance-era garb,” she explained. “It’s only one part of the new vocabulary I would learn as I became a regular.”
That was 12 years ago. Urrego has purchased a season pass to the Maryland Renaissance Festival every year since, continuing to delight in the festival’s live theatrical performances, musical acts and more than 60 food vendors.
The vast majority of patrons arrive to the festival in regular clothing, but Urrego became so mesmerized by the costumes, she decided to go the extra mile. Now, she attends each of the 19 festival days dressed head to toe in Renaissance attire.
“I never came to the festival ‘naked’ again,” she said. “I’ve gone from buying my dresses to making them completely from scratch, and I get better at making them every year.”
Each season of the Maryland Renaissance Festival draws in thousands of Renaissance era enthusiasts – many of whom are regulars, like Urrego. For these loyalists, the festival is more than games and entertainment; it’s a place to connect with one another and leave the troubles of the real world behind.
“I came that first time with no expectations, but from the moment I walked in, I was enveloped in this whole other colorful world,” she said. “What I experienced most was the joy of all those people. This is our happy place. After you come once, you’ll want to come back.”
Keep reading to discover which merchants, taverns and stages regular festivalgoers say you can’t miss!
Map illustration by Timothy J. Reynolds
Elegant
costumes
fit for
a queen
Urrego says one of her favorite experiences of being a regular at the Maryland Renaissance Festival is when children compliment her on her gowns.
“I love it when small children, especially little girls, come up to me and say, ‘oh my God, you look like a princess’,” she said. “They get so wide-eyed! I don’t have the heart to tell them I’m actually dressed as a queen.”
You can often find Urrego posing for pictures and happily showing off her colorful gowns, which she admits are not technically English Renaissance style, but more inspired by Italian royalty in the 16th century. Although she has learned how to sew her own garb, she purchases her accessories from vendors at the Renaissance festival.
For hats to complement her silk gowns, she visits Dragon Wings, found on the left of the festival’s front gate.
When it comes to skirts and bodices , she suggests visiting Moresca.
For full dresses , she likes Noblesse Oblige.
This year, Urrego has decided to make a few changes to her usual look.
“I’m still a queen, but this year I’m adding a bit of a warrior vibe,” she said. “So, I visited Valkyries Armoury, where they fabricate metal armor. The owner and I are working on special pieces to go with my gown – on the neck, shoulders and of course a crown.”
Although dressing up for the festival is not a requirement, Urrego says it sure adds to the experience.
A
Family
Affair
Tammy Bennett and her son Nicholas have turned the Maryland Renaissance Festival into their own family tradition.
“I was introduced to the festival years ago on my birthday and I was just enamored by all of it – the costumes, the people and the culture,” Tammy said. “I started taking Nicholas when he was three years old. He’s 30 now and we still go together.”
The Maryland Renaissance Festival has something for all ages. Nicholas recalls particularly loving festival games when he was younger, as well as being gifted his first puppet from the Imaginarium Dragon Adoption Center.
“My puppet, called a Drabbit, has a brown body, black wings and red claws,” said Nicholas. “It is a curious creature that rides on your shoulder and is animated with a cable controller that hides under your clothes. I still have him proudly displayed in a hutch alongside my Renaissance mugs.”
For Tammy, the entertainment is the most memorable part of her festival experiences. She recommends newcomers catch a performance by the comedy duo Puke & Snot and listen out for rousing bagpipes of The Rogues, an award-winning Celtic band.
In high school, Nicholas told his mom he wanted to work at the festival, which inspired Tammy to become an employee there as well. The pair worked at different merchant stands and games at the Maryland Renaissance Festival for 12 years.
At the Souvenir Shop, Tammy sold commemorative mugs , apparel and accessories.
Nicholas split his time between the Skittles game and the archery station .
“The Skittles is a game with bowling pins on a board and a ball hung from a rope,” explained Nicholas. “The patron has three turns to play by pulling the ball back and aiming it towards the pins to see how many they can knock down. Winners receive a token with the Maryland Renaissance logo and year they won – a nice keepsake!”
When it’s time to refuel, Tammy recommends festival-goers try the porkchop on a stick found at the White Stag food court.
To wash it all down, Tammy is letting newcomers in on the location of a lesser-known booth:
“There’s a hidden secret I learned about while I worked at the fair: down by the jousting arena, there is a soda booth that sells the best frozen lemonade ,” she said. “Frozen lemonade on a hot day, when you’re all dressed up and your body’s hot – it’s awesome.”
