Okay. So imagine this…

You’re walking into a giant 16th century village (that means the 1500s!) and suddenly there are knights in armor, queens in giant dresses, and someone yelling, “HUZZAH!”

That was me last weekend at the Arizona Renaissance Festival, and I’m pretty sure I accidentally time-traveled.

👑 The First Person I Met? A REAL Queen. Right when we walked in, I heard trumpets playing.
People bowed, and there she was — the Queen! She had this huge sparkly dress and waved like she
actually ruled the whole place. I even got close enough to see her crown shining in the sun.

For a second, I forgot I was in Arizona!

⚔️ The Jousting Tournament Was INSANE! We hurried to the King’s Arena (it’s HUGE — like
thousands of seats!). Two knights in shiny armor rode giant horses and charged at each other with lances (long wooden poles). When they crashed into each other’s shields, the whole crowd gasped.

I yelled so loud my throat hurt. When one knight almost fell off his horse, I thought my heart was going to explode.

I Saw Jacques ze Whipper in Real Life. You know how some performers are funny? This guy was FUNNY funny. Jacques ze Whipper did tricks with whips and made cracking sounds that echoed everywhere. He told jokes, balanced things, and acted super dramatic in a French accent. My dad laughed harder than I did — which is saying something. Apparently, he’s set world records!

‍WAIT… MERMAIDS?! I didn’t believe it at first. But there they were real “living mermaids”. One of them waved at me and asked if I had sea legs. I almost forgot how to talk.

🏰 The Village Streets Felt Magical. Walking through the village was my favorite part. You never know who you’re going to run into. A goofy jester who tried to juggle apples (and dropped them). A “peasant” who joked that I looked suspiciously like a dragon spy. A knight who let me touch his heavy armor (it was WAY heavier than I thought). A lady spinning wool into yarn right in front of me. It didn’t feel like watching a show. It felt like being inside one!

The Coolest Shops Ever! There are over 200 shops! I watched a glassblower turn melted glass into a glowing shape. It looked like lava! Another person hammered metal into jewelry. There were swords, crowns, leather bags, and stuff that looked like it came from a fairy tale.

If I had unlimited money, I would have bought at least five swords.

🎯 I Tried the Archery Range. Have you ever shot a bow and arrow? It’s way harder than it looks. I missed the target the first time. And the second time. But the third time? I actually hit it! I may or may not have celebrated like I won the Olympics.

🐉 The Kid Zone Was Wild. There were people-powered rides (no electricity!). I rode Da Vinci’s Flying Machine — it’s like a giant spinning swing. I also saw a HUGE rocking horse called Piccolo Pony.
And there’s something called Cirque du Sewer with acrobatic rats and cats. It sounds weird. It WAS weird. But also amazing.

🍗 The Food Was LEGENDARY. You cannot go there without seeing someone holding a giant turkey leg. I tried one. It was bigger than my face. There were bread bowls filled with stew, steak-on-a-stick, and sweet chimney rolls that smelled like cinnamon clouds. I ate way too much. No regrets.

🎭 Shows Everywhere! There are 16 stages. But the crazy part? Performers just pop up in the streets. A musician started playing right next to us. A comedian teased my Mom for her sneakers (apparently they’re not very medieval). It’s like the whole place is alive.

🌟 The Best Part? It felt like I wasn’t just watching history. I was IN it. For like six hours, I forgot about phones and homework and regular life. I walked down dirt streets, cheered for knights, talked to mermaids, and maybe — just maybe — became a squire (a knight-in-training).

You definitely can’t see it all in one day. Next time I am going to do even more! AND come dressed as a
knight! LOTS OF PEOPLE showed up in costumes.

One piece of advice -if someone yells “HUZZAH!” at you…Yell it back. Trust me. ⚔️✨