Renaissance Festival

The Festival happens each year, in the Phoenix area, on Saturday and Sunday only, for 6 weeks.
There are permanent buildings in the desert that are spiffed up and made ready for the annual festival. It is a really busy place and many of those that attend are dressed in medieval costumes. Today - March 2 - is the first annual Deaf Day. There are interpreters at many of the performances for which I am very thankful. In previous years, when we came with Derek, I had to interpret and that is sometimes stressful when the events are in the open sunshine.

In the afternoon, we attended headed to the arena
The knight that our section is to cheer for in the jousting competition is Sir Max. He is a handsome fellow and we are encouraged to put a lot of spirit into our yelling by this lively young wench who kept sipping from the tankard on her belt.

The King and Queen, from their perch above the arena, are the final arbiters of who wins the competition.

Our knight - Max - is the final winner of the various events but the other knights are very unhappy and they challenge him to a duel to the death - but that will be the 5pm show and we are tired and hot so he leave him to his duel and wish him well.

As we exit the park, this wise old man - with a stone and a dinner roll in his hands - tell us to "rock and roll"!

   It's time to go!    Sunday morning, March 3, we take Derek to the airport to catch his flight back home to Detroit. Uncle Arnold is there to meet him and Derek gets his car from their house and drives home back to Goodrich and the horse farm. There is work to do on Monday morning but good memories and lots of pictures will keep his trip to Arizona alive during the rest of the winter and until we see him again in April.