5 things to know about the 2023 Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire for opening weekend

• By Rebecca Logan For LNP | LancasterOnline

This story is published in partnership with our sister newsroom LNP | LancasterOnline. For more coverage, click here.

It’s giant turkey leg time.

The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire opens Saturday and Sunday Aug. 19 and 20 at Mount Hope Estate and Winery and continues on weekends through Oct. 29. You’ll find all the details at parenfaire.com. Here are five things to know about this year’s faire.

The queen rules

Queen Elizabeth (the Renaissance version, of course) is back and will again be portrayed by Jules Schrader, who is now a few years into her reign and recognizable to regulars. She’ll be joined by a cast of more than 80 characters appearing throughout the property and in shows including “Off the Cuff,” which marks a return of improv to the Shire, and the Tournament of Arms, which last year replaced the Human Chess Game.

As for the annual scenario that ties things together? This season the Queen is preparing to celebrate her birthday. Per Mount Hope marketing: “The question on everyone’s mind: What do you get for the Queen who has everything?” Speaking of birthdays …

“We’ve gotten so many requests for birthday parties and our Feasting Glen is kind of taken over by weddings or corporate events or things like that,” says Candace Smith, director of sales and communications. So ,Mount Hope is now booking birthday parties on the Moon Stage. Package details are on the website.

Labor Day was axed

The faire will be open on Labor Day weekend but not on Labor Day itself. Smith says the choice not to open that Monday is largely due to the day being a “tough sell” with school preparations and such. The move fits with other schedule condensing completed in recent years. “Attendance actually increased when we decreased our (number of) weekends,” Smith says. “It’s kind of the same thought.”

The faire has its first female falconer 

This year Mount Hope offered the top spot in its popular birds of prey show to Cryss Stacey, who grew up in Lititz. “I was ridiculously excited to just be at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire when I was younger …,” Stacey says. “My friend was working with the old falconer, and they happened to need an extra hand on the weekends. So I asked if I could help. The minute I stepped foot into that aviary I just felt the biggest grin on my face.”

Fast forward several years and Stacey — who now lives in Oklahoma — is licensed, does some work in wildlife education and hunts with birds in her spare time. She doesn’t use her actual hunting birds in the show. Stacey also works as an animal wrangler on various movie and TV shoots. She wrangled a fish for Sylvester Stallone’s “Tulsa King.” So far, only one of her birds went on camera. Her African Auger Buzzard flew around in a few scenes in a small Western.

“But the Eurasian Eagle Owl is the bird that we plan on using pretty heavily,” she says. “Everybody loves the Eagle Owls. They’re massive. They’re beautiful. They’re majestic. And when they’re well-trained they’re even better.”

Hey thou, Barbie?

Costumes are not required to attend. But many people do dress up. Some are Renaissance purists. Others? “Our patrons are so great about all the different genres that they like. Like Star Wars, Dr. Who, every genre that they can think of. They make it their own,” Smith says. “It’s still The Renaissance Faire, but the patrons are reacting to it in such a different way that it just adds levels to it.”

Might this summer’s “Barbie” movie mania mean some Renaissance Barbies? Alex Tour — a Bethlehem-based corset maker who has worked on non-Renaissance-related pieces for several Hollywood celebrities — holds a season pass at Mount Hope and recently offered a $499 “Barbie Renaissance Fantasy” on Etsy.

“There are always some amazing, campy costumes at the faire each weekend …,” Tour says. “Barbiecore is a very easy category to fall into with an outfit basically only having to be pink. So I’m sure we will see a number of amazing pink ensembles this year.”

It’s absinth-minded

New for 2023 is the Ren Faerie Absinthe Experience Garden and Pourhouse, which made its debut in June at the Celtic Fling. It’s where the maze used to be. Look for drinks like the Blueberry Faeri and Boho Mule, made from Mount Hope’s own absinth, which was introduced to the faire last year.

If the Faire Day Pub Crawl or educational Beer Tasting are more your style, you’ll need to buy an extra ticket for those online. The Royal Kitchens and Pourhouses are cash only but “coin of the realm” will work and can be purchased with Visa or Mastercard at the King’s Mint. Just there for the food? You’ll find all the old favorites throughout the Shire like Scotch eggs and, yes, those massive turkey legs.

2023 THEMES

Here are the themes for each Faire weekend. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Aug. 19-20: Fairies & Fantasy.

Aug. 26-27: Pyrate Invasion. cq on pyrate

Sept. 2-3: Heroes and Villains.

Sept. 9-10: Viking Weekend.

Sept. 16-17: Wizarding Weekend.

Sept. 23-24: Shamrocks and Shenanigans.

Sept. 30-Oct. 1: Oktoberfest.

Oct. 7-8: Time Travelers.

Oct. 14-15, Oct. 21-22 and Oct. 28-29: Halloween Days and Spooky Knights.