Great Plains Renaissance and Scottish Festival returns to Wichita this weekend
Fans of renaissance festivals can shout “huzzah” as the Great Plains Renaissance and Scottish Festival returns to Wichita this weekend after a two-year hiatus.
“It’s a great feeling to be back,” said Richard Cathey, the founder and director of the festival since 2000. The festival’s spring and fall events in 2020 and the spring 2021 fair were canceled because of COVID-19 safety precautions.
“We’re really excited about this festival. It’ll be like a reunion since many of us haven’t seen each other in two years. It’ll be like the family getting together” — if your family consisted of knights, pirates, scallywags, firebreathers, jesters, belly dancers, falconers, a royal court and other medieval-type characters.
“The question I get asked the most and that I’m happy to confirm is that we will have turkey legs. You have to have turkey legs to be a legitimate renaissance fair.”
Taking place 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 25 and 26, at Sedgwick County Park in west Wichita, the festival is also hosting the U.S. championships of the International Highland Games Federation. Men’s and women’s category winners will go on to compete in the IHGF World Amateur Highland Games Championship.
The caber toss — caber refers to the long pine tree log — is perhaps the most recognized feat of strength that the competitors do. The objective is to flip the caber in a straight line. The further one gets in the competition, the heavier the caber. Hammer and stone throwing are also part of the official Highland Games, which are modeled after traditional Scottish Highland sports.
This is the sixth year that the Great Plains Renaissance Festival is hosting the IHGF’s U.S. championships, Cathey said.
Other festival fan favorites are also back, Cathey said.
“It’s great family fun. You can spend a whole day watching the multiple stage areas where things go on. People who come out in costume have a good time and tend to be part of the atmosphere.”
Jousting competitions, including the popular joust to the death, will take place three times a day, along with daily falconry and birds of prey demonstrations. A company of knights will allow patrons to take photos in suits of armor. The royal court and two Scottish bagpipe bands will conduct daily parades through the festival grounds.
Vendors will also hawk wares ranging from costumes to leather, wooden and metal goods and much more. Along with turkey legs, other festival food and mead (a honey wine) will be available for purchase.
Visitors can also watch belly dance shows, pirate ship skits and four different sword-fighting groups or get an audience with the king and queen presiding over the festival.
A sword-fighting demonstration at a renaissance fair at Newman University is what got a then-12-year-old Cathey hooked on renaissance festivals.
For decades, Newman University had held an annual Renaissance Faire, starting in 1977 as a class project and then evolving into a scholarship fundraiser.
Cathey, 52, remembers asking the sword fighters about joining their group. They told him he had to be 18 to join, so six years later, on the weekend after his 18th birthday, he showed up for rehearsals. After Newman discontinued its fair, Cathey started the Great Plains Renaissance Festival, which a few years ago began including a Scottish festival in its biannual events.
Great Plains Renaissance Festival
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 25 and 26
Where: Sedgwick County Park, 6501 W. 21st St.
Admission: Online ticket purchases include discounts and free kid’s tickets with each adult ticket. Advance one-day tickets for ages 13 and up are $10 or $18 for a weekend pass. At-the-gate tickets are $13 for single-day tickets, $5 for children ages 3 to 12, free for ages 2 and younger. Weekend passes are not available at the gate.
More info: greatplainsrenfest.com or facebook.com/GreatPlainsRenFest