Traditions, new competitions mark return of the Great Plains Renaissance Festival
Ancient war machines will do head-to-head battle this year — along with jousting knights and Highland Games athletes — in a new competition at this weekend’s two-day spring Great Plains Renaissance Festival in Sedgwick County Park in west Wichita.
Two types of ancient lethal weapons — a ballista and a trebuchet —will compete in what’s called a siege engine contest to see which can lob projectiles with better speed and accuracy.
Both machines are modern-day builds, however. MakeICT built the ballista, which features a sort of crossbow configuration to hurl javelins and heavy stones or balls. Ballistas harken back to about 400 B.C., when Phillip II of Macedon and later his son, Alexander the Great, laid siege.
The trebuchet features a long lever arm to hurl heavier objects than a catapult and is a later invention from around 1140 A.D., having been used in the Crusades. The folks with the Kansas Authors’ Pavilion, a longtime festival program, and Midnight Ryder Technologies constructed the trebuchet that will be used at the festival.
“They both have their advantages and disadvantages,” said Richard Cathey, the festival’s founder and director. “It’ll be fun and educational and I can’t wait myself to see the competition.”
But the machines won’t be the only launchers at the festival.
For several years, the Great Plains Renaissance Festival has also been hosting the Wichita Highland Games, which feature nine different events for men and women, most of which involve throwing and lifting objects. The festival is also again hosting the International Highland Games Federation U.S. national amateur championship for the men’s caber toss. The huge pine log, or caber, gets heavier as the athlete advances through the competition.
If medieval competitions aren’t your thing, the renaissance festival features plenty of other things to do and see, from taking photos with the popular 7-foot Mother Nature character, who looks like a walking tree, to watching entertainers ranging from pirates to belly dancers to the comedic fire and circus artist Crazy Boy Coy. The birds of prey demonstrations are often standing room only as audience members learn about falcons, hawks and other raptors.
More than 70 vendors, including artisans who make knives, axes, armor and leather goods, will be selling various wares that tend to have a medieval or renaissance theme. “All kinds of things that you can’t find at Walmart,” Cathay said.
Two longtime festival programs are celebrating milestone events: The Kansas Authors’ Pavilion is celebrating its 10th year, while it’s the 20th anniversary of the chivalry for children program.
Participating authors, whose subjects cover young adult, historical romance, vampires, zombies and other genres, all have a Kansas connection in some way, Cathay said. Longtime participant and dark fantasy/supernatural author Susanne L. Lambdin, who has a writing credit for a “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode, is returning this year, he said.
The chivalry program, which includes the bestowing of knighthoods, happens twice daily at 1 and 3:45 p.m. in the Royal Court tent.
For the best admission deals, buy advance online tickets for discounts, free kid’s tickets with each adult ticket, and a special weekend pass offer.
Great Plains Renaissance Festival
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 9 & 10
Where: Sedgwick County Park, 6501 W. 21st St.
Admission: Advance online ticket purchases include discounts, free kid’s tickets with each adult ticket and a weekend pass offer. 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