Alas, we have now reached the conclusion of our chronicles spectating the Shire for the 2025 season. 'Tis only fitting that the festival season is concluded with several weekends marked by memento mori, as the final, multi-weekend theme of Halloween reminds us that like life itself, the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (PRF) must also have its end.
Unlike the actual Renaissance, one does not need to remember thy death on account of plague, famine, or war at Mount Hopeshire. Fortunately for us festival-goers, spooky season is instead ushered in with larger-than-life displays of skeletons, pumpkins, and other fun frights that make this a beloved time of merriment, rather than mourning, at the Shire.
In the final hour of seven o' the clock, Ax and Lotti explore the evening event that sunsets the Shire season. Heralded by the Pub Sing Finale at the Globe Theatre, we bid farewell to our beloved queen, most wondrously portrayed by Jules Schrader's five-year reign as Queen Elizabeth I.
7 p.m.
Dear readers, your faithful guides Ax and Lotti have something to confess.
For all the years that we have attended the PRF, we have always taken our leave following the Ultimate Joust. However, on this day, we decided to extend our visit and take part in the revelry and merriment of the Pub Sing Finale at the Globe Theatre. For the first time, we realized that perhaps the Faire doesn't truly end when the final joust is over.
While much of the festival grounds have quieted, lamplight begins to illuminate the pathways leading from Bosworth Field to the Globe Theatre. As the audience starts to gather in front of the stage, so do the musicians behind the stage. Performer favorites including Luke the Cellist, Demetrius, Lady Grace, Cosmo and Dora Viellette, among others, may be found taking a few moments together behind the scenes to laugh, chat, and prepare. It is a serene and peaceful few moments before they take the stage for one final act.
For all the years that we have attended the PRF, we have always taken our leave following the Ultimate Joust. However, on this day, we decided to extend our visit and take part in the revelry and merriment of the Pub Sing Finale at the Globe Theatre. For the first time, we realized that perhaps the Faire doesn't truly end when the final joust is over.
Dusk begins to settle as the Queen and court take the stage. It seems as every resident of the Shire is piled onto the stage. Every window filled with magicians, wizards, adventurers. Every balcony filled with sirens, bards, lady maids. The celebration of Her Majesty's triumph immediately begins as musicians play joyful songs, inviting dancing and singing amongst performers and audience members alike. A bacchanal, the atmosphere was unlike any other we experienced at the PRF. Performers ad lib lyrics, musicians improvise melodies, and on several occasions, audience members rush the stage to dance with their darlings-- inciting perhaps a rare break in an actor's character, but one that speaks more honestly to the moving power of music and community.
The final joust may seem like the logical ending to a fun-filled day, but don't underestimate the sing-along finale. It may lack the fighting of swords and the fiery danger of the joust, yet you leave with something more powerful: a full heart and a feeling of invincibility.
Bonus: Getting in to Character
“'Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world.”
-- William Shakespeare
Fear not, festival-goers, as the only plague in the air during these frightful days at the Shire is that of the Halloween spirit. Spanning multiple weeks, the Halloween theme is a personal favorite of Ax and Lotti, and not just because we can wear our skeleton onesies.
Renaissance faires and Halloween have quite a bit in common. For both we step outside everyday normalcy to honor times and places long gone. Both are worlds where it is common to see wizards and trolls stroll among us, where creatures of the fae are just of reach, and collectively we honor the spirits of those who existed once before but are here no more. Throughout the Shire, you will spot towering skeletons, coffins seemingly welcoming you to come rest your weary bones for a bit, and just enough slight alterations of the cast's costumes to honor this beloved holiday. (Beware the hand-filled pie from the Shire’s baker!)
Do not worry, dear readers, as this is no Renaissance Fear, but rather a fun and spooky twist on the Shire. For inspiration, enjoy whatever spooky season delights your heart shall choose, as nothing is off-limits during these wonderous weekends. As long as it's family-friendly, anything and everything is faire game.
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