Tim Leeson, 54, looks more like a viking than a former construction worker from Florida. People like, and remember, things that are different. “It’s good, clean entertainment for the whole family. “It absolutely takes you out of reality and into fantasy,” said Prescott-Spall, of South Carolina. Her art, ranging from $9 to $1,200, depicts fanciful scenes of fairies, dragons and castles in bright and bold colors.ĭressed in a long skirt, bodice and blouse, she said medieval festivals have a special appeal. The venue might seem a little odd, but it brings in droves of people, artisans said.ĭuring her 55-year career as a painter and digital artist, Delight Prescott-Spall, 65, has spent 35 years traveling to medieval festivals. True, he never thought it would be making jewelry - from ear cuffs to broaches to necklaces - but it “just sort of ended up that way,” he said. I’ve always wanted to have my own business.”
#Great lakes medieval faire full
“I do this full time,” said Mike Mospan, who has visited about five festivals so far this year, including the Erie Summer Festival of the Arts in June. And, just this year, they’ve taken over a nearby pickle stand. “It’s not made in a far off land by nimble little fingers that should be in school.”Įrie residents Mike and Ginny Mospan have been selling their custom jewelry at medieval festivals for about seven years. “Most of the people out here don’t realize that everything here is handmade,” she said. Most of the items displayed and sold at Melting Dragon Candles and other festival booths are made by people who are passionate about their craft, Richman said. It’s a lot of work.Īt Melting Dragon Candles, Richman sits behind a table lined with bowls of colorful grains of wax with not-so-mystical scent names, such as “butt naked” and “fruiti pebbles.” (They smell better than they sound, Richman assures.) “When you come here, it seems easy and put together. “This gives me the opportunity to be my own master of my own business. I would have felt trapped,” said Richman, 39. The idea of working behind a desk was the equivalent of being trapped in jail every day. Their business consists of magic wands, attachable elf ears and candles molded over cubes of ice. Now, with their 2-year-old Calliope in tow, they’ve made a career of traveling place to place with their festival booths. The married couple met and fell in love at a fair in Florida. Medieval fairs are a lifestyle for Dara Richman and William Eberwein. “It’s fun to step outside yourself and be a different person.” “We live our lives so intensely,” Prince said. In the spirit of the festival, when people are dressed up and start speaking in a Scottish or Old English accent, performing sometimes comes naturally. They motion people closer to the fenced off hearths and anvils, telling stories and legends from distant lands. The blacksmiths of the Dragon’s Head Forge heckle and fling insults at the booth across the way between resounding hammer strikes. Every piece has a part of you.”īeing an artisan at a medieval fair requires more than just talent - it’s part entertainment, too. “You fall in love with it, like any artist. “It’s very earthy and elemental because you’re working with the fire, the air and water,” he said. That’s right - flame-hot, molten-metal blacksmithing.įor years, he’s been a frequent medieval festival patron, but about two years ago he fell in love with the art of heating and striking metal.
#Great lakes medieval faire software
Lords and ladies, knights and damsels, pirates and wenches: Meet Todd Prince, a 38-year-old Conneautville native who works as a software designer in Pittsburgh during the week.īut on late summer weekends, he’s Lance Penn - blacksmith apprentice. Good townspeople from around the Lake Erie come to the area’s biggest 13th-century themed festival for the shows, jousts, food and - of course - the ye olde fun.īut beyond the gates in Rock Creek is a community of merchants, artists, entertainers and volunteers who embrace the lifestyle needed to create a world of fantasy for crowds of visitors for several weekends every summer. After all, the Great Lakes Medieval Faire and Marketplace near Geneva is not just a trip to another state - it’s a trip through time. Don’t be put off by the nearly hourlong drive across I-90 to Geneva, Ohio.
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