Get Ready to Get Medieval at the Philly Renaissance Faire

Come all ye lords and ladies! Philadelphia is getting its own Renaissance Faire. Set in tranquil Fairmount Park, the faire will be an experiment of sorts for its organizers. Every fall there is the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire that takes place in Lancaster County, an hour and a half away from the city, but there has up until this point been no equivalent in Philadelphia itself. The faire will launch for just one weekend, May 16 – 17. If things go well the organizers are planning a three-week run for next year.

A poster for the Philadelphia Renaissance Festival celebrates its guest star.

Headlining the event will be Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson, who plays Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Björnsson will star as Thor, King of the Vikings at the faire. He is the world’s second-strongest man, and will be performing “feats of strength” as well as acting out a Viking invasion of the faire. Joining the Vikings will be lively cast of entertainers including Ashagal, a “mythic folk band,” the Antipode belly-dancing troupe, David “THe Creepy Bard” Anthony, contortionist Scarlet Checkers, the Chaste Treasure singing group, and many more. Of course there will be a standard cast of brave knights and saucy wenches as well.

The story behind the faire is that it takes place in the fictional city of Amman, where ten long years of cold winters have caused all settlers to leave. It is only just now being redeveloped, a plot point that dovetails neatly with the faire’s own humble beginnings.

Tickets for the Philadelphia Renaissance Festival are $20 for adults. A $35 weekend pass is also available. It is being held at 4100 Chamounix Drive, close to the Mann Center.