Every year, at St Ives Showground, there is a medieval fair. This is our third time in going and well worth it, despite the heat.
There is, of course, a market area with people selling things from stalls. Once you get passed that though, you discover various "villages" set up from different medieval eras. Here there are people blacksmithing, spinning and weaving, dyeing, cooking/making food, working with wood, working with metal, working with horn, working with animals, etc. And these people, who are passionate about their craft/skill are so happy to talk and answer questions about what they do, it is so interesting (and they must answer the same questions hundreds of times over the weekend).
Of course, Sydney had a total fireban over that particular weekend, so this year a lot of the crafts like blacksmithing, dyeing, cooking, etc couldn't actually be seen in action as it in previous years, but it didn't diminish the spectacle in any way.
The birds of prey are always very majestic and beautiful. We didn't get to see the show this year, but in previous years we have and these birds are awe-inspiring. This group had on display an owl and a wedge-tailed eagle. They also used a falcon in the show.
The carer was spraying Zorro (the eagle) with water and you could hear him loving it, he was making very appreciative noises.
They wear the hoods to stop them being spooked by all the action and, as they explained, to stop him wanting to go hunting and chase down small dogs! On display they had some very ornate hoods.
I didn't take as many photos this year (maybe this was because of the heat), but as well as the village stalls (which are all set up in beautiful canvas tents, many of which have their sleeping areas set up in the back for the participants to sleep overnight) there is so much else to see and participate in.
Jousting, archery, play sword fighting for the kids, wrestling, weapon demonstrations, music, various workshops, a fashion parade, pony rides - and the best thing is that once you have bought your entry ticket, all other events are free (except food and souvenirs, though we always take a picnic).
The girls and their pony rides......
And of course, meeting a unicorn!
We watched the jousting at the end of the day, just as it started to cool. Goodness knows how these guys in their armour and all the necessary layers felt, let alone the horses! It must have been like your own private sauna.
It is quite scary to watch (and hear) the jousting. A lance coming at you at full gallop, the whack and then the splintering of wood ... very intimidating.
It is all so beautiful to look at, especially, if like me, you have always been drawn to the medieval era, and despite the crowds in the carpark, it didn't feel crowded or even particularly noisy in the show ground. I am so glad we made the effort.
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