NY Capital District Renaissance Festival 2019

This is a special faire for me, for it is one of my favorites and also the closest to me.  Many of you remember I spend hours sometimes driving to other medieval/renaissance faires, that having one so close to me is a special treat.

Before we get into the faire, lets get some background this event on its location.  This is the 6^th annual edition of the faire. The faire itself is held at Indian LadderFarms  342 Altamont Rd. Altamont, NY.  The farm, and area, has a wonderful history so I encourage you to check it out.

As this is a major faire, I want to get into all the wonderful acts, performers, jousters and vendors I saw this past weekend.

Vixens En Garde- You need to only read a few of my posts to know how much I admire, respect and like this Shakespearean fighting troupe.  I am running out of ways to praise them. They are truly great performers, and you are missing something special if you do not seek them out. These are the loveliest sword welding, Shakespearean quoting women ensemble in the entire world.

Roundtable Productions- Put on the joust for the faire.  I always admire the equestrian skill it takes to maneuver a horse in this type of competition.  They are one of the best.

The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told- This is one of my favorite groups to see, and this is the only time for me to see their performance.  They will entertain the entire family with their stories, song and jokes.

Shimmy Sisters- they perform the ancient art of belly dancing. They will entertain and enthrall the entire family with their skill and beauty. 

The video I made for the faire, don’t forget to go to my youtube channel, like and subscribe.

Dragon Ice Cream- always present at many of my faires, and he always brings a smile to everyone faces, and sells ice cream.

Morgan Eagle Falconry’s was their with their educational programs highlighting the sport of falconry and the birds used in the sport.

Indian Ladder Farms Yellow Rock Café- The café of the host farm.  Here you can enjoy some 
wonderful  cuisine spiced with local ingredients. 

Made by Hand Leather-Calab Hand makes and sell excellent leather products (and other products), Make sure to check them out.

Whispering Willow Wildcare– a nonprofit group dedicated to assisting wild animals. You can help this wonderful group out by volunteering of donating/sponsoring, check out their website.

Legendary Leathercrafts- Another great seller of leather products,  really great vendor,

Helderberg Meadworks- one of my favorite sellers of mead.  They truly are a great vendor and are also local, I always try to buy some mead from them.

W. Willis- A favorite author of mine to stop by and talk to. Author of Traitor Knight and Desperate Knight. He is a wonderful writer so make sure to check out his novels.  He has a new novel in the works, check out his site and join his newsletter to find out more.

Hickory Arms- Known for wooden swords and daggers. Some are just for fun, some are weighted to match the historical weight of real weapons. They sell other great items as well.

Goblin Worx Leather Company-Just recently saw them at the Summer Solstice Renaissance Faire. They are a maker and seller of some wonderful leather products.

Cornerstone Creations-Another friend I like seeing at these faires. His concreate creations are truly amazing.

Aasguard Enterprises- provided archery and spear throwing.

Festival Participant Procession, ok fancy way to say “parade”, but it was fun neither less. See the entire parade in the above video.

Tepee store- This is one of my favorites. You can buy some pretty interesting items here.  Their physical location is a tepee shaped building located halfway on Rt 20 between the charming villages of Cherry Valley and Sharon Springs NY.

Diddlelydeets Scents- Goat Milk Soap, Essential Oils, and other great products. One of my favorite vendors to stop and talk to.

Knightly Endeavors- A good friend I enjoy seeing at these faires. He sells some great clothing products at amazing prices.

Dragon’s Nest Designs- this great vendor specializes in handcrafted jewelry and Renaissance products.

Van Dale Farms- Great honey products that are locally produced, you get them here.

BTD (Broken Toy Division) Sublimation Creations- They will put a photo on almost anything.

Tintagels Gate is my go to vendor when I need to look at a dagger or sword, but they have so much more from incense to wands.

Valkyrie Vanguard- a friend I like to see at these faires. His products, particularly his chain mail items, will blow you away.

Shakespeare Approves- A little classical Shakespeare, a little modern music and comedy equals a whole lot of fun for the entire family.

As always I regret I cannot include all the wonderful acts, vendors and attractions for this faire. I encourage you to check out the sites “Entertainment” and “Eat and Shop the Festival” pages for more information.

As I stated this NY Capital District Renaissance Festival is located near where I live, and it is also one of my favorites.  Everyone, from the people at Indian Ladder farms to the vendors, performers and promoters of this faire, should be commended on putting on such a great event.  The sponsors of this faire should also be commended, so make sure to check them out.

Each year when I leave, I feel sad, and anticipating the faire coming back next year. You should do the same, mark your calendar down for next year and do not miss it.

Next Time: More Faires!!! June is a popular time for medieval/renaissance faires in my area.

W.A. Rusho is an author, historian and professional wrestler. You can reach him via his website or email.

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