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Well, here we are at the Third Weekend of the 2026 season of the Maryland Renaissance Festival. And it just so happens to be Myth and Magic Weekend, so this weekend the village saw visits from the (adjectiveless) Bards and Bard City. We also saw Chaste Treasure and the Rambling Sailors return to Revel Grove. But more on that later.

After Opening Gate, I did what I always do on Saturdays of a new MDRF Weekend and obtained the sheet with this weekend's schedule from the Guest Services Pavilion. (I highly recommend doing so, as it's a very handy means of knowing this particular week's schedule and knowing just when and where certain acts and shows are going to be performing). I then made sure to see Saturday's Entry Poll from Hugh MacGregor and Millie. This one was asking about the best apple products. 

Over on the Market Stage, Vixens en Garde performed their take on one of Shakespeare's Roman plays, Corialanis. While it's not one of Shakespeare's most well-known plays, the story of a former hero of Rome who ends up joining with his former enemy still gives the Vixens plenty to work with, as they work in plenty of pop culture references.

At the Boar's Head Tavern, the Rambling Sailors performed their first set of the day. They began with "Day of the Clipper", before moving on to the softer and more contemplative "Rolling Down to Rio". Next was "Run the Rigging Again", about a woman's experience in disguise at sea. This was followed by a song titled "Ned's Shanty" by its original writers despite the fact that it's not really a shanty (shanties are basically work songs at sea) and there isn't a Ned in the song (nor is it written by anyone called Ned). So most of us might know it better as the "wind in the rigging and the rain on the deck" song. 

Next was "The Night Pat Murphy Died", which falls into the tradition of comedic Irish songs about gatherings such as weddings or wakes (in this case the latter) where things go a bit awry. This version goes into more detail about the events that transpired at the gathering supposedly to honor the deceased Mr. Murphy, telling of the mishap that befell poor old Darby Flynn, as well as further indignities the deceased faced as the party got out of hand. On another note, the Rambling Sailors followed with "Rambles of Spring", about a musician getting ready for another season of traveling.

Over near Potomac Leather, Sir Richard Mondes, Viscountess Rochford, and others were doing a 'Shark Tankard' bit where members of the Village Ensemble present their newest product and see if anyone's interested. In this case, Viola and Violet Belgard (who Pub Sing audiences might know as Idle Fancies) presented their 'stain away' quill, a quill that helps remove stains from clothes.

Bard City had a new (for them) venue this week, the White Hart Tavern. They began their set of tabletop role-playing inspired songs with "Friendship", a song telling of the reasons adventuring parties go on quests and venture into dungeons. Next was the short and to the point "A Level Three Party Accidentally Breaks Into the Lair of a Beholder". Even if you're one of those who's not entirely sure what a Beholder is, there's more than enough here for one to get the general idea. 

Afterward, they did a song about adventurers who were working with incomplete information (possibly due to failed perception checks), "Are We the Bad Guys?". Next was a new song, "Ten Levels Down", where people are advised not to make themselves at home in a particular dungeon. Next, guitarist Onion sang about meeting what he believes to be a mimic at a bar. They concluded the set with a song about a scenario Dungeon Masters sometimes find themselves in: When the players' favorite NPC turns out to be someone the DM didn't really give a lot of thought to and has "absolutely no backstory", "Greta the Goblin."

The (adjectiveless) Bards were next at the White Hart Tavern, singing a set that was a mixture of shanties, drinking songs, and at least one that didn't quite fall into either category. "Row Me Bully Boys" and "All For Me Grog" was followed by "Drink to all the lassies and the jolly roving tar". Next came "Drunken Sailor", followed by "Irish Rover" (that would be the one that didn't quite fall into either category, as it's a tall tale about a sea voyage).

The Rambling Sailors performed their next set over at the Cottage Stage. I arrived in the midst of "Twa Recruiting Sergeants", which was followed by "Rolling Down to Rio". Afterward came the much loved song about persistence, "Mary Ellen Carter". Next was "Bully in the Alley", about a drunken sailor having to sober up outside the tavern. 

After "Santiana" came a song about a sailor pondering quitting sailing, "An Ex-Sailor's Life". Next was "Last Shanty", a song about changes to life at sea after the end of the golden age of sailing and new advances in technology. They finished the set with the heartfelt "Nelson's Memory".

After getting some lunch, I found myself at the Boar's Head Tavern for Reveler's Roulette. After the opening Toast, Roisin appeared on stage to perform "She Moved Through the Fair". Next, Anne Bracegirdle took the stage to sing lead on "Cockney Mermaid". Ginger and Robin were joined by Viola for the old favorite "Demeter's Daughter", about Persephone's perspective on life as she has experienced half the year in the land of spring and flower and the other half in the Underworld. Beck Marshall was next with "Peasant's Throne", and Robin and Ty contributed a new tune. Lottie Grimm was next with "Stranger at my Door". 

Over at the Gatehouse Stage, Chaste Treasure performed their mid-afternoon set. This set featured their 'Royals' parody, followed by 'Otto Correct' (inspired by a certain feature many of us are familiar with). They then asked the audience for suggestions for the 'Professions' song so they could improvise new lines for it. This time, the professions included bricklayer, vet, and bus driver. They finished the set with a song about "The Two Things We Hold Dear" that will likely get stuck in your head after hearing it.

I saw again the STREETSpeare for "Poetaster", an item in the 'Poetomachia' track involving an argument between writers that resulted in a number of plays involving arrogant, over-the-top poet characters. This is from a play by Ben Jonson, and the poet in question is Crispinus, whose style is called into question at certain points. 

I stayed for Jammers Ceilidh, featuring the Jammer Clan and the Revel Grove Dance Company. We began with Jack Ripley leading the Dance Company with "Heave Away", before moving on to "John Ryan's Polka". Bardwin the Bard then took the stage with "Hills of Connemara". Allison performed a lovely rendition of "Village Down By The Sea". After a waltz inspired by a popular fantasy film, the show concluded with the Ripley Rhumba dance.

Next at the Gatehouse Stage was Village Court. Presided over by Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave, with bailiff George Grimm, petty Constable Margery Malagrave, stenographer Hugh MacGregor, and musician Ty, this improvised show has people invited to share their cases or argue against citations issued against them earlier. 

Case one involved a man who was accused of sassbackery toward an official, among other things. The citations stood.

Case two involved a white-haired woman in a white dress stained with something red (ketchup?) who was suspected of being a daywalker vampire. Margery took the defense, saying that the teeth didn't mean anything and her client is a vegetarian. Grimm was suspicious of the client not approaching Reginald until invited, as there is vampire lore stating that vampires need an invitation to enter people's homes. In the end, the jury decided the client was a daywalker, and the invitation was rescinded.

Case three involved a woman with a rat's tail accused of lycanthropy. Margery defended, and said the citation must be thrown out because her client is not a werewolf (though possibly could be a were-rat). Grimm said that both wolves and rats are Dracula familiars. However, in the end, the citation was thrown out.

Case four involved a client standing on a bench and sassbackery toward an official. When the client's friend noted that Reginald was standing on a bench, Margery said that Reginald was allowed to do that. The citation was thrown out.

Case 5 was another case involving a certain dungeon crawler. In this 'snap judgement' case, the dungeon crawler's companions Donut and Mongo also escaped the dungeon. Grimm said the dungeon crawler should be in the dungeon. The citation stood.

Case six involved windshield wipers. Margery was picked to argue against her own citation. It was asked which version of Margery should we believe, the one arguing now or the one who issued the citation? The citation was thrown out.

Case seven involved a woman in princess attire charged with radiant beauty. Grimm had to argue against, while Margery argued for. The citation was thrown out.

I made it to the Globe Theatre area in time to see the last part of the Royal Court show, Recollections May Vary. The Queen's Players realize that King Henry's marriage to Anna of Cleves is falling apart, and that these are matters in which they should not meddle. 

At the Reveler's Bower, I chatted with Rosamund Wooler a bit. I mentioned a song I'd heard at Jammer's Ceilidh the previous week which involved people in a similar line of work as Rosamund and her fellow spinners. We also chatted about the weather and the Faire dust. The weather for Saturday, by the way, was all right. Better than Sunday's, but I'll get to that later.

I arrived at the White Hart in time for the Hooligans and the Wildest Rover Singing Competition. Defending champions the Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge went first, followed by the Relatively Normal People on the Right, the 'corn' section technically outside the White Hart (all three of them - not many participated), and the Freaks on the Left. The Participation Award went to the Relatively Normal People on the Right and the Wildest Rover trophy went to the Freaks on the Left.

Next came the Rattlin Bog competition, where the Hooligans challenge each other to see which of them (if any) can make it through all the new words added to the progression without messing up. Today they had a special guest participant, John from the Bards. This resulted in a progression with several Bards, Jakes, Johns, and at least one maid and a man. Now, as anyone who's seen enough of these Rattlin Bog competitions knows, when they add multiples of anything (such as 'maid', 'man', 'John', 'bard', whatever), that inevitably leads to confusion, omission, and getting things in the wrong order.

In the end, no one won the Rattlin Bog medal. The multiples were just too much. 

Pub Sing began with "Health to the Company", which was followed by the Adventurers with "Roll the Old Chariot Along". The Vagabonds were next with "Courtin in the Kitchen", and then we had a group number version of "Rocky Road to Dublin". After the Host Toast, Idle Fancies were next with "Lady So Frolic". Jack Ripley took the stage with "Heave Away", and the Weywards were next with "Weyward Daughter".

Sir Richard Mondes and company were next with "Past Times With Good Company", a madrigal song attributed to King Henry VIII himself. They received permission to do a faster version of the song via a message from the King relayed by Thomas Cromwell. Afterward, the Vagabonds performed their hit song "Oak and Ash and Thorn." 

Soon it was time for Last Call. This was followed by a tune from Robin and Ty, and then the group number "Step it Out Mary" with much dancing in the aisles. Jack Ripley performed "Old Dun Cow" and worked in "Some Say The Devil is Dead" into the song during the last verse. Alys Overdun performed a rendition of "Spanish Lady", and the Weywards returned with "Devil's Paintbrush Road". The Adventurers were next, with "Sleeping in the Cold Below".

Pub Sing soon moved into the softer section, with Millie Appleton performing "She Moved Through the Fair". For the penultimate song, the Vagabonds performed the beautiful and moving "Bring on the Starlight". Pub Sing concluded, as usual, with "Wild Mountain Thyme".

And so Saturday of the Third Weekend concluded. Sunday would have its challenges temperature-wise (and some would say that's an understatement), but would still be enjoyable nonetheless. But I'll get to that with the Sunday recap.

And now we come to Sunday of Labor Day Weekend. I think I'll try to start this one quickly.

After Opening Gate, I made sure to see the Entry Poll from Hugh MacGregor and Millie. The first question revolved around desserts. The second was "How well do you recall your first date?". At the bottom of the board was an advertisement for the 4:30 Royal Court show, Recollections May Vary, which also involves the subject of memory. 

I soon found myself at the White Hart Tavern for the Hooligans' hangover set. This set featured longtime hangover set favorite, "Tailor of Aquitaine". Afterward, there was some confusion as to which song to play next. They settled on "1353", the comedic song about a man's getting a haircut and then a horse in an attempt to woo a lady. Afterward came another song with a horse in it, "Ride On". As the Hooligans noted in their banter, the two songs are tonally different ("Ride On" is kind of somber, while 1353 is pure comedy), but mechanically similar, particularly with the Hooligans' arrangements involving the mini-piano. 

Next came an original song by John Kelso, "The Sea Softly Calls". This was followed by Patrick singing lead vocals on "Welcome Poor Paddy Home" (which, as the Hooligans note, has an awkward transition from a verse about hard times to the cheerful chorus). Another song inspired by Irish hardship followed, "Fields of Athenry".

I then headed to the Globe Theatre stage for A Per Se, the madrigal show that starts at 11:00 am this season (my apologies for inaccurately stating it started at 11:30 am in a previous recap; the correct starting time is 11:00 am). After an opening parade with "Come and Be Welcome", the show proper started. We had a number of madrigal songs from long ago, such as "All creatures are merry minded" and "Of all the birds that I do know". We also had a few dance numbers from the Revel Grove Dance Company, such as the "Seymour Shuffle" and a Morris Dance to the tune of "King of the Fairies". After "Come Again", they concluded with a change of pace: An upbeat rendition of "Some Say the Devil is Dead" with an energetic dance.

Eventually, I found myself at the Lyric Stage for Dash Rippingon and the Dangerously Stupid Show. This is the show where Dash does a lot of 'Don't try this at home' stunts. Featuring the animal trap stunts he is known for, as well as variations on other circus stunts, the show is, as usual, a lot of fun.

Next I went to the Gatehouse Stage for Bardy Pardy's early set. I arrived just as the welcome was concluding. They then launched into "Saucy Sailor". Afterward came a version of "Wild Rover" that had a few other songs intruding on it briefly, but each were cut short for different reasons. They moved on to the lovely "Like Ships Need the Sea", before "Queen of Argyle" and "Home Again".

After getting some lunch from Canterbury Pork Pockets, I made my way to the Boar's Head Tavern for Reveler's Roulette. This show features music and song from various members of Revel Grove's ensemble and maybe a few special guests. On this occasion, after the Toast, we had Mara Starfire with "The Boys of Killibeg", a song about sailors' homecoming. We had Brittany, a talented newcomer, performing "Highland Girl". Also present was Margery Malagrave, who performed the 'bardcore' (modern song rewritten for medieval or Renaissance settings) re-imagined song "Pink Pony Inn". 

Dottie Grimm and Follentine Hilles showed up to perform "Cast the Bronze". Beck Marshall, who'd been hosting this edition of Reveler's, took the stage next with "Take This Body Home". And then Anne Bracegirdle performed "Edge of Night." 

Over at the White Hart Tavern, the Hooligans were doing their mid-afternoon set, leading the audience to participate with "Cruiscin Lan". They followed that up with "As I Roved Out", during which they paused to comment on the previous verses and their implications. They finished the set with "Over the Hills and Far Away". 

Afterward, I headed to the Gatehouse Stage. There I saw Jammers Ceilidh, featuring the Jammer Clan and the Revel Grove Dance Company. Master Paul performed "Chemical Workers Song", about the dangerous working conditions faced by those working in a thread and colorant plant. Ty also had a song, this one about a pig. There were also plenty of dance numbers, including the 'pelvis' dance, 'Half Haniken', 'Intero', and of course the Ripley Rhumba.

Next up was Village Court. Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave, petty constable Margery Malagrave, stenographer Hugh MacGregor, and musician Ty were joined by Gregory Grimm this day (he'll be referred to by his first name to avoid confusion with bailiff George Grimm). 

The first case involved a child whose angry face made Margery Malagrave cry. Since Village Court allows the client to pick the defense, Margery ended up arguing against her own citation. Gregory made the case that the girl's angry face could be frightening, but in the end, the case was ruled in the child's favor by the audience/jury via the "thumbs up or thumbs down" system.

The second case involved some wordplay, involving a man with short sleeves. The citation stood.

The third case involved a quartet of people wearing potato sack costumes, who had been given a citation for violating the sumptuary laws. Gregory defended them, while Margery was the one who issued the citation. The group claim that their village was taken and their clothing burned. In their own words, they were sacked. Margery noted that they could have used the Costume Rentals, since they clearly had enough money to spend on refreshments at the Faire. 

Case Four was one of those 'radiant beauty' cases, and Margery was forced to admit she was jealous when she issued that particular citation. The citation was dismissed.

Case Five involved hidden love letters and a secret romance. 

Case Six involved a man in a jester costume, bringing up the issue of whether jesters should be licensed. The citation stood.

Case seven involved a child being a burden on their parents. Margery took the defense, saying it's hard to be a child in the world, while Gregory took the literal argument about children being a burden by stating how riding on their parents shoulders was a pain. 

After Village Court, I headed to the White Hart Tavern for the Hooligans' late afternoon 'event' set. After warming things up with "Streams of Whiskey", the Hooligans do the first audience participation event, "Finnegan's Wake", where audience members are encouraged to point out those who keep clapping past the chorus of the song. From there, we move on to the biggest audience participation event, where the Hooligans take one of the most familiar Ren Faire songs ever, 'Wild Rover', and turn it into a Singing Competition where at a certain point, different sections of the audience are invited to sing the chorus.

On this occasion, the usual three sections (the Freaks on the Left, the Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge, and the Relatively Normal People on the Right) were joined by the 'corn' section (which is technically just outside the White Hart at the food court). The Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge went first, followed by the Relatively Normal People on the Right and the Corn section and the Freaks on the Left. The Participation Award went to the Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge, and the Wildest Rover trophy went to the Freaks on the Left.

Next was 'Rattlin Bog', where the Hooligans challenge themselves by making up new additions to the progression after 'bed from a feather' and see who (if any of them) can get through the progression without messing up. To keep them honest, the first new addition is a suggestion from the audience. This time, the suggestion was actually something that went right along with 'bed', namely 'sheet'. 'Blanket', 'Cover', 'Quilt, and 'Pillow' followed. In the end, John Dickson Wakefield won the Rattlin Bog Medal.

Pub Sing was next, beginning with "Health to the Company." The Vagabonds took the stage with the traditional song, "Rare Old Mountain Dew". The Adventurers were next, with "Cape Cod." After the Host Toast, Sir Richard Mondes and friends sang "Country Life", a sort of madrigal type song that has been very well received and become popular in Revel Grove. The Weyward Sisters were next with "Weyward Daughter".

Moil Frith sang the story song, "Johnny Be Fair", about a young woman's unexpected predicament when searching for a suitable husband. The Ensemble got together for "Whiskey Johnny". Nell Quickly was next with "My Thing Is My Own", and the Adventurers performed their new song, "Tilbury Town". Soon it was time for Last Call.

Aoife O'Neill took the stage with "Star of the County Down". The whole Ensemble got together for the story song "Darcy's Donkey", about a drunken donkey that won a race at Donegal. Sir Richard Mondes followed with another story song, the cautionary tale "Johnny Jump Up", describing the strange occurrences related to a certain special type of cider. The Brocades also had a cautionary tale, "Maids When You're Young". The Vagabonds, meanwhile, had "A Beggin I Will Go" with the enthusiastic shout of "Cheese!" at one point. 

The Weyward Sisters had another new song, "The Woods". Idle Fancies also had a new song, the story song "My Son John" about a young man who returns home from war after losing his legs to a cannonball. Speaking of new songs, the Adventurers had "One More Pull", which had a finale where others in the ensemble joined in.

With Pub Sing now in the softer, sentimental portion, the Tavern Twins performed "Irish Blessing". And Pub Sing concluded with "Wild Mountain Thyme". 

After chatting a bit, I was soon on my way home and Day Two of Labor Day Weekend, Sunday, concluded. On the third day, I saw Vixens en Garde, Digger Plotts, Fortress Dwellers, and Bardy Pardy, among others. Village Court would take a few turns, as a jester returned this time in a Robin Hood outfit, and we had another bizarre fashion choice case. But those stories can be told in more detail in the third and final part of the Labor Day Weekend recap, Labor Day Monday.

Sunday of Opening Weekend of the 50th season of the Maryland Renaissance Festival had some nice weather early on, but the humidity certainly increased as the day progressed. I did my best to stay hydrated throughout the day.

After Opening Gate, I made sure to see the latest Entry Poll from Hugh MacGregor and Millie. The questions were about what you are most looking forward to seeing, and about how do you look in a portrait (in reference to King Henry agreeing to marry Anna of Cleves after seeing her portrait). 

Soon after, I headed to the White Hart Tavern for the Hooligans' hangover set. Featuring the softer, slower songs to help ease people into the day (in the early morning, they might still be kind of waking up and not be ready for the fast-paced tunes and songs yet), the set began with "Mist Covered Mountains" and continued with "Heave ya ho and away we'll go". From there, we had an original song from the Hooligans' John Kelso, "The Sea Softly Calls". We then had the comedic "1353", about a man's attempts to woo a lady. 

Of course the set had the Hooligans' usual banter. Running jokes and themes turned up, such as the "Build the Dome" idea. We had a surprise visit from the King and Queen as they made their way through the village. They stayed for at least part of "Detectorists". The Hooligans, meanwhile, continued their set, concluding with "Fields of Athenry".

Afterward, I found myself in the vicinity of Page After Page for the STREETSpeare scene from Two Gentlemen of Verona. This scene involves Lance and Speed as they review the qualities and flaws of a certain lady. This was my first STREETSpeare scene for this season.

I soon found myself at the Fortune Stage, where Digger Plotts was doing his 'grave singer' show. He explained that he doesn't personally do as much gravedigging as he used to, so he's turned to other ventures, such as songs. One of his original songs featured here was "We Are Gathered Today", a song about funerals and of how people react at them. On a happier note, he performed a song telling the story of "The Blacksmith Tommy Carroll" and how Carroll's knowledge of the properties of a certain metal helped save people's lives. 

I made my way to the Reveler's Bower, for a STREETSpeare scene from the 'apocrypha' track. These are scenes not from Shakespeare's official works, but works that Shakespeare may have been involved in. In this scene from Edward III, said king tries to woo the Countess of Salisbury into an affair. 

Over at the White Hart Tavern, Bone & String were performing their noon set. "Oak and Ash and Thorn" was followed by "Nancy Whiskey" and the end of voyage shanty "One More Day". Next was a Bone & String original, "Fancy Hat", about the reasons why pirates like to wear fancy hats (as long as they can keep them secure when there's a good sea breeze). Afterward came "Drink New England Dry", a song that Bone & String reworked with the original setting changed. After "South Australia" came "Your Old Shipmate", a song about returning to shore while still thinking fondly of your shipmates that helped you through the voyage.

I then made my way to the Globe Theatre for the Company of Women's one-act of the Three Musketeers telling the story of how the Musketeers met D'artagnan. Full of fun and stage combat, it's a lighthearted show.

I stayed for the 50th Anniversary Royal Welcome. This is where the King announces which village will receive a Royal Charter for the next 50 years. Naturally, the Mayors of Revel Grove and Tiddington would be present, as it affects both of their villages. Before we get there, we get the Duke of Norfolk, Sir Francis Bryan, and others talking about Cromwell behind his back, and also mentioning the Duke of Norfolk's niece Catherine Howard, before noting that further discussion of those matters would have to wait until the later Royal Court show after 4:15. 

Highlights of the show include a fun chase sequence, some madrigal singing, and an impressively choreographed dance with the Revel Grove Dance Company. I highly recommend seeing it, and if you want to see even more madrigal singing, I recommend A Per Se at 11:30 am. If you want to see even more of the Jammer Clan and the Revel Grove Dance Company, check out the Jammer's Ceilidh at the Gatehouse Stage later in the afternoon (more on that later).

Bone & String performed their later White Hart Tavern set, featuring traditional songs such as "Paddy Lay Back" and "Leaving of Liverpool". After their version of "Heave Away" came "Mingulay", a song about sailors looking forward to returning home, imperfect though that home may be. The set concluded with "All the Pirates", a Bone & String original where each verse tells the story of a famous pirate (they say the stories are about 90% true). 

I then headed over to the Boars Head Tavern for the Reveler's Rule-ette show. In this show, various members of the Ensemble show up to sing songs from several different times and places. In this edition, we began with Anne Bracegirdle doing the opening toast, followed by her performing "Galway Girl". Next was Moll Frith singing a song about a most unhealthy relationship, "This Man Will Be...". Beck Marshall brought back a song from the previous season's Reveler's Rulette, "Maritime Moonshine". 

Next we had "Fox Hunt" performed by Lottie Grimm. Constance Payne was next, with a Scottish Gaelic song, "Craobh nan Ubhal". And we had a tune from musicians Robin and Ty, which they arranged for use in their later Jammers Ceilidh show. 

I then headed to the Gatehouse Stage for Bardy Pardy's afternoon set there. They began the set with "Let Union Be" before moving on to the Ren Faire classic, "Old Dun Cow". Afterward came "Don Gato", the tragicomedic story of a cat and his mishap on a roof. "Johnny Be Fair" was followed by "Outlandish Knight", the story of a young wealthy woman who meets a man who's largely interested in her possessions and has bad intentions, but she turns the tables on him. Next came "Molly Malone", the Irish story about a fishmonger who's destined to keep selling fish as a ghost. They concluded the set with "Beggars to God."

Next, Jack Ripley and the Revel Grove Dance Company took the stage for the pre-show of the STREETSpeare scene of the Masque from Romeo and Juliet Act 1 scene 5. In it, there was some discussion as to whether one of them was secretly an important figure of the era, as well as a dance accompanied by "Misty Moisty Morning" sung by Violet and Viola of Idle Fancies. This was followed by the scene from the play.

Another STREETSpeare scene at the Gatehouse was a scene from Ben Jonson's 'Poetaster', Act Two, Scene One. The scene involves the pompous poet Crispinus, who has been hired to write an ode to social climber Chloe. 

Next was the aforementioned Jammers Ceilidh show, featuring the Jammer Clan (the band of musicians that perform in the Maypole area at the start of the day and play at several shows throughout the day) and the Revel Grove Dance Company. The show started with Jack Ripley and the Revel Grove Dance Company taking the stage with "Heave Away", a sea song accompanied by a dance. We also had Mara Starfire speak a bit about the bohdran (the handheld drum), and sing a song about a soldier. Also included was the 'pelvis' dance number many may have seen at Maypole dances and at Madwitch shows. The show concluded with a new variant of the Ripley Rumba dance, adapted for the Gatehouse Stage and its seating.

Earlier in the day, I had received a citation assigning me for jury duty at Village Court. The 'jury' in Village Court is, of course, the audience who give the thumbs up or thumbs down to help decide the outcomes of most of the cases. So of course I stayed for Village Court, presided over by Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave, with bailiff George Grimm and petty constable Margery Malagrave as the lawyers, Hugh MacGregor as the stenographer/chalkboard commentator, and Master Ty providing some musical jingles. 

The first case revolved around a certain dungeon crawler who'd managed to escape the dungeon, but left a certain cat behind. Bailiff Grimm noted how the description of events was running against his version of reality, as in the world he knows, cats don't speak human languages. In the end, the court ruled against the dungeon crawler for leaving the cat behind. 

The second case went into territory that is familiar with fans of the Hooligans and their 'Cancel the Sun' campaign. A boy was making a case against the sun due to its heat. Grimm took the boy's side, saying the sun is an evil ball in the sky that dehydrates us. Margery, meanwhile, defended the sun, saying it's only doing its job supplying the world with light and heat. In the end, the audience/jury ruled in the sun's favor.

Case three involved a lady accused of being sassy. Grimm found himself defending the lady, a position usually taken by Margery in these cases, and Margery accused Grimm of plagiarizing her arguments.

We then moved to the 'snap judgements' section of shorter cases. Case four had its plaintiff bring up the issue of whether education was too expensive. Grimm said that in the year 1540 (the year this season's story is set), it's not really an issue. In the end, it was decided that they would lower the cost of tuition.

Case 5's plaintiff said that Grimm was losing too many cases. In the discussion, it was noted that due to the plaintiff's deciding who defends what, Grimm often ends up in the role of the heel, and as a consequence of that often loses cases. Ironically enough, Grimm ended up winning that particular case.

Case 6 revolved around a client who expected others to pay for her drinks. In the end, the case was sorted out in favor of the client. 

In the area near the Maypole and the Guest Services Pavilion, I saw the STREETSpeare scene from Antony and Cleopatra featuring the 'barge speech'. This is where Enobarbus describes Cleopatra's entrance on her royal barge. This was my fifth STREETSpeare scene of the day. I'm not sure, but this might be a new record for me as far as STREETSpeares are concerned.

I then made my way to Mary's Dale Way, where I encountered some of the Village Ensemble. Moil Frith asked me what my 'take of the day' is. I responded by saying at that point I'd seen a lot of different shows, each with their own possible lessons and takeaways, and one in particular was my takeaway from the chase scene in the 50th Anniversary Royal Welcome about how coin pouches that look alike can be very confusing. 

I stayed for the Danse Macabre parade, and proceeded with it as it made its way from the Cottage Stage up to the area near the Food Court and Grounds for Defense. I stayed in the area for a while, telling a friend more about the backstory of the Danse Macabre parade (using information from the Ghost Tour), and then made my way to the White Hart Tavern.

I wasn't there for the Hooligans' Wildest Rover Singing Competition that day, but I did hear later who won the Wildest Rover trophy. Apparently, it was the 'fourth section', the 'Corn' section (the new covered section at the food court close to the White Hart Tavern) that won the contest that day. John Kelso apparently accepted on behalf of the section.

Pub Sing began, as usual, with "Health to the Company". We then had the Brocades with "All For Me Grog", and the Adventurers with their hit song, "Donkey Riding". After the Host Toast, the Weyward Sisters had a new song, the appropriately titled (for that day) "Sunday". The Tavern Twins (Nell Quickly and Alys Overdun) were joined by Tommy Crommy for "Beer, Beer, Beer", a song celebrating the brewer Charlie Mopps. The whole ensemble got together for an ensemble version of "Rocky Road to Dublin", followed by Idle Fancies singing of "Love and Freedom". 

The Vagabonds had a new variation of "Beggarman", which was similar to "Little Beggarman" but with some different lyrics and a somewhat different tune. Sir Richard Mondes sang the cautionary tale, "Johnny Jump Up", telling of experiences with a particular kind of cider. Soon, it was time for Last Call, and the ensemble got together for the Last Call song. 

Bardwin the Bard sang "Excursion Around the Bay", about a couple's ill-fated excursion around the bay. The Brocades brought back one of my favorites, "Toast to Tomorrow". Afterward, Moil Frith of the Vagabonds sang lead vocals on a song about someone named "Sarah". The Adventurers were next, with their take on the shanty/historical tale "Santiana". The Weyward Sisters had another new song today, "Devil's Paintbrush Road". 

The Vagabonds were next, with a song that's one of Sir Richard's favorites (and one of my favorites, too), "One Last Drink". The whole company got together for "Westering Home". 

With Pub Sing entering the softer, sentimental portion, the Adventurers sang "Leave Her, Johnny". And Pub Sing concluded with "Wild Mountain Thyme."

I made my way to the Main Gate, in time for the Evening Farewell. And soon I was on my way home.

Well, the first weekend of the 50th Anniversary season of MDRF has passed. Next is the three-day Labor Day Weekend. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do my usual detailed recaps for all three days, but we'll see what happens.

And so on Saturday, August 8th, 2026 I was present for the Saturday festivities of the Rock Hall Pirate Weekend. The day was a hot one, and I did my best to stay hydrated. But I still had a good time.

I took a stroll down Main Street as the various vendors were getting started for the day, and then headed to the Gazebo Stage where Bone & String would perform their first set of the day. This talented foursome started their set with "Calling on Song", an introduction piece about what to expect from a musical set featuring various folk songs. Soon followed a Bone & String original, "Fancy Hat", about why pirates like the sort of fancy hats you so often see at pirate-themed events such as this. Cornelius sang lead on "River Driver", an old folk song about lumber workers who moved logs down the river. Next was the traditional sea shanty (or chanty) "Randy Dandy O", followed by Kevin noting how sea shanties worked and the meaning of the phrase "To me" that can be heard in many shanties. 

They followed this up with a song about storing cargo, "Sugar in the Hold". As a change of pace from songs of the sea and songs about work at sea or at rivers, they then performed "Oak and Ash and Thorn". They returned to the sea with "Heave Away", followed by "Jolly Roving Tar". Next came a wonderful rendition of the homecoming song, "Mist Covered Mountains". After the traditional "All For Me Grog" came a Bone & String original, "All the Pirates", with each verse telling the story of a famous pirate. 

I then made my way to the Main Street section near Sharp Street where Doug Stafford was performing the Bad Idea Variety Show. He began with a bit of torch juggling, before then testing the bowling ball (which made quite a loud sound when deliberately dropped on the pavement) to use in a juggling bit where it is used alongside other items of very different sizes and weights. One of those items was a marshmallow, which provided a good segue for his next bit, a variation on the party game "Chubby Bunny". He had some good audience volunteers for his next juggling bit inspired by Fruit Ninja, and for a game involving four pieces of string and a hook. He continued with another bit I haven't seen very often, the hoop with a cup, and concluded with 'shocky stick' juggling combined with another prop inspired by both 80s and 90s fantasy/sci-fi culture. 

All in all, a great adaptation of his usual stage shows to a very different venue, with some interesting variations that I hadn't seen before.

Afterward, I headed down Sharp Street, pausing at the tank where a mermaid from the Circus Siren Pod greeted visitors. The mermaid then briefly dove underwater to retrieve a pearl.

I made my way to Sharp Street Stage, to see the Brigands at their first set of the day. The fantastic pirate band began with an instrumental warm-up, before launching into one of their earlier songs, "Hard Pressed" (a song about a man pressed into service aboard a vessel, and his desire to be free of these terrible circumstances). Next came an original tune of theirs, "Slipyard". 

After "Row Me Bully Boys" came a more traditional tune, followed by a most unusual original song, "The Pony That Went to Sea". Many of the Brigands' songs involve danger and hardship (and sometimes heartbreak), but maybe this song about a carousel pony who became a real pony and wants to go to sea might be a bit more light-hearted. Or maybe this could be a story where the moral is that one should be careful what they wish for. In any case, the pony might end up going to sea one way or another. 

Afterward came a "Whiskey Before Breakfast" instrumental tune, and another story song, "Dance with me" that might be darker than one initially thinks. Other tunes in the set included "Jump at the sun" and another original tune inspired by Scotland. 

From there, I headed to the Pirates Cove in the center of the festivities to see Pirates of Fortune's Folly and their Treasure Hunt show. They began with a song about searching for treasure before stating that they believe they're close to finding the treasure they're looking for. With the surprising assistance of the skeletal parrot Dead Polly, as well as some audience volunteers, they make further progress following the map until they eventually find the treasure. The treasure turns out to be not quite what they expected. 

Afterward, I needed to get back in the shade, so I made my way to the Gazebo Stage where Bone & String were performing their second set of the day. I arrived as they performed "Come In, Come In" (a chorus that almost seems to be welcoming people just arriving at their set). After traditional songs such as "Row Me Bully Boys" and "Bonny Ship the Diamond" came a Bone & String original, "Privateers Just Have Permission" (about the differences between pirates and privateers). Next was "Paddy West", about a person's most unusual methods of teaching the basics of sailing. This was followed by the traditional Irish song, "Rare Old Mountain Dew".

Afterward, there was "The Ballad of Old Redcoat", a song about a pirate captain and the secret of his courage. They followed with "Whiskey Johnny" and "Essequibo River". Next was "New York Girls/Can't You Dance the Polka", about a sailor's encounter with a lady at the Bowery and how the encounter disillusioned the sailor.

Okay, at this point I feel I should mention that portions of the sky were getting darker as dark clouds could be seen visible in the sky to the left of the Gazebo. As Bone & String were in the midst of their rendition of the popular sea song, "Wellerman", a strong wind blew through and set papers loose. Bone & String abruptly paused their set to move their equipment table to a spot under the roof of the Gazebo, in case it started to rain. This took a while, during which Sage O'Silver arrived to prepare for her next set. But all in all, it was good that they moved the sound equipment, just to be on the safe side.

There wasn't time to do all the songs they were hoping to do this set due to the interruption, but as the wind eased up, they closed the set with a reprise of "All the Pirates", this time including a verse about Calico Jack and the company he kept. Meanwhile, the wind and the dark clouds moved on, and the rest of the day would go without any weather-related issues, aside from the heat.

I stayed for Sage O'Silver, pirate fiddler, and her 'Monster' set, where she sings a number of original songs combining pirates with other bits of lore and legend. After starting with a fiddle cover of a popular pirate tune, she did her parody song "Davy Jones Went Down to Cuba". This was followed by her song about a pirate vampire, "Captain Blood the Vampire-rate". Another creature of the night was featured in "Werepirate". Next came her take on the story of Hamelin, "Pied Pirate". 

She certainly wasn't done with spooky and scary themed songs, as next came "The Eternal Swing (zombie pirate song)". Afterward came a few songs about the elements, including "Maelstrom" and "Captain Wind". As the set concluded, the sun was shining brightly again.

The sun and the heat had returned, as if the whole dark and windy interlude had never happened. I saw a little bit of the Costume Contest that Pirate's of Fortune's Folly was hosting, but under the advice of friends, soon made my way back to the shade of the Gazebo, where Bone & String had one more set to perform that day.

Bone & String began the set with another Bone & String original, "Herring Bay", inspired by a bay within a bay they have encountered in their travels across Maryland. Next came the traditional "Paddy Lay Back", followed by "Beer/Charlie Mopps", celebrating the legendary brewer Charlie Mopps. Afterward was their version of "A Hundred Years Ago", adapted to be set on the Eastern Shore. Soon afterward came "Old Maui", followed by "Strike the Bell" (a song about the usual procedure aboard ship to announce the end of a shift). 

They decided to work in a few songs they didn't get around to doing in the previous set due to the interruption, and performed "Last Shanty" (a song about the changes in life at sea due to changes in technology). This was followed by "Tom Paine's Bones" (described by Kevin as a song about "a passing meeting with a very important guy"). "Leaving of Liverpool" followed, and they concluded the set with another original song, "Road to Clifton." 

The day was nearly at an end, but I paid a visit to the Pirate's Cove and saw Pirate's of Fortune's Folly as Rose (aka the "Dread Pirate Squeaky") told lookout Izrayle Hands about how she posed as a doctor and visited barracks. The two illustrated the stories with props and occasional costume coats. Afterward came some more improbable tales, such as Izrayle's account of a visit to a gemstone cavern and the song that could be heard there. 

Soon, it was time to go. All in all, despite the heat, I had a good time. 

On Saturday, May 23rd, 2026, I visited the Virginia Renaissance Festival during its Pirate Weekend. As I would say during the day, getting there wasn't exactly smooth sailing due to the rain conditions. But thankfully by the time we arrived, the rain had eased up and the performers were still able to entertain us with their shows, albeit under a bit soggy conditions.

I strolled slowly through the lanes as workers placed more hay on the ground to help with the muddy conditions, and passed a number of vendors. I stopped by Art Wood, who not only has his usual wood artwork, but also has garlic products. He showed me a few of his wood artwork inspired by popular songs from various eras. 

I then stopped over at the Nobles Glade where the Queen and the court gathered early in the day and greeted people. We talked about the weather, mostly. I recalled the previous rain day I had spent at VARF, and how the conditions actually enhanced the finale of the Masque of Moses that Robert Dudley performed for the Queen (involving the parting of the Red Sea and the failed pursuit of Moses). The Queen and court wished me well, though Her Majesty noted it was going to be difficult to stay dry today.

The rain, thankfully, was pretty much a light sprinkle during most of the day, and I had an umbrella, so I managed to avoid getting too wet. The temperature was chilly at times, though.

Anyway, my next destination was a place that provides shade during sunny days and shelter from the rain during rainy days, and also is host to a number of great musical acts. Namely, the Barleycorn Tavern. After greeting a few people, I sat down for the first musical set of the day, featuring the Pyrates Royale.

The set began with "Roses", one of their newer songs, and continued with a longtime Pyrates classic, "Jamboree". Another song followed, "Drink Old England Dry" (about the French-English rivalry and rallying the English to protect their alcohol). Afterward was "Bully in the Alley", where a man trying to sober up in the small street beside the pub muses about his love Sally (and finds more rhymes for 'alley' in the process). Afterward came a song most people probably know as "Roll the Old Chariot Along". The set concluded with Louis and Stubbs alternating verses on "Red is the Rose", with a rendition dedicated to longtime fan John Blood.

Next up at the Barleycorn Tavern Stage was Bone & String. This piratical foursome began their set with "Calling on Song" before moving on to "Jolly Roving Tar". After "Essequibo River" (a song about the 'king of all the rivers') and "All For Me Grog" came a Bone & String original, "Fancy Hat", which explains why fancy hats are so popular among the seafaring and piratical types. After "New York Girls" and "Randy Dandy-O" came another Bone & String original, "Privateers Just Have Permission", discussing the difference between privateers and pirates.

On the way over to VARF, I wondered if many of the Rose Stage shows would be able to perform today due to the weather. However, thankfully, the weather had eased up, and all of them were able to do their shows as scheduled. 

So I went over to the Rose Stage and saw Doug Stafford's Bad Idea variety show. Featuring stuff that are pretty much bad ideas (such as juggling items of different sizes and weight together, to the magician's version of a certain party game involving marshmallows) to some 'don't try this at home' stuff (the last one being a bit weather dependant, but it still happened) it's certainly a fun show.

The Rogues performed their set at the Rose Stage next. In addition to their usual upbeat tunes, the set also included a lovely and moving rendition of 'Bonny Portmore'. 

Next up were Vixens En Garde, featuring Hera, Thetis, and Thia (hope I spelled that right) as they performed their take on one of Shakespeare's Roman plays, Corialanis. The story of the Roman general who is good at battle but not so good at winning friends and influencing people is enlivened by plenty of pop culture references. 

Back at the Barleycorn Tavern, we had a new performer this year, Sebastian Vain, Singing Pirate Extraordinaire. He performed his take on many well-known songs, from "Whiskey in the Jar" to "Old Dun Cow". He gave a bit of background on "Santiana", noting that this popular shanty was about a well-known war. He moved on from there to "Charlie Mopps", a song about a renowned brewer who probably didn't really invent beer, but gets praise for it anyway.

The Pyrates Royale were next, with a new variation on the old favorite, "Pay Me My Money Down". They then moved on to another longtime favorite, "Old Dun Cow". Afterward was "Blow the Man Down", as Stubbs tells the tale of a sailor's misadventure, illustrated at the end with a cucumber prop. They followed it up with "John Kanaka", a sea shanty with a Pacific inspired chorus. Next was "Polly on the Shore", a song about a clever young woman who escaped a bad situation and went on to own half of Sailortown due to her wit and ability to influence gullible sailors. The set concluded with "Icy Acres", a song about weary whalers looking forward to returning home after spending time in cold regions.

Bone & String were up next, starting with the well-known shanty, "General Taylor". Next was "Row Me Bully Boys", about sailors who have a long way to go. Bone & String then did an adaptation of "Drink Old England Dry" and changed the setting, so it would become "Drink New England Dry". After doing their part to let everyone know about the brewer Charlie Mopps, they followed with a Bone & String original, the lovely homecoming song simply titled "Home". Next came "Santiana", the song about the "Napoleon of the west" that the historical General Taylor fought against. Afterward came a clever Bone & String original song, 'Wining'.

I stopped by a few vendors such as Scarlet Moon Hats and Trinket's Costume and Sundry and said hello to a few people, before returning to the Barleycorn Tavern. Sebastian Vain performed his renditions of a few more well-known Faire songs. He didn't wish to repeat songs from sets earlier in the day, but he got enough requests for "Old Dun Cow" to do a reprise of it there. He concluded the set with "Drunken Sailor".

The Pyrates Royale performed their next set, starting with "Sailor's Prayer". They moved on from there to "Young Ned of the Hill", about a conflict between the English and the Irish in another era. Next was "Sailing on the Tide in the Morning". Afterward came "Beer That Tastes Like Beer", about how one can be very particular about their tastes in beer. After a lively "A La Una", the Pyrates then moved into more somber territory with "Three Lost Sailors". This was followed by the poignant "Guinness for Two", about absent friends. Not wanting to conclude the set on too much of a downer, the Pyrates then did their parody of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" from their holiday album, a song about wishing someone a clean bill of health, as well as their own variation on the pudding verse.

Bone & String began their next set with "Hal En Tow", a song about the end of winter and celebrating the coming of summer. After their take on "John Kanaka", we had them performing a song that's become increasingly well-known over the past five years, "Wellerman". "One More Day", a song celebrating the end of a long and hard voyage, followed. After "South Australia" came "Your Old Shipmate", about friendships made at sea. The set concluded with "Last Shanty", a song set in a time period where ships with sails were being replaced with ships that ran on different sources of power, and where knowing Morse code and such was a handier skill than knowing how to climb rigging. 

Soon it was time for the Tavern Sing. It was at this point that several of the Staffordshire villagers arrived with gifts for Her Majesty (for example, Rosey Sprout the carrot farmer presented a large carrot). This was followed by a tune set from a gathering of musicians. 

Afterward came a number of acts with a number of songs, many of them fitting right in with the Pirate Weekend theme. Bone & String performed their original, "All the Pirates", with each verse telling the story of a famous pirate. Token Entertainment performed "Pirate Life (Wonderful Living The Life of a Pirate)". Sebastian Vain performed a reprise of "Old Dun Cow".

Her Majesty the Queen arrived around this point, and everyone paused to greet her. Then Cyanwoode (a fantasy themed musical group) did their variation of "Haul Away Joe" with a few lyrics fitting their band's theme. Fletcher Moone pointed out that most weekends of the VARF season, he does his "Culture of Beer" show, but since this weekend his bandmates from the Pyrates Royale are in town, they're performing this weekend. Here, they performed their "Rivers of Babylon/Pirate 200 Years Too Late/John B Sails" mashup. Afterward, the Rogues arrived at the Tavern to do their energetic pipe and drum set.

Cornelia Rutherford then concluded things with her usual speech, and thanking people for attending despite the weather. And soon it was time for the procession to the Main Gate.

At the main gate, I chatted a bit with the Queen about the day, and after pausing for some photo opportunities, it was soon time to make my way home.

All in all, I enjoyed the day at VARF in spite of the weather. I might be back at least one more time this season, but until then, I'll say it was a surprisingly good rain day at the Faire.

Sunday October 12th MDRF 2025

Sunday of the Eighth Weekend was overcast and remained overcast for most of the day. The rain managed to hold off until late in the day, and I was glad about that. 

After Opening Gate, I headed to the area near the Maypole to see Hugh MacGregor, Beatrice Appleton-MacGregor, and Millie Appleton present Sunday's Entry Poll, but there was an unexpected twist here. The front Entry Poll question on the chalkboard was "What's the trickiest treat?", and three of the options were the usual silliness, but the bottom left option had been deliberately erased by Millie. The explanation I received was that Millie was told that any mark for 'tax evasion' meant less ribbons for Millie's wedding, and Millie would not stand for that. 

Hugh offered to put in a different option, and replaced it with "Market to Market". This didn't satisfy Millie, however, so she pretty much filled in that space with marks (what Hugh and Beatrice referred to as "Millie's Rage") to prevent people from voting for the bottom left option. As far as I know, that's the version of that Entry Poll they stuck with for the remainder of the morning period. 

Afterward came the Morning Dance, performed with the usual tune with the easy to remember lyrics (it's just one word). I had a brief chat with Sir Francis Bryan, before heading to the Gatehouse Stage for the Royal Welcome.

The first half of the Royal Welcome show is devoted to what's going on in the Village. Hugh MacGregor is dealing not only with the expenses of the Royal visit, but the expenses of Millie's wedding plans. Millie is looking forward to her wedding to Reginald Waldegrave, but there are some possible complications, given that Reginald has received a job offer that he may or may not accept. Meanwhile Constance Payne announces that she is in charge of Tiddington's fighting force, which she calls the Payne Patrol. 

However, the biggest argument was the one between current Revel Grove Mayor Hugh MacGregor and former Revel Grove Mayor Sir Richard Mondes (who has since gone on to become a Member of Parliament). There's a dispute over the position of the Mayor's house, built on what Hugh says is MacGregor land. After Sir Richard went on to London, apparently Hugh thought it was a good idea to move in to the manor, but Sir Richard states that Hugh is squatting and that Bailiff Grimm should have him removed from the house. This causes a fight to ensue between two people who are otherwise good friends, Reginald Waldegrave and Bailiff George Grimm. It's an over-the-top sequence the likes of which Revel Grove hasn't seen since Renaissance Rumble, complete with WWE-style commentary from Hugh MacGregor. 

Fortunately, they are still able to maintain an amount of civility during this, and not damage the King's chair. Which of course is a good thing, as the King and the Royal Court soon arrive, and more or less take over the show from there with the dispute between Hugh MacGregor and Sir Richard Mondes remaining unresolved. From that point on, the show revolves around King Henry, and Hans Holbein showing portraits of possible brides for the King (and Viscountess Rochford marking on her chalkboard in the background). Of course, none of these choices are the ones the King ultimately picks, and Hans Holbein will later show the portraits of Amalia and Anna of Cleves at the "Bride for the King" show at the Globe Theatre Stage at 4:15.

Over at O'Shucks, I heard some sad news about the passing of longtime MDRF contributor Larry Peterka. Larry was a member of the MDRF community for over thirty years in many capacities, as a Landsknecht and jouster, and Sir Thomas Kytson in Timeline B, among others. A friend and mentor to many, he will be greatly missed.

On a much brighter note, I saw the tail end of a Madwitch set at the Boar's Head Tavern as they played their set of lively tunes. I must say it helped liven my spirits a bit.

I then went over to the Fortune Stage for Topsy Turvy and their acrobatic show. From whip stunts to various acro balancing, there's plenty of stunts, silliness, and sibling rivalry. At one point, Lily dumped confetti on Amanda. There were also some silly snippets of songs or song parodies. For what they referred to as the 'traumatic grand finale', they combined whip stunts with balancing. 

At the nearby Blackfriars Stage was the Lynx Show. Lynx performs a number of dangerous stunts, including sword swallowing. Much like his friend and mentor Johnny Fox, he demonstrated that the blades he uses are real. He finished the act with a stunt I won't describe in too much detail, but he says he's the only one who does this particular stunt.

Over at the Grounds for Defense, I saw the Quarterstaff demonstration from Revel Grove's fight corps (or the Millie-tia, given Millie's presence there). Dash Rippington and Captain Romero spoke of quarterstaffs and how they were much less expensive than swords. There followed a quarterstaff fight between Cecily Payne and Henry J. Knuckles, and Knuckles accused Payne of not playing fair. Another quarterstaff fight followed, with Constance Payne vs. Nymblewicke. Then Dah, Romero, and Reginald got their turn to be involved in another quarterstaff fight.

I stayed for the STREETSpeare scene from "The Maid's Tragedy". In this scene from Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher's story of love and betrayal, Evadne confronts the story's king and seeks revenge, explaining the reasons for her actions. While there might be a bit of dark comedy here, this is still pretty much a tragedy, and Evadne's actions will have consequences in the later second scene over at the Globe Theatre.

I then rushed to the Boar's Head in the midst of Reveler's Roulette and joined "The Goddess and the Weaver" (performed by the incognito Weyward Sisters) in-progress. This was followed by Midnight Hour with "The Last Time". Patrick of the Hooligans was there again like last Sunday, but this time John Dickson Wakefield also wanted in on some of the "soul-fulfilling performances" (as Patrick described last week's collaboration), so he was there to join Patrick, Edie, Ellie and company for the love song "Love You Till The End". Baron Templeton arrived at the Boar's Head to perform "The Water is Wide".

The Crimson Pirates performed a set at the Gatehouse Stage. I arrived in time for "Jack of All Trades". This was followed by "Saucy Sailor", and then the tale of "Billy the Squid", an undersea outlaw who "took from the selfish and gave to the shellfish". Next was 
"Pump Shanty", followed by "Henry Martin". The set concluded with an uptempo version of "Sailor's Prayer (I Will Not Lie Me Down)".

I then headed back to the Royal Pavilion for the STREETSpeare scene of Henry VIII, Act 4 Scene 1, where two gentlemen discuss the latest news at court regarding Anne Boleyn's coronation. And so here I completed my STREETSpeare card and got the last stamp.

I then made it to the Globe Theatre Stage in time for the last portion of Macbeth. I arrived in the midst of Malcolm and Macduff's conversation, which is interrupted by the terrible news about the fate of Macduff's family. I then stayed for the rest of the show, including Lady Macbeth's madness, Birnham Wood coming to Dunsinane, and the amazing final showdown. It's truly an incredible production, and I'm glad to have been able to see it a few times this season.

Over at the Gatehouse Stage, Shakespeare Approves - Your Friendly Neighborhood Shakespeare was in the midst of the Hamlet Christmas Special (it may or may not make sense in context). 

I stayed for the Bad Idea Variety Show. Before the show began, Doug Stafford found one of Daisy O'Danny's small rubber chickens that had been left over earlier. 

The show began in earnest, as Doug Stafford did his bit with the bowling ball, and noted yesterday's incident. The show's called the Bad Idea Variety Show, as it deals with things that are generally bad ideas. From juggling items with very different weights to stuff you shouldn't do with marshmallows, there's certainly plenty of 'bad ideas'. At this point, the wind was picking up, so the box juggling segment was all the more amazing for being successfully accomplished in the wind. We soon moved on to the 'don't try this at home stuff', involving knife juggling. Then came the blindfold, rolla bolla, and straitjacket, followed by disc balancing and shock sticks. 

Next was Village Court, with Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave presiding, accompanied by Bailiff George Grimm, Margery Malagrave, Professional Mourner and petty constable, Hugh MacGregor as stenographer (writing comments on the cases on the chalkboard), and Fortune Blunt as the bard providing musical accompaniment and the jingle. 

At this point, the rain had started, so the first case at Village Court involved the rain, as someone decided to put the weather on trial.

Margery spoke of the forecast, and how in the end the weather was at fault. Margery said that we at the Ren Faire created our own magic and the weather gods should have recognized that, and yet we are punished. Grimm avoided a bit of rain falling from the awning above the stage, and stated that it's easy to avoid the rain and still have a good time. 

Margery said that in spite of her opponent's tone, "We shall have warmth! We shall have joy! We shall not have rain!" Grimm argued that in spite of the rain, we did have warmth and joy, and that we are masters of our own destiny. So the choice was clear: Should we sue the weather or just make our own joy regardless of the weather? I think it was decided in favor of the latter.

Case Two revolved around someone cited for poor attendance. Margery noted how the cast spent much of the summer preparing for the festival entertainment. Grimm noted that his client was present at the start of the day, and that the nature of the grievance was that he was not there for prior festival days. While he concedes the point that everyone in the village has been practicing hard for much of the summer, his client has been busy with other projects elsewhere, and can't be expected to show up here every day. It's unreasonable. 

Margery said she could appreciate a busy schedule, as she's no stranger to those herself, however they did not receive a pigeon sending apologies for missing out. So the question was, should they hold the client accountable or just understand that the client had a busy schedule? In the end, the jury/audience fount that his attendance was found wanting. 

Case three had two citations for radiant beauty beyond reasonable standards. To make a long story short, it was decided that they were far too beautiful.

Case 4 involved two people who are clearly fans of Debracey Productions Equestrian show. A woman accused a wizard of slandering Sir Keegan O'Connor, who is renowned for his amazing trick riding abilities. The slander was along the lines of "Sir Keegan eats slop". Margery praised Sir Keegan, and conceded that the horse-riding business can be dirty at times, but if in the course of the business some dirt gets in his mouth, Sir Keegan will expel it and continue on. Grimm argued that the remark was not slander, it's just a fact. In the end, Reginald was worried that Sir Keegan wouldn't like the verdict. 

Case 5 had a baby charged with conveyance of carriage without a permit. Margery defended the baby and said the father was at fault. Grimm said that laws apply to all even cute babies. By a narrow margin, the jury/audience decided that the baby goes free. 

Case 6 involved an alleged werewolf. Is the client just a hairy man, or is he a werewolf? 

Case 7 involved a dispute about false advertising. Apparently, a lady's friend was supposed to be dressed as an angel or goddess but was missing her halo. Margery Malagrave argued that were her client the goddess were to appear in full glory, she would blind every single one of us, so instead she muted her glory to help us. The jury/audience decided in favor of the plaintiff that the goddess should have shown up in full glory.

Over at the White Hart Tavern, Daisy O'Danny was doing her little set of song parodies, one of which being "Aversion" (an "Excursion Round the Bay" parody). Another was a "Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her" parody she performed with members of the Hooligans "Leave Me (Loving me is like...)". 

The Hooligans of course were next at the White Hart Tavern with their 'event' set. It began with "Streams of Whiskey" and then with "Finnegans' Wake" (where the audience is encouraged to clap along with the chorus but stop clapping at the end of the chorus). And of course there's the Wildest Rover Singing Competition, where three sections of the audience are invited to take turns singing the chorus of "Wild Rover".

Defending champions the Freaks on the Left went first, followed by the Relatively Normal People on the Right and the Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge. The Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge did not let the rain stop them from standing and singing. In the end, the Coveted Worst Place Award went to the Freaks on the Left, the Participation Award went to the Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge, and the Wildest Rover Trophy went to the Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge.

What followed next was "Rattlin Bog", where the Hooligans challenge each other to see who can get through each progression of new words added without messing up. New words are added after "bed from a feather", with the first being a suggestion from the audience and the rest being made by the Hooligans themselves. This time, an audience member suggested 'Tree'. 

The Hooligans immediately knew that this was going to be a disaster. "They know what they're doing," John Kelso remarked. The song begins and ends with the tree, and putting a tree in the middle of it can only lead to confusion. Regardless, they went on with it, leading to extras of the original lyrics (branches, limbs, and such). The confusion began, and in the end no one won the Rattlin Bog medal because the extra trees and limbs and nest and bird were too much. 

Next was Pub Sing, which began with "Health to the Company". Some may ask why everyone enthusiastically shouts "CHEESE!" in the later verse of the Vagabonds' rendition of "A Beggin I Will Go", but a lot of people like cheese, I guess. The Brocades made their return with the Isley Brothers inspired arrangement of "Chandler's Wife".  After the Host Toast, the Adventurers took the stage with "Wellerman".

Two of the Brocades (calling themselves Dark and Stormy) sang "Twiddles", Janie Meneely's classic about the other side of the 'girl in every port' story. The entire ensemble got together for "Whiskey Johnny". Next was the Weyward Sisters with "A Stor a Ghra", followed by the Vagabonds with "Three Drunken Maidens". Tavern Twins Nell Quickly and Alys Overdun sang "Beer, Beer, Beer", the song about the renowned brewer Charlie Mopps. And then the Adventurers were next with "Row Me Bully Boys".

Millie, by now having figured out the meaning of "Nancy Whiskey" (it's a drink and the person in the song is pretending it's a person) performed that song. And then Nan Rash got the different sections of the White Hart Tavern to do three different claps for "The Hunting of the Wren". Afterward, it was time for the ensemble to lead in the dance for "Step It Out Mary". 

Jack Ripley then performed his version of "Old Dunn Cow" which, as usual, has a brief digression into another song in the last verse before getting back on track. Then Idle Fancies was next with "Johnny Sands". The Weyward Sisters sang of the ways of a most unconventional girl, "Weyward Daughter". And then Ty, Follentine, Sir Richard and John the intern joined together for a wonderful acapella rendition of "Northwest Passage".

Now that we were in the softer portions, The Adventurers were next with "Heather on the Hill". Pub Sing concluded with "Wild Mountain Thyme", and afterward the Jammer Clan did a quick encore with the tune "Kelburn Brewer".

And so, after chatting a bit with Millie, and then with Knuckles near the gate at the fountain, I then made my way home.

It's hard to believe there's only one weekend left this season. It still doesn't seem that long ago that Sir Richard was introducing new songs at Pub Sing on Opening Day. 

Nonetheless, Closing Weekend may be the most bittersweet weekend of the season, but I intend to be there for it. 

Sunday, October 5th, 2025 MDRF

Well, Sunday's weather was nice and sunny, though warmer than I was expecting. I had my MDRF sweatshirt on throughout the day, but rolled back the sleeves and needed some water at points.

In spite of that, it was an amazing day. After Opening Gate, I went to the fountain where Mustardseed, Knuckles, and Temperance Belowe were greeting the patrons. Temperance of course was observing carefully those who she thinks were having too much fun.

I then headed over to the Maypole where Hugh MacGregor and Millie were presenting the Entry Polls. The Morning Dance followed, and after the dance, the King gave his usual blessing "God Save the musicians of Revel Grove!", and then turned to the dancers. Fortune Blunt rushed from the musicians spot to the dancers, before the King said "God save the dancers of Revel Grove!". Master Ty, being both a musician and a dancer, is probably already double saved, as I noted later. 

Anyway, I soon moved on to the Lyric Stage for the Jacob D'Eustachio show. Our lead performer claimed that the "Lord of the Sword" was unavailable, so he (the barista who I'll call Jacob Barista, I guess) was there to perform a number of juggling bits. He started out showing he was able to continue juggling balls while having his sound checked and giving high fives, before moving on to other juggling tricks, as well as contact juggling and balancing with his hat. He kept a coffee theme going with the names of some of the tricks. After testing certain props (and then deciding to save them for later, our Jacob Barista brought out an increasing number of beer bottle shaped juggling clubs. 

For the last portions of the show, he got a volunteer from the audience to supply a drumbeat while he did a few silly bits and then juggled bouncing small balls. He finished up with knife juggling. This is his first weekend here at MDRF.

I stopped by the Bubble Cart and saw the Bubble Fairy's displays of Bubbles for a bit, and then headed over to the White Hart Tavern for the Langer's Ball's first set of the day. I showed up in time for "As I Roved Out" (which I'll repeat is a different song than the Hooligans' song of the same name, though there are story similarities). They followed it up with a whiskey song, "Break of Dawn" before moving on to a Langer's Ball original, "Cork Dry Gin" (with a different 'walks into a bar' joke before the last chorus). Next was a new one of theirs that they arranged too late to include on their newest CD/album ("Drinking Song Sing-a-Long", which includes "Break of Dawn", "Cork Dry Gin", and many of the songs from the later Sing-a-Long set), but is likely to be part of their next compilation, a mashup of "In Heaven There Is No Beer" and "Beer, Beer, Beer" where the renowned brewer Charlie Mopps (who didn't exactly invent beer but is still celebrated in song) helps to put a new twist on the former's premise. The Langer's Ball followed that up with "Sally MacLenanne". 

After "Leaving of Liverpool" (the sea song about a sailor leaving Liverpool for quite some time and thinking of his love he's leaving behind) came "Dirty Old Town" (about the complicated relationship one has with a town feeling the effects of industry). There was a whistle and guitar tune set in which Hannah was able to bring out an impressive number of notes, and then The Langer's Ball finished the set with another original, "Do It All Again".

In the pathways, Hugh MacGregor was doing the Pun Exchange, where Hugh and volunteers exchange puns. If one were to make a pun about, say, sailors or the sea, chances are Hugh will respond with puns related to the subject. 

The Hooligans performed their 12:00 set at the White Hart, with "Irish Rover" (their take on the tall tale of a large ship sailing from Ireland to New York with a ridiculously large cargo). The Hooligans' version has an ending where those 'three million bales of old nanny goats' tails' turn out to be useful, but the question remains as to why that was included in the cargo in the first place. Next came a few songs the Hooligans haven't performed in a while, the first being "Seek the Reaper" (a song inspired by the Pardoner's Tale in the Canterbury Tales, but with a bit less ambiguity than the original story if I recall correctly). Next, they performed the wonderful "Walk the Road Together", where all four of them sang individual verses. For a song they said they hadn't performed in a while it turned out very nice indeed.

Switching gears, they turned to a song inspired by the Troubles in Ireland, "Come Out Ye Black and Tans". They then switched gears again to a sort of love song as Patrick sang lead vocals on "The Price of Love". Afterward came "Macpherson's Rant", which the legendary poet writer Robert Burns based on the farewell statement of James MacPherson. The Hooligans concluded the set with "Over the Hills and Far Away". 

I then made my way over to the Fortune Stage, where Thomas Bodley and Heinrich Agrippa, our Hunters of the Unruly Dead, made their welcome return to Revel Grove.

 At this point, they performed the Tudor Mages show, focusing on mysticism and rituals of the Tudor era. After speaking of various methods of divination, astrology, and alchemy (and Agrippa stated that the Elixir of Life is more likely to be metaphorical than something literally life-extending), they moved on to spells involving necromancy and summoning. People back in those times actually wrote down rituals for summoning and/or controlling spirits, angels, and demons, many of which with insanely specific ingredients and requirements. Of course they didn't actually have all these ingredients so the spell for summoning an archangel (and the other spells mentioned) would not actually work, but perhaps that's for the best.

From there, I made my way to the Boar's Head Tavern for Reveler's Roulette. I have to echo what Donald Jones and others have said - if you haven't seen it, you're missing out on an amazing variety show filled with incredible talent. 

And Sunday's Reveler's Roulette was an especially incredible show from start to finish. First off, we had Hugh MacGregor joining with Margery Malagrave for their rendition of the Irish classic, "Star of the County Down". And then Dottie Grimm sang a lovely version of "Sarah's Song" (a song recommended to her by her friend Rebecca "Beck" Marshall). We then followed with Arnold Connor of A Klasse Akte performing an original song, the lovely ballad "Your Eyes". Afterward came Mara Starfire with her rendition of a song I first heard during the softer portions of Pub Sing many, many years ago, "The Dutchman".

Afterward, Ginger O'Danny, Connie O'Danny, Master Ty, Nan Rash, Dottie Grimm, and Patrick of the Hooligans got together for an incredible group number, "The Chain". Words can't describe just how amazing this was, and when it was finished, it got a great reaction from the audience. There was a huge amount of applause and cheers.

Anyway, when a big number like that happens, it's a tough one to follow, so usually this would be where we move to the softer, sentimental songs. And such was the case here, where Hugh MacGregor arrived to perform the classic parting song, "The Parting Glass", but with a twist: On this occasion, he performed it in Scots-Gaelic, resulting in "Parting Glass" as we have likely never heard it before. All in all, this was a truly amazing show, and I'm glad I was there for it.

After giving my compliments, I made my way over to the Lyric Stage, where Dinty the Moor was in the midst of his show involving all sorts of strange card tricks. I arrived in the middle of a trick where Dinty claimed that this was a mind reader convention and that everyone but the volunteer was a mind reader. Were we seeing the card the volunteer picked?

There was also a bit about English duels, and Dinty worked a card trick into that one as well. 

I then arrived at the Maypole where Thomas Bodley was gathering a group together for the Ghost Tour. We had a pre tour chat about the history of the Maypole (I was there the day the Maypole was found lying on its side one morning), and also theories about the disappearance of the Kissing Bridge. I repeated a few I'd heard, and thought the one he'd be the most interested in was the one about water from the Cursing Well (outside the Museum of Unnatural History) finding its way to the pond and cursing the bridge. 

Soon, the Ghost Tour itself began with a ghost story involving the Maypole and the ghost that'd been sighted there. The tour moved on to the Coin Pavilion, where Bodley gave the history of the coin press machine, and what it was used for before the coin press. The Lyric Stage has a number of ghost stories attached to it, but the ghostly organist is likely not the cause of unnatural sensations toward the rear of the audience (that ghost is more likely to haunt the stage in Bodley's opinion), but there may be other ghosts there with their sad backstory. The tour continued with stops at Thor's Hammer and the Nut booth adjacent to it, the vicinity of the Market Stage, and the former site of the Kissing Bridge. Both the bridge and the pond have some ghastly stories attached to it, and just where did the skulls at the Museum of Unnatural History come from?

We then moved to the vicinity of the Chapel and the Dragon Inn, where Bodley told of a number of stories, explaining why the Rogues (and other bands) don't play at the Dragon Inn anymore (in more recent years, the pipe bands and such have moved on to the Market Stage and the Boar's Head), and also how the privies near the Joust Arena are the LEAST popular privies in the Village (due to the sun and all), as well as telling a ghastly story about the big privy with a very good moral to it. We also were told that the Chapel Graveyard is a small one, and most people around there are not rich enough or pious enough to be buried in a churchyard like that. 

Eventually, we were led to the most haunted place in the village, the Boardwalk and Mary's Dale Way, beyond which are the swamps possibly haunted by the ghosts of those who couldn't afford to be buried in the churchyard. Later in the day, the Danse Macabre parade will sing and dance for the spirits. Bodley concluded with a few more stories from Revel Grove's history, such as a possible sighting of the ghost of Eleanor Yaxley (who passed on some time around 1520 in a strange sheep shearing accident; Mayor Francis Yaxley married Imogen a year or so after Imogen's other romantic interest, Peter Podgy, left the village under strange circumstances and never returned). After Millie Appleton (who bears a resemblance to Imogen) sighted the ghost, Bodley's friend Heinrich Agrippa investigated. As far as Bodley knows, this ghost hasn't appeared in Revel Grove since then, and may have either moved on to the next life or followed the Yaxleys to their activities in Europe. 

Over on Kenwood Lane, Benison Bardwell did a wonderful set mixing humorous songs with some love songs and philosophical songs. He started with his rendition of the darkly comedic "Irish Ballad", that song about a maid who didn't have her family long, and the bizarre fates that befell each of them. And then there was "Unfortunate Man", the story of the lawyer Mr. Clay who was not very competent as a lawyer and was easily deceived by the wealthy old maid he married. And then there was "Elma Turl", which is a variation of the story told in "Johnny Be Fair". However, he does know some gentler love songs, such as "Red is the Rose".

He then followed with "The Door to the Garden", which celebrates the return of a wonderful garden that has returned to life, and the joy and wonder it brings. It's one of my personal favorites of his original songs, with lyrics that certainly resonate with me. Another original song of his that's a favorite followed, "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own". We returned to the comedic with "La Dee Dah", a song about a man who had a most unusual predicament for much of his life. He closed the set with a heartfelt song wishing everyone well.

I soon made my way over to the Gatehouse Stage, in time for the latter portion of the Bad Idea Variety Show, so named because Doug Stafford does a lot of things in the show that are a bad idea to try, but does so anyway for the purposes of entertainment. Such as doing a straitjacket escape stunt while on a see saw board, or combining juggling shocky sticks with a fantasy TV and movie inspired disc. 

I stayed at the Gatehouse for Village Court, which as usual had Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave presiding as judge, with Bailiff George Grimm and Margery Malagrave, Professional Mourner and petty constable as the lawyers arguing the case, Hugh MacGregor as the stenographer, and Fortune Blunt as the bard providing the Village Court jingle and the occasional other musical cues. 

Sunday's Village Court began with Hugh MacGregor writing "Reggie Rocks" on his chalkboard. The crowd chanted it, and Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave thought it was spontaneous until he saw the chalkboard.

In any case, Case one involved a young person who admitted to destroying a tree in order to support his family (of beads in his pocket). Margery Malagrave took the defense, saying that her client bravely fought the tree to protect the family. When further questioned, the client said it was a small shin height tree, and the client drop kicked it. Grimm on the opposing side said he was appalled by this disrespect, but Margery said her client did it for the good of all. In the end, the client was found guilty.

Case two had a client admitting to the citation that she was using questionable language and insulting Grimm's pencil (and Grimm insisted that it is not a euphemism). Grimm said that the pencil was large enough to write citations. Margery, meanwhile, said that the event in question happened during the excitement early in the day and there was so much noise children couldn't hear anything. In the end, the lady went free.

Case three involved a pink hatted woman who was cited for being in possession of an unlicensed velociraptor (who was not present). Margery (in her role as a petty constable) wrote the citation in question, fearing the client brought the raptor she was riding to cause trouble. (At this point, I realized that the client was likely riding one of those inflatable velociraptors I've occasionally seeing people riding, which also explained the raptor's absence). In the end, the client was found guilty of dino sore.

Since others have brought it up, I'll admit that we had a few unusually noisy people in the crowd, but Reginald Waldegrave did a great job at doing his duties as a judge and maintaining order, and thankfully things went pretty smoothly after the third case. 

Case 4 involved a young girl charging someone for throwing a banana peel on the ground. Though (as Bailiff Grimm noted) this is a classic comedy bit, some would say that it's making a mess. The case quickly became about whether it's right or wrong to do such a thing, with Grimm taking the position that it's funny. He then did an imitation of the classic comedy pratfall. But in the end, the young girl won the case against banana peels.

Case 5 had a woman citing the storyline for not being resolved. In particular, she wanted to know how the whole 'Sir Richard Mondes claims Hugh MacGregor is squatting in his house' storyline turned out, but basically that storyline (and Reginald's engagement to Millie and the offer he'd received from the Duke of Norfolk) were left unresolved after the Royal Welcome and not brought up again in any shows. 

Grimm took the side of resolution, saying "It's not about what the conclusion is. It's about the fact that we deserve a conclusion." He said that the story about the Mayor's house has been going on since 1535 and it's now 1539 so we've been dealing with it for four years.

 (Well, as Revel Grove Historian, I'd like to note that while Hugh MacGregor and Sir Richard Mondes had their disputes in 1534 and 1536, Sir Richard Mondes was Mayor then and the timeline of just when the house in question was built probably plays a factor into it. When Sir Richard Mondes moved to bigger projects in 1537, Hugh MacGregor became Mayor and probably regardless of whose land the house was built on, felt it was okay to move in to that house). 

Margery, meanwhile, was on the side of ambiguity, asking who remembers the events of the Royal Welcome (besides the Historian of Revel Grove). She represented those who just came to drink and be merry and such. It was then that Reginald Waldegrave turned to the audience/jury for their verdict. Is the audience invested in the storyline, or are they just here for beer and a good time? (I think most people reading this probably guessed which way I decided). 

The verdict? Reginald said "You the people, by a narrow majority, are invested in the story and want to know how it ends." At this point, Hugh MacGregor wrote on his chalkboard "Is this canon?" 

We moved to Case 6 (which Hugh MacGregor referred to on his chalkboard as "One does not simply walk into Village Court"). The plaintiff claimed that Faramir stole his wardrobe. It was noted by both Hugh and Margery that Boromir was Denethor's favorite, and that might have played a factor in the motivation. In the end, I think the case was found in favor of the plaintiff. 

And so Village Court concluded, and I think all in all it was still a fun session, with the second half going a lot smoother than the first. The nod to classic slapstick, the unexpected bringing up of the storyline, and the Faramir cases were all very entertaining cases indeed.

I caught up with the later Ghost Tour as Bodley was telling visitors about the Feywood and the beliefs about the fey. The tour then went down the hill to the vicinity of the ship, which Bodley believes might have been the ship described in song and story, the Dark Lady. And then he led the tour to Mary's Dale Way and the most haunted place in the village. 

Some time afterward, the Village Ensemble, featuring Sir Richard Mondes, Nell Quickly, the Vagabonds, the Revel Grove Dance Company, and more arrived for the Dance Macabre parade, where they calm and welcome the spirits haunting the place with the most welcoming song they know, "Come and Be Welcome". The King himself joined the parade, which moved from the area near the Wall past Skapa Leather, Half Moon Cloaks, Crosewls Magic Shop, Little Empire, Wayward Designs, Ancient Divination, Iron Antler Forge, and more until it reached the food area near the Royal Pavilion. 

After the conclusion of the Parade, the King announced that he has chosen his new bride, Anna of Cleves, and that there's still more to do this day, mentioning the STREETSpeare scene at the Pavilion in a few minutes, the Joust, and of course Pub Sing at 5:45. 

I made my way back to the White Hart Tavern, and returned just as Rattlin Bog was beginning. I soon found out that in Sunday's Wildest Rover Singing Competition, the Worst Place Award went to the Freaks on the Left, the Participation Award went to the Relatively Normal People on the Right, and the Wildest Rover trophy went to the Relatively Normal People on the Right.

Anyway, inspired by Daisy O'Danny, Earl was the first new word added to the progression after 'bed from a feather'. From that point on, the Hooligans had to take turns adding new words to the progression and singing the progression and seeing if they can get it right. When they mess up - and they WILL mess up - the gong sounds. It continues until one is left in the Rattlin Bog competition.

The first new word added after 'Earl' was 'Feather', and when one adds an additional feather (or an additional next, branch, limb, etcetera), that's certainly going to make things difficult. From there, we got Beak and Tick before Matt was gonged, and tooth before Kelso was gonged. John Dickson Wakefield stated that he had the feeling that Patrick was going to be the last one, and was surprised when he got his progression right. Then Patrick was gonged, and John Dickson Wakefield was the last one remaining in the competition. However, he stumbled on the last progression (as this was a very difficult one), so the Rattlin Bog medal went into purgatory. 

Pub Sing followed soon after, with "Health to the Company". We then had the Adventurers with "Wellerman" (and some impressive low notes from John). Following, we had the Vagabonds with the upbeat "Old Black Rum". After the Host Toast came Idle Fancies with "Love and Freedom", an upbeat love song. 

We had a special treat afterward, as Margery Malagrave made her Pub Sing debut, inspired by a certain Hildegard's 'bardcore' version of "Pink Pony Inn". We moved into more traditional territory with Sir Richard Mondes and company performing the Irish classic (the shorter version, anyway), "Paddy Murphy". The Weyward Sisters were next with "Irish Eyes". This was followed by Alys Overdun who performed a version of the traditional "Spanish Lady" with some new lyrics. And then it was time for Last Call.

Columbina made her return to Pub Sing with "Three Jolly Coachmen", or as some know it, "Come landlord fill the flowing bowl until it doth run over". Next up was Bardwin the Bard with "Excursion Around the Bay", about a couple's trip around the bay where something goes wrong. Nan Rash got the pub clapping with "Cuckoo Bird", followed by the Weyward Sisters with their version of "Cuckoo's Nest". 

John took the stage for a short joke, only to remain on stage with the Vagabonds as they sang "One Last Drink". And then the Adventurers were next with "Yo Ho Ho", and the whole Ensemble got together for "Westering Home". 

After that, it was time for the softer and slower songs. Nell Quickly had a new song, a happy love song this time, "Claddagh Walk". For the penultimate song, the Vagabonds returned for that emotional song of parting, "Bring on the Starlight". There weren't many dry eyes in the house at that one. I found myself teary mid-way through, as did a great many. 

Pub Sing concluded with "Wild Mountain Thyme", and then Nell Quickly's well-wishes and advice (to pick up bits of trash, and to drink plenty of water), and inviting us to return again next time for another edition of Pub Sing.

I then made my way to the Main Gate, seeing Temperance Belowe and her sign along the way. I met with Gwendolyn, Knuckles, and Captain Nobeard at the fountain as they made their farewells. Temperance Belowe showed up again, telling the crowd that the day is over and if they're still seeking fun they'd best find it elsewhere. 

Hugh MacGregor showed me the results of the Exit Poll, involving various animals including a famous one. It was a fun little bit.

After exchanging farewells, I made my way through the gate as the moon was shining over the field at the entrance and the parking lot. 

Well, the Seventh Weekend is over now, and it had a lot of wonderful, amazing moments. There was laughter, tears, and just plain awesome moments. It's hard to believe that there's only two weekends left of the season now. But I'm looking forward to being there for them. Until then, this is my recap for the Seventh Weekend.

Sunday, September 28th, 2025 MDRF Sixth Weekend

Sunday of the Sixth Weekend of the 2025 season was the Sunday of Romance Weekend. The weather was mostly sunny, and no raining except the reigning of the king. Before the official start to the Gate Show, Hugh, Millie, Reginald Waldegrave and Bailiff Grimm gathered at the area atop the gate, and citations were tossed at the Vagabonds below. 

Soon, the King and the Royal Court arrived, and Millie was overzealous in introducing their guest, Hans Holbein, the King's painter. It was announced that Hans Holbein would be presenting portraits of possible brides for the king at the Gatehouse Stage. Soon after that, the King made his speech, and the cannon sounded.

Once inside the gate, the Bayfield Brass could be heard welcoming people with their set at the Gatehouse Stage. I then made my way to the Maypole area where Hugh MacGregor, Beatrice, and Millie had Entry Polls with questions fitting the theme of Romance Weekend. One of the polls was about possible replacements for the Kissing Bridge. 

After the Morning Dance, I wandered the village, finding myself at Mary's Dale Way outside Little Empire, the gaming store. Digger Plotts was outside, playing his shovel guitar, and telling the story of the origin of the shovel guitar. 

I also chatted with Louie at Little Empire and mentioned the chalkboard 'dice jail' joke at Village Court, which I knew Louie would appreciate since 'dice jails' are among the gaming supplies Little Empire sells. 

At the Cottage Stage, Lady Prudence performed her first set of the day. Of course she has songs for every occasion, with a wide variety of subjects. One that fit with Romance Weekend is "Courting Song". A song of travel and adventure is "Rambling Rover", for which she wrote a few new verses. Then there was "Green Fields of France", a sad song about the consequences of war. On a lighter note was the parody song, "Burn the Bodice". And then, to show that Eric Bogle (writer of sad war songs such as the above-mentioned "Green Fields of France") also wrote other types of songs, she gave us "The Sound of Singing".

I arrived at the White Hart Tavern in the midst of the Langer's Ball set, where a fast paced tune set was being played. Afterwards came "Rivers Run Free", one of the slower songs The Langer's Ball sometimes performs to show that yes, they do know a few softer and slower songs. They followed it up with "Do It All Again", a fast-paced Langer's Ball original.

In the pathways not far from the Royal Fox Theatre, I encountered Hugh MacGregor and George Grimm. Apparently, Hugh MacGregor, as current Mayor of Revel Grove, is concerned about his physical fitness and has asked George Grimm to help him. Moll Frith of the Vagabonds showed up to challenge Hugh to an arm-wrestling contest, which Frith won. Hugh then attempted squatting a few times. 

Then Hugh was carried through Kenwood Lane by Grimm and Frith. Those seeing this part out of context probably were wondering why this was happening, but it apparently was meant to help Hugh stretch. At one point to me, it seemed like tug-of-war with Hugh as the rope. Eventually, they settled at the other end of Kenwood Lane near the fruit stand. 

I caught the tail end of Les S. Moore's 'Oops! All Danger' show at the Gatehouse, where he had the banner out about how the audience prefers safety precautions and demonstrated a few safety precautions with a volunteer before doing one more 'held flowers being whipped' bit.

In the pathway near the Maypole, Kristin Rebecca performed both harp and vocals. She performed a beautiful version of the 'Two Sisters' song (a dark story about the terrible deed one sister does to the other, and how it eventually comes back to haunt her), as well as a few traditional tunes. 

Back at the Gatehouse Stage, Bard City performed their set, and they did their song about problem players (the sort who lack awareness of how much their in-game actions annoy the DM and other players), "Why Does No One Want to Play". Next was "Friendship", about all the spoils that adventuring parties obtain from their exploring dungeons and defeating various monsters, and the power of friendship. Daisy O'Danny helped them out a bit with a technical issue, and as a reward was presented with a huge green rubber chicken that looked like a green cousin of her usual yellow rubber chicken sidekick Earl. After this guest spot concluded, Bard City sang their song about a wizard who decided to chill out and live on the coast. 

And then Bard City guitarist Onion took lead vocals on the song about what the protagonist believes is a mimic, but Varrick and the others in the band are not sure. This time, a volunteer rolled the giant inflatable 20-sided die, and it was 18 perception. Onion was therefore forced to confront the truth about the supposed mimic. 

Over at the Boar's Head, Reveler's Rulette began with Mal Rose's song dedicated to the Boar's Head, and the toast. And then either Lottie Grimm or Morta Weyward took the stage with the innocently titled song "Rosemary" whose storyline is a lot darker than the title would indicate (it's about a woman whose man runs off with another woman, and the dark consequences). Next was Mistress Anna with an enthuiastic song and dance with "Nothing You Can Take From Me". Lottie Grimm again took the stage, this time with a romantic song about senses from a well-known songwriter. Dottie Grimm was next with a song from much much farther back, the traditional Scottish folk song "Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair". 

Nan Rash, by now well-known for her big up-tempo songs, sang a song fitting for Romance Weekend, "He's Fine", with lyrics modified to reference Revel Grove and Tiddington. And then Cecily Payne was next with "When You Come Home Again."

I returned to the Gatehouse Stage just as Shakespeare Approves was finishing the 'Macbeth: Death by Fluffy Kittens' show. It's one of many Shakespeare Approves comedic takes on Shakespeare plays, complete with a few audience volunteers directed by Your Friendly Neighborhood Shakespeare.

Next on the Gatehouse Stage was Bard City. They started the set with the dramatic enactment of what happens when "A Level Three Party Accidentally Breaks Into the Lair of a Beholder", done in a manner that makes it clear even to those who've never heard of a Beholder that a Beholder can be pretty terrifying, especially to those who aren't ready to deal with it. Afterward was "Roll That Die" - unfortunately, I didn't take note of the results this time, but if I recall correctly, the caper worked but the romance ended in failure. 

Next up was a song about how some players get overly cautious, possibly after venturing into one trap-filled dungeon too many designed by DMs who rely on traps too much, titled "Check For Traps". After two more or less laid back songs, the first being "Humble Fisherman" and the second about a necromancer, Bard City moved on to the moral quandaries that can arise after parties who fail perception checks rush into action not understanding the situation with "Are We the Bad Guys?". 

Back at the White Hart Tavern, Poehemia performed traditional songs such as "Some Say the Devil is Dead" and "Paddy Murphy", before moving on to "Drunken Lullabies", a song about the Irish conflicts and how  people find themselves stuck in a seemingly endless cycle. Next up was "Life of a Privateer", a song inspired by conflicts on another continent entirely. Next up was "Leaving of Liverpool" followed by a version of "Drunken Sailor" that included a big drum solo towards the end, and then "Tell Me Ma".

Over at the Reveler's Bower, the funny and informative Midwife Crisis show told of a midwife's role and how pregnancy and childbirth was handled centuries ago. 

I stayed for the STREETSpeare scene from Marriage a la Mode, where Melantha is dealing with her arranged marriage to Palamede. It's part of the set of five STREETSpeares presented by the Company of Women.

Next was Lady Prudence's final set for this MDRF season. We started with a dance tune played on a pipe, with the audience invited to clap along. Then we had the moving and sad "Bonny Portmore", lamenting the loss of a forest. After a light and cheerful song about food, there was time for two more songs. One was a farewell song, "Merry Meet Again". As a bonus, we had the loud and proud "My Mother's Savage Daughter", about a girl's not caring what people think of her eccentricities ("I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice"). 

I then made my way to the Gatehouse Stage, in time to see Bard City performing "Friendship", followed by "Thank the gods that we have a cleric", about how a cleric can be very useful indeed in saving members of the party from messes that could have brought their adventure to an abrupt end. 

Next on the Gatehouse Stage was Village Court. The first case was a man cited for seeking crime and punishment. Bailiff Grimm stated that he himself seeks crime and dispenses punishment. Margery, meanwhile, had issues with the man stating her court title incorrectly (for the record, in Village Court and such, Margery Malagrave is acting as a petty constable. And not everything a petty constable does is pretty).

After Margery stated her objections despite the mistaken version of her title possibly being intended to be a compliment, the audience/jury was invited to rule with the thumbs up/thumbs down. In the end, the citation stood.

Case Two involved Mistress Day of the Revel Grove Dance Company arguing a citation given by Margery Malagrave AND picking Margery to defend her. This meant that Margery had to argue against her own citation, and state that she was jealous of Mistress Day's talents.

Case Three involved a young woman putting rats on trial for spreading the plague. Grimm cited a number of tragic events related to the plage. Margery said that the rats are not at fault and don't mean to be diseased. They don't know what they're doing and are not intentionally spreading the plague. The case was decided in favor of the rats.

Case 4 involved a young woman being cited for being dashedly handsome. Margery theorized that the client was taking a compliment meant for a certain man in her life, while Grimm stated the citation was written for her. In the end, the couple were both found too attractive.

Case 5 had a man saying "I came here to drink but my friends insisted I see Shakespeare". Grimm argued on the side of the drinker, while Margery argued on the side of Shakespeare, stating that Shakespeare is the through line of the Renaissance. Well, different people come for different reasons, I suppose. This was a close one, if I recall correctly, as some (such as myself) voted in favor of Shakespeare, while others voted that the Bard is overrated.

Case 6 featured a character who Hugh MacGregor's chalkboard referred to as 'Serious Satyr' saying Fortune Blunt was creating too much joy for court. Margery Malagrave defended the satyr, while Bailiff Grimm was not only defending Fortune Blunt, but Village Court itself. 

"This is no serious court. This is a court of silliness. This is a court of frivolity. This is a court of whimsy.", Grimm said. In the end, the jury/audience voted nearly unanimously in favor of silliness, frivolity and whimsy. This would include me, as I certainly believe that the silliness, frivolity and whimsy is a great part of the fun of Village Court.

Well, they were running low on time but it's pretty hard to top a case where the show basically defended its own whimsy, so that was the last case for Sunday's edition of what Reginald Waldegrave always refers to as "the Michaelmas session of Village Court". Reginald then noted that it seemed to be Michaelmas every day.

(This of course leads me to wonder: The 19 days of Michaelmas? Would that make for a good song?)

Over at the Lyric Stage, the Revel Grove Dance Company were performing Prospero's masque from the Tempest as part of the grand STREETSpeare project. We also had Mistress Day give the classic "Our revels now have ended" speech, which at MDRF is usually saved for the last day of the season. 

Over at the Bubble Cart, a certain Bubble Fairy was celebrating Anna of Cleves' being chosen as the next Queen of England by demonstrating some bubble magic to Anna and Amalia of Cleves. Said Bubble Fairy noted that no, those bubbles won't encircle anyone and carry them off because Glinda hasn't told her how to make that work. 

Back at the Gatehouse Stage, Shakespeare Approves - Your Friendly, Neighbourhood Shakespeare was in action as Your Friendly Neighborhood Shakespeare (after the warmup bit where he makes a few jokes related to nursery rhymes) performed "Romeo and Juliet: Flying Implement of Doom edition" with the help of some audience volunteers. The Flying Implement of Doom is a silly bit of deus ex machina (or perhaps in this case Diabolus Ex Machina) substituting for certain items that in the original play spelled doom for Mercutio, Tybalt, the stray letter, and ultimately Romeo and Juliet. Your Friendly Neighborhood Shakespeare directs the audience volunteers while commenting along the way about the combination of poor decisions and communication failures that lead to the play's ending in this comedic retelling of Shakespeare's classic.

On the way to the White Hart, I chatted with Gwendolyn of The Gwendolyn Show, mentioning that I was glad that I saw the 'all the fairy tales mixed into one' show last weekend before I saw Village Court later that day, since Gwendolyn's Village Court appearance revolved around an unanswered question from that show and therefore the show was still fresh in my mind. This helped me to understand and appreciate that case better.

Pub Sing began with "Health to the Company" and the traditional toasting. The Adventurers were next with the audience participation favorite, "Roll the Old Chariot Along". They were followed by Idle Fancies with "Love and Freedom". After the Host Toast with special guest host John, we had the welcome return of the Brocades with an Isley Brothers-inspired arrangement of "Chandler's Wife".  

John then joined the other hosts for "Country Life". This was followed by the Vagabonds with "Oak and Ash and Thorn". After that upbeat uptempo song, the Weyward Sisters were next with the tall tale of "The Widow and the Devil". Sir Richard Mondes and company were next with the traditional Celtic song, "Two Recruitin' Sergeants", shortly before Last Call.

John then took the stage, performing a spirited rendition of "Tom Paine's Bones" (a song about a conflict between a writer/philosopher and a king from another era). Others in the Ensemble joined in on the harmonies, creating an amazing experience. We then moved to something completely different with Jack Ripley and the Ripley Rumba dance, and then moved on to something completely different with Idle Fancies and "Johnny Sands".

The Vagabonds were next, as Nan Rash sang lead vocals on "Courtin in the Kitchen" (which fits in with Romance Weekend as it's about an attempt at romance that goes terribly wrong). Next up the Tavern Twins Nell Quickly and Alys Overdun performed "Beer, Beer, Beer", the song that erroneously credits Charlie Mopps for the invention of beer. The Adventurers performed the sea shanty "Row Me Bully Boys", and were followed by the Weyward Sisters with "Mile Magnificent", an upbeat song that the Weyward Sisters haven't performed in a while.

As Pub Sing moved into the slower and softer portion, the Vagabonds took the stage to perform another song appropriate for Romance Weekend, "The Keys to Canterbury". Next up was Alys Overdun with a song about a lady whose love went out to sea and has yet to be heard from again, "The Boatman". And Pub Sing concluded with "Wild Mountain Thyme".

On the way to the Main Gate, I spoke with Beef Jerky Guy about the cosplayers we saw today. Not only were there a large amount of Lord Farquaads, but it seems most of the more popular Shrek characters have been cosplayed. We're still puzzling over how Lord Farquaad became such a trend. 

I also saw the Romance Weekend themed Exit Poll from Hugh MacGregor along the way, as various ensemble members bid us farewell until next time.

Well, it's hard to believe, but weekend six of the 2025 season is already behind us. However, we still have three more weekends to look forward to, where we'll be seeing sämäs, Hilby, Puke and Snot, the Bad Idea Variety Show, Temperance Belowe, and the Hunters of the Unruly Dead. Until then, this concludes my recap for Sunday of Romance Weekend.