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chris_lang_mdrfAnd so on Saturday August 29th, 2026, another season of the Maryland Renaissance Festival officially began. But not just any season: This happens to be the 50th Anniversary season of the festival. To mark the occasion, banners stating the year's status as the 50th year decorate the Main Gate and the Globe Theater stage, and various signs featuring pictures from the faire's past have been placed throughout the village.
The 50th Anniversary was also acknowledged in the Opening Gate show, where Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave and Mayor Hugh MacGregor noted that it was the 50th anniversary of the village's annual harvest festival. The new Queen, Anna of Cleves, arrived ahead of the King, accompanied by Sir Richard Rich (a prominent figure during the reign of three Tudor monarchs). Both were pleased with the Village and the preparations for the festival. And then King Henry arrived on horseback (the Village Ensemble having helped to clear the path for His Majesty and the Royal Court), and greeted everyone. He, too, acknowledged the 50th Anniversary as he concluded his speech.
Soon, the Gates opened and it was time for the festival day to begin. I made my way inside, saying hello to friends from previous seasons, and obtained the schedules from the Guest Services Pavilion. As usual, Hugh MacGregor and Millie had their Entry Poll. In honor of it being a new year with a new Queen, the first poll question revolved around "Who's your favorite Anne?" (Note, 'Boleyn' was crossed out and replaced with 'of Cleves').
Soon, the King and the Court arrived, and it was time for the Morning Dance. Many in the Village Ensemble, joined by a few members of Court, did their dance in a circle around the Maypole. Afterward, King Henry thanked former Mayor Richard Mondes and current Mayor Hugh MacGregor for their hosting the Harvest Festival for the past several years, much as the previous Mayors did before them.
Before I continue, I'd like to add that there were a few pleasant breezes on Saturday which helped make Opening Day pretty nice, weather-wise. I still of course made sure to have plenty of water to drink. The following Sunday had more humidity, but that's a story for another writeup.
Anyway, I arrived at the White Hart Tavern for the Hooligans' hangover set. The hangover set is the 10:30 am set where they focus on the slower or softer songs and ballads, gradually easing audiences still waking up into the day ahead where there will be plenty of faster paced and upbeat music. The Hooligans continued their running joke of being the first performers to perform 'Wild Mountain Thyme' that day, as they began the set with what is usually a concluding song. The Hooligans engaged in their witty banter, acknowledging both John Kelso's birthday and the 50th Anniversary of MDRF. They also noted the new food court section near the White Hart which they considered to be a fourth White Hart audience section (though this did not become relevant until Sunday's Wildest Rover Singing Competition).
Music wise, the set also featured "Back Home in Derry", "Caledonia", and the soft lullaby "Blue is the Eye". The set concluded with what I think is, for the Hooligans, a new song, "I Remember the Fallen", or "Bones in the Ocean". It's a about a sailor reflecting on those lost at sea and how ultimately, their wish is for the sailor is not to obsess over his crewmates' untimely end but to honor them by going on with his life on shore.
I then headed to the Globe Theatre stage to see the Queen of Hoops perform her hula hoop filled show where she finds several imaginative uses for the hoops. In addition to spinning them in all sorts of places, she also uses them for juggling, visual storytelling, and illustrative purposes. In this particular show, she worked in a bit she'd been working on in the lanes the previous season, where she and an audience volunteer spin a giant hoop around them. As always, she brought in more hoops as the show progressed, culminating in the grand finale involving two audience volunteers and a very large number of hoops to spin.
I then made my way to the White Hart Tavern where Bone & String were performing their noon set. I arrived in the midst of "Heart of Oak", a song for the British Navy dating back to 1759. They then followed with a Bone & String original, "Herring Bay" about a bay within a bay. Next was a favorite of certain Revel Grove residents, "Country Life".
Next was a song about a sailor's bad experience, "Can't You Dance the Polka." The set featured another Bone & String original, "Meet You in Gravesend", about a town in Kent, England on the south bank of the river Thames. They concluded with the traditional "Old Maui."
On this weekend, a number of acts that hadn't performed at MDRF in many years were making return appearances, and I made sure to go and see them on Saturday. First was Robin and Marian, who I believe last performed at MDRF in the 2017 season. At the Fortune Stage, they performed their 'Saint George and the Dragon' show, telling the story with the assistance of some audience volunteers. A fun little family friendly show.
Next, I made my way to the nearby Blackfriars Stage to see Broon. It has been over 25 years since Broon last performed at MDRF, so I was looking forward to seeing him. The comedian/juggler/variety performer told a few stories of his history, and did a few card tricks where it was difficult to tell whether he was performing them straight or parodying card tricks. He also did a bit he's been doing for many years, where he brings out a bowling ball that will later be used in a juggling bit with items of different weight, such as an apple and a machete.
Next up on the Blackfriars Stage was the 25th Anniversary of Fight School. For those unfamiliar with Fight School, it's a fun-filled show where Dash Rippington, Hamish Stuart, Captain Romero, and Nymblewicke demonstrate combat with different types of swords, at both 'slow speed' and 'fight speed'. Along the way, there's plenty of silly jokes and pop culture references. As they hadn't performed Fight School in eight years, they did a question and answer bit at the start, before moving into the show proper.
They proved their timing and comedy is still just as good as ever, with many jokes from the old Fight School making their return (some of them pop culture references that had gotten stale but cycled back into being relevant again). They updated some of their old material as well. For example, there was a reference to a popular video platform replacing a reference to a once-popular camera. All in all, a triumphant return for Fight School.
Afterward, I made my way over to the Gatehouse Stage for Bardy Pardy's set there, arriving in time for the conclusion of 'Don Gato'. Next was a new, for Bardy Pardy, song "Johnny be Fair", about a young lady's troubles in finding a suitable future husband. Then came the story song "Outlandish Knight", about how a young woman thwarted the plans of a wicked man. Molly O'Flaherty noted that Ireland has it share of ghost stories, leading in to "Molly Malone". They concluded the set with a beautiful rendition of "Beggars to God."
I then made my way through Revel Grove to the White Hart Tavern, and saw the latter part of Bone & String's set, which included "Hundred Years Ago (Eastern Shore)" and another Bone & String original, "Road to Clifton."
The Queen's Players, along with Nan Rash and Anne Stanhope Seymour, performed an improv game near Potomac Leather, where one reads a paper giving a question or a scenario, and the others improvise a bit with the premise. One bit was "How do you signal the end of the day if the cannon is broken?", leading to a few suggestions, including one that the King actually used in the 2018 season.
Over at the Market Stage, Vixens En Garde performed their 'Hamlet' show, complete with a puppet to help with the large cast of characters.
At the nearby Boars Head Tavern, Bardy Pardy began their set with the short version of 'Paddy Murphy'. After 'Bonny Ship the Diamond' came a new original song inspired by pipe bands, "There Are No Bagpipes In This Song'. They moved back to a song they've known for years as Tallulah Tattersly sang lead on "Cheshire Kitten". After 'Fields of Athenry' came another new song, this one about the various reasons people might have to leave Faire early. They closed the set with their version of a popular 'bard' adaptation of a modern song, "Pink Pony Inn" (the setting being adapted to a medieval or Renaissance setting).
At the White Hart Tavern, the Hooligans were performing their late afternoon audience participation set. I arrived in the midst of "Finnegans Wake", before they began the Wildest Rover Singing Competition. The Relatively Normal People on the Right won the Wildest Rover trophy, though possibly because it was a special bit of circumstances honoring a long-time Relatively Normal regular. Afterward came 'Rattlin Bog', where they add new words to the progression and see which of them can make it through the entire progression without messing up. With some new words inspired by a certain Dolly, they gave a good effort, only for no one to end up winning the Rattlin Bog medal.
After that, it was time for Pub Sing, which began with "Health to the Company". The Vagabonds were next with "Old Black Rum". Next were the Weyward Sisters with 'Beigh Anorach', a song about a very different fair at County Claire, and the hopes and dreams of a girl. The Adventurers had a new song, "Tilbury Town." After the Host Toast came the Brocades with the Faire classic "I'll Tell Me Ma".
The ensemble got together for "Yarmouth Town", followed by the Tavern Twins with their version of "Whiskey in the Jar". Nan Rash got the whole house clapping with "Cuckoo Bird". Afterward, the Adventurers' Captain Red Beans did a whale song before the Adventurers performed a song featuring people who go around pursuing whales, "The Wellerman". Soon it was time for Last Call, and Aoife O'Neill (who is back for the whole run this year) performed the short and sweet "Humours of Whiskey".
Sir Richard Mondes and company performed the short version of "Paddy Murphy". Then Jack Ripley performed his version of "Old Dun Cow", with a special tribute to Dolly worked in. Tommy Crommy (bearing a resemblance to Thomas Cromwell) and company performed "Maid of Amsterdam", while Idle Fancies performed "Doodles". The Adventurers performed "Retirement Song", which is about the reasons why a sailor might decide to settle down on land. The Vagabonds were next with a new song, "Home For A Rest". The Weyward Sisters also had a new song, "Moon Dance."
Soon Pub Sing was in the soft and sentimental portion. Sir Richard Mondes performed the longtime favorite, "Blowed and Torn", and the entire company got together for "Wild Mountain Thyme." Afterward, the Jammer Clan played the tune "Kellbourn Brewer" as Sir Richard gave a few parody messages.
All in all, a wonderful start to the 50th season of MDRF. Sunday would have some more humidity, but would still be enjoyable nonetheless, but that's a story for the next recap.
The 50th Anniversary was also acknowledged in the Opening Gate show, where Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave and Mayor Hugh MacGregor noted that it was the 50th anniversary of the village's annual harvest festival. The new Queen, Anna of Cleves, arrived ahead of the King, accompanied by Sir Richard Rich (a prominent figure during the reign of three Tudor monarchs). Both were pleased with the Village and the preparations for the festival. And then King Henry arrived on horseback (the Village Ensemble having helped to clear the path for His Majesty and the Royal Court), and greeted everyone. He, too, acknowledged the 50th Anniversary as he concluded his speech.
Soon, the Gates opened and it was time for the festival day to begin. I made my way inside, saying hello to friends from previous seasons, and obtained the schedules from the Guest Services Pavilion. As usual, Hugh MacGregor and Millie had their Entry Poll. In honor of it being a new year with a new Queen, the first poll question revolved around "Who's your favorite Anne?" (Note, 'Boleyn' was crossed out and replaced with 'of Cleves').
Soon, the King and the Court arrived, and it was time for the Morning Dance. Many in the Village Ensemble, joined by a few members of Court, did their dance in a circle around the Maypole. Afterward, King Henry thanked former Mayor Richard Mondes and current Mayor Hugh MacGregor for their hosting the Harvest Festival for the past several years, much as the previous Mayors did before them.
Before I continue, I'd like to add that there were a few pleasant breezes on Saturday which helped make Opening Day pretty nice, weather-wise. I still of course made sure to have plenty of water to drink. The following Sunday had more humidity, but that's a story for another writeup.
Anyway, I arrived at the White Hart Tavern for the Hooligans' hangover set. The hangover set is the 10:30 am set where they focus on the slower or softer songs and ballads, gradually easing audiences still waking up into the day ahead where there will be plenty of faster paced and upbeat music. The Hooligans continued their running joke of being the first performers to perform 'Wild Mountain Thyme' that day, as they began the set with what is usually a concluding song. The Hooligans engaged in their witty banter, acknowledging both John Kelso's birthday and the 50th Anniversary of MDRF. They also noted the new food court section near the White Hart which they considered to be a fourth White Hart audience section (though this did not become relevant until Sunday's Wildest Rover Singing Competition).
Music wise, the set also featured "Back Home in Derry", "Caledonia", and the soft lullaby "Blue is the Eye". The set concluded with what I think is, for the Hooligans, a new song, "I Remember the Fallen", or "Bones in the Ocean". It's a about a sailor reflecting on those lost at sea and how ultimately, their wish is for the sailor is not to obsess over his crewmates' untimely end but to honor them by going on with his life on shore.
I then headed to the Globe Theatre stage to see the Queen of Hoops perform her hula hoop filled show where she finds several imaginative uses for the hoops. In addition to spinning them in all sorts of places, she also uses them for juggling, visual storytelling, and illustrative purposes. In this particular show, she worked in a bit she'd been working on in the lanes the previous season, where she and an audience volunteer spin a giant hoop around them. As always, she brought in more hoops as the show progressed, culminating in the grand finale involving two audience volunteers and a very large number of hoops to spin.
I then made my way to the White Hart Tavern where Bone & String were performing their noon set. I arrived in the midst of "Heart of Oak", a song for the British Navy dating back to 1759. They then followed with a Bone & String original, "Herring Bay" about a bay within a bay. Next was a favorite of certain Revel Grove residents, "Country Life".
Next was a song about a sailor's bad experience, "Can't You Dance the Polka." The set featured another Bone & String original, "Meet You in Gravesend", about a town in Kent, England on the south bank of the river Thames. They concluded with the traditional "Old Maui."
On this weekend, a number of acts that hadn't performed at MDRF in many years were making return appearances, and I made sure to go and see them on Saturday. First was Robin and Marian, who I believe last performed at MDRF in the 2017 season. At the Fortune Stage, they performed their 'Saint George and the Dragon' show, telling the story with the assistance of some audience volunteers. A fun little family friendly show.
Next, I made my way to the nearby Blackfriars Stage to see Broon. It has been over 25 years since Broon last performed at MDRF, so I was looking forward to seeing him. The comedian/juggler/variety performer told a few stories of his history, and did a few card tricks where it was difficult to tell whether he was performing them straight or parodying card tricks. He also did a bit he's been doing for many years, where he brings out a bowling ball that will later be used in a juggling bit with items of different weight, such as an apple and a machete.
Next up on the Blackfriars Stage was the 25th Anniversary of Fight School. For those unfamiliar with Fight School, it's a fun-filled show where Dash Rippington, Hamish Stuart, Captain Romero, and Nymblewicke demonstrate combat with different types of swords, at both 'slow speed' and 'fight speed'. Along the way, there's plenty of silly jokes and pop culture references. As they hadn't performed Fight School in eight years, they did a question and answer bit at the start, before moving into the show proper.
They proved their timing and comedy is still just as good as ever, with many jokes from the old Fight School making their return (some of them pop culture references that had gotten stale but cycled back into being relevant again). They updated some of their old material as well. For example, there was a reference to a popular video platform replacing a reference to a once-popular camera. All in all, a triumphant return for Fight School.
Afterward, I made my way over to the Gatehouse Stage for Bardy Pardy's set there, arriving in time for the conclusion of 'Don Gato'. Next was a new, for Bardy Pardy, song "Johnny be Fair", about a young lady's troubles in finding a suitable future husband. Then came the story song "Outlandish Knight", about how a young woman thwarted the plans of a wicked man. Molly O'Flaherty noted that Ireland has it share of ghost stories, leading in to "Molly Malone". They concluded the set with a beautiful rendition of "Beggars to God."
I then made my way through Revel Grove to the White Hart Tavern, and saw the latter part of Bone & String's set, which included "Hundred Years Ago (Eastern Shore)" and another Bone & String original, "Road to Clifton."
The Queen's Players, along with Nan Rash and Anne Stanhope Seymour, performed an improv game near Potomac Leather, where one reads a paper giving a question or a scenario, and the others improvise a bit with the premise. One bit was "How do you signal the end of the day if the cannon is broken?", leading to a few suggestions, including one that the King actually used in the 2018 season.
Over at the Market Stage, Vixens En Garde performed their 'Hamlet' show, complete with a puppet to help with the large cast of characters.
At the nearby Boars Head Tavern, Bardy Pardy began their set with the short version of 'Paddy Murphy'. After 'Bonny Ship the Diamond' came a new original song inspired by pipe bands, "There Are No Bagpipes In This Song'. They moved back to a song they've known for years as Tallulah Tattersly sang lead on "Cheshire Kitten". After 'Fields of Athenry' came another new song, this one about the various reasons people might have to leave Faire early. They closed the set with their version of a popular 'bard' adaptation of a modern song, "Pink Pony Inn" (the setting being adapted to a medieval or Renaissance setting).
At the White Hart Tavern, the Hooligans were performing their late afternoon audience participation set. I arrived in the midst of "Finnegans Wake", before they began the Wildest Rover Singing Competition. The Relatively Normal People on the Right won the Wildest Rover trophy, though possibly because it was a special bit of circumstances honoring a long-time Relatively Normal regular. Afterward came 'Rattlin Bog', where they add new words to the progression and see which of them can make it through the entire progression without messing up. With some new words inspired by a certain Dolly, they gave a good effort, only for no one to end up winning the Rattlin Bog medal.
After that, it was time for Pub Sing, which began with "Health to the Company". The Vagabonds were next with "Old Black Rum". Next were the Weyward Sisters with 'Beigh Anorach', a song about a very different fair at County Claire, and the hopes and dreams of a girl. The Adventurers had a new song, "Tilbury Town." After the Host Toast came the Brocades with the Faire classic "I'll Tell Me Ma".
The ensemble got together for "Yarmouth Town", followed by the Tavern Twins with their version of "Whiskey in the Jar". Nan Rash got the whole house clapping with "Cuckoo Bird". Afterward, the Adventurers' Captain Red Beans did a whale song before the Adventurers performed a song featuring people who go around pursuing whales, "The Wellerman". Soon it was time for Last Call, and Aoife O'Neill (who is back for the whole run this year) performed the short and sweet "Humours of Whiskey".
Sir Richard Mondes and company performed the short version of "Paddy Murphy". Then Jack Ripley performed his version of "Old Dun Cow", with a special tribute to Dolly worked in. Tommy Crommy (bearing a resemblance to Thomas Cromwell) and company performed "Maid of Amsterdam", while Idle Fancies performed "Doodles". The Adventurers performed "Retirement Song", which is about the reasons why a sailor might decide to settle down on land. The Vagabonds were next with a new song, "Home For A Rest". The Weyward Sisters also had a new song, "Moon Dance."
Soon Pub Sing was in the soft and sentimental portion. Sir Richard Mondes performed the longtime favorite, "Blowed and Torn", and the entire company got together for "Wild Mountain Thyme." Afterward, the Jammer Clan played the tune "Kellbourn Brewer" as Sir Richard gave a few parody messages.
All in all, a wonderful start to the 50th season of MDRF. Sunday would have some more humidity, but would still be enjoyable nonetheless, but that's a story for the next recap.
