Sarasota Medieval Fair set for next three weekends

If you’re in the mood to take in a joust, a human chess match and maybe down a flagon of mead or two, November is the month for you.

The Sarasota Medieval Fair returns to Ringling Woods, the area behind the Sarasota Fairgrounds, for the next three weekends. The woods come to life with anachronistic food, games, costumes and general merriment Saturdays and Sundays, rain or shine, through Nov. 19.

It’s mostly the same old — very old — kind of thing that makes this fair, and other medieval and renaissance fairs around the country, enduringly popular. But this year’s fair has some new elements.

A “pub crawl” allows revelers to explore the festival while making rotating stops at the three main pubs to sample 10 beers, three kinds of wines, and four meads, accompanied by one of the village’s most colorful characters. There are two pub crawls each day, and tickets are $35.

The theme for this year’s fair is “The Ancient British Legend of Young King Arthur.” According to the fair’s website, “the grandeur of ancient British and Welsh legend and lore is brought to life through the eyes of the fabled master of Wizardry and Wit, the Magical and Mysterious Merlin the Enchanter, who re-creates the exciting and dramatic story of how young Arthur came to be one of the most celebrated kings in history.”

Details: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 4-19, Ringling Woods, (behind the Sarasota Fairgrounds), 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. $17.95 plus service charge for adults, $15.95 plus service charge seniors and military, $8.95 plus service charge children 5-12. Season pass $52.95, plus service charge. sarasotamedievalfair.com.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Sarasota Medieval Fair set for next three weekends."