From the Albany Times-Union: Medieval Faire returning
ALBANY —” Judy and Dan Odell have dug their monks’ robes out of the attic, which can only mean one thing.
No, they’re not recycling old Halloween costumes.
After a six-year hiatus, the Medieval Faire is returning to the Cathedral of All Saints on Saturday, Oct. 18.
The vast nave of the 124-year-old Gothic treasure —” it is the fifth-largest cathedral in the nation —” will again echo with the bleat of lambs, the metallic rustle of chain mail and the thrum of wheels spinning yarn.
“After 26 years, we decided it was time to give it a rest, but we had a lot of people asking us to bring it back, so we did,” said Dan Odell, who is co-chairman with his wife.
The Odells are hoping to reach a new audience of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fans after dropping the event in 2002 due to declining attendance. It peaked in the early ’90s with more than 2,000 visitors and a $10,000 influx of cash for the financially struggling Episcopal congregation, whose membership has fallen to about 120 households.
“It’s a lot of fun doing the Medieval Faire because everyone’s wandering around in period costume,” said juggler Mike McCrea, who’ll be back after performing at the event for more than 10 years with sharp weapons, fire, bowling balls and a unicycle.
Beneath flying buttresses and thick walls of red Potsdam sandstone, members of the Society for Creative Anachronism will joust with battle axes, pike poles and shields, as well as less combative interplay, as they engage in medieval re-enactment.
Other performers in the family-friendly program include Merdwin the Mediocre, the Pokingbrook Morris Dancers and medieval music by the Adirondack Baroque Consort, the Bleecker Consort and harpists Susan Coughtry and Jim Davis. There also will be demonstrations by potters, a soap maker, silversmith, blacksmith and stained-glass window creator. A variety of food and beverages will be sold.
Another medieval tradition, the procession of a boy bishop, will be revived when Beeliek Austin dons the cathedral’s set of pint-sized vestments and is installed with pomp and circumstance at a 2 p.m. ceremony.
“I hope we attract people new to the region who have never heard of the Medieval Faire and want to see what it’s all about,” Odell said. “We listed it on craigslist and we’ve gotten a lot of hits.”
Note that the boy bishop link above leads to a site that contains the Order of Service for the Enthronement of the Boy Bishop according to the late 20th century use of the Episcopal Cathedral of All Saints in Albany, New York.
What: Medieval Faire featuring family-friendly music, crafts, food and entertainment with a Middle Ages theme.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 18, 2008.
Where: Cathedral of All Saints, 62 S. Swan St. (corner of South Swan and Elk streets), Albany.
Cost: Adults $8, seniors $6, children 4 to 12 $5, children 3 and younger, free.
Information: 518-465-1342
