Festival offers food, music, Middle Ages fun

As complicated as modern society has become, sometimes it's important to go back to a time when things were a bit simpler.\nStudents and community members have a chance to do just that Saturday.\nFrom 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Dunn Meadow will be the site of the inaugural Bloomington Renaissance Faire.\nAttendees can expect a wide variety of entertainment.\n"(Basically it is) a celebration of history and the arts featuring live music, belly dancing, fire-eating, magic shows, swordplay and period theater," said Public Relations Coordinator Sarah Tilson. "Re-enactors, artisans and performers from Bloomington and the Midwest will entertain and educate faire-goers of all ages."\nTo keep both families and students entertained, "Dunnston Meadow," as it will be called, will include three stages of entertainment, a historical re-enactment area, a marketplace and a combat demonstration arena. IU's Juggling Club will provide free lessons to anyone interested in learning. Food will be available to festival-goers, including garlic-herbed roasted turkey legs provided by the Runcible Spoon Cafe.\nFor younger dukes and damsels, face painting, handmade jewelry, children's toys and storytellers will also be present.\nHowever, lords and ladies need not fear, either. Tarot card readings, henna tattoos and artwork will be featured. Traditional Celtic music will be performed, and folk singers will be entertaining the crowd. \n"In my experience, a good faire is enjoyable for just about everyone," said Faire Coordinator Christine Task. "If your idea of a good afternoon is eating turkey legs and watching fire-eaters, you should come. If you prefer watching demonstrations of Renaissance-era falconry and metal-smithing, we also have that. The Bloomington Renaissance Faire is going to be a very difficult place to be bored."\nAlthough the event may sound carefree, plenty of hours went into its preparation. Nate Skiba, the vendor coordinator for the faire, said the main organizer of the festival is the IU student group called Bloomington Renaissance Faire. The local Society for Creative Anachronisms, a group dedicated to helping people learn about the Middle Ages, will be running a historical re-enactment camp. \nHaving planned various parts of the festival since October, the staff has been busy creating what it expects will be a modest celebration for the first year.\n"I, for one, am very excited about the faire," said Performers' Coordinator Justin Matthew Zurschmeide. "A lot of hard work has gone into it, and I'll be happy to see how it turns out." \nTask noted the faire quickly turned into a large event. She said she is happy to see the faire being brought to IU.\n"We were really aiming to create something that everyone would enjoy with this faire," Skiba said. "We've tried to make the faire a family activity, and with all the different attractions, I'd like to think that we've succeeded"