Running for a month-long engagement, the Sarasota Medieval Fair returns for its 20th installation. Located in the Woods of Mallarany in Mayakka City, FL., the fair transforms the 47-acre cattle ranch, replete with majestic oak trees, meadows, and grasslands, into an ancestral re-enactment of European heritage. The fair will be open Nov 2 – Dec 1, weekends, from 10 am – 5:30 pm, rain or shine. Purchase single-day tickets, multi-day tickets, and seasonal passes here.
Bepopulate with knights, jesters, belly dancers, wenches, and sword-swingers, the fair offers immersive experiences and demonstrations. Learn traditional farming techniques, bake and cook with local ingredients, spectate equestrian tournaments, jousting, and performances. Enjoy animal rides, lean into the craft of blacksmithing, research arms and family heritage, and compete in archery contests.
Each year, the fair prepares an overarching theme. This year’s theme revolves around Merlin and Morgan le Fay, mythological characters from Arthurian legend. Regarding the theme, event organizers state, “Merlin and Morgan le Fay travel through time to face off and settle the score. Along with some new, never before seen faces, they will call upon the greatest heroes and villains who have performed at our festival over our past 20 years to stand by their sides in battle – who will you offer your allegiance to…good or evil? At the end of the day there can only be one victor…so choose wisely.”
Each weekend offers distinct, mini-themes
In addition to this year’s overarching theme, the myth of Merlin and Morgan le Fay, each weekend will have a distinct mini-theme. The first weekend’s theme will be “Viking Invasion”, the second, “Heroes and Villains”, the third, “Celtic”, the fourth, “Mystic Realms”, and the fifth and final will herald the holidays with its “Saint Nicholas” theme. Distinct themes mean distinct costumes, suggesting how patrons could style their duds each weekend.
The entire fair is family-friendly, but for those looking for a boozier, adult experience, the fair offers a bar crawl ticket add-on. The add-on costs $45 and allows you to “skip the long pub lines and join our riotous Pub Crawl with toasts, songs, and entertainment as you explore our festival while making rotating stops at our three main pubs to sample our most tasteful meads, our finest beers/ciders, and our delightful wines. All while in the company of some of our villages most colorful characters.”
“Tastings include one flight of beer, one flight of mead, and one flight of wine and a big pour of your favorite, OR three big pours of your choice. plus, each pub crawl participant will receive a commemorative 2024 festival pin.”
