Wesselman Park travels back in time to Europe with Renaissance Fair

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - There was a blast from the past in Wesselman Park. A local group put on a Renaissance Fair to showcase both skills and goods from centuries past.

It was a beautiful day in the park today; made even better by those who appreciate, like to teach about, and especially those who like to live a little bit in the past.

It was a perfect day for those who love medieval culture, crafts, and of course, violence.

“The fighting is very popular, and obviously the kids really like it,” said local society member Donna Herum. “In fact, we have to tell them, ‘don’t go home and do this with your little brother or sister.’”

The event was put on by the local chapter of The Society for Creative Anachronism, a worldwide not-for-profit organization dedicated to recreating, and educating others, on medieval European history and culture.

The event had hourly shows featuring demonstrations of combat from different medieval eras, as well as folk dancing.

Event organizers say they love teaching new people about what they love, even if they didn’t always love history themselves.

“It’s very gratifying because I hated history in high school, but I did love stories about knights and movies about knights,” said local society member and event organizer Michael Nash. “That’s what got me into this.”

Local society members also had the chance to showcase goods they’ve made using medieval techniques. These include wood carving, weaving, stained glass, and more.

“I think it’s fascinating to preserve and respect some of the arts and crafts that sometimes have gotten forgotten with the modern age,” said Herum.

The event also invited people to learn by doing. Attendees could try out sword fighting or firing a crossbow.

Event organizers say their organization includes various skills and crafts with roots ranging from about the 1600′s, all the way back to year one.

The different aspects of the event highlighted just how multi-talented society members are.

“We have skillsets for lots of things, we’re basically classified as a hobby of hobbies,” said longtime society member Greg Bryant.

For more information on The Society for Creative Anachronism, visit https://www.sca.org/. If you’d like to get involved in more local events, visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057570514191.

Copyright 2023 WFIE. All rights reserved.