Hear ye, hear ye!
On October 1, 2024, students who showed particular interest were invited along with several teachers to participate in the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Attendees of the trip were encouraged to dress up and participate in the festivities in any way they saw fit, and the NHA students and staff did not disappoint. Yardley’s 3D Animation teacher Andrew Hay showed up with a full suit of chainmail armor, and Doylestown student Vanessa Sides (‘27) handmade bits and pieces of her sorcerer costume, with little potion bottles on her belt. No matter how you choose to express yourself, the real fun lies in the experience of the faire itself, with over 35 acres of shops, rides, restaurants, and interactive exhibits to explore.
NHA’s day began at the Yardley and Doylestown campuses at around 8 A.M. when attendees were gathered in their respective vans and prepared themselves for the grueling ride to the fairgrounds, a ride that lasted around two hours each way. Despite it being lengthy, students made the most of the ride by listening to music or having conversations with friends and teachers. No amount of fun on the ride, however, would compare to the feeling of finally making it to the faire at around 10 A.M. and meeting up with the rest of the group to enter the faire.
After a quick group picture, students were distributed into smaller groups with one or two chaperones, allowing for a more immersive experience with friends, so that each group could choose what they did and when they did it. After a two hour long car ride, my group had a priority on finding food, and before long we set out to find something to snack on. There was great variety in food, with dishes ranging from ice cream to fried pickles and turkey legs, which made sure even the pickiest of appetites were satisfied. From there, we explored a very vast and expansive collection of shops, from swords to clothing and cards, there was something for everyone at the Ren Faire. Student Raya Petruschke (‘25) especially enjoyed the shopping experience, stating “I appreciated all the different places to shop, the colors were beautiful and went great with the fall vibe. I loved all the dragons as well.”
Other groups chose to spend their time watching the many events that took place at the faire, such as aerial performances, archery, and even an interactive sword battle; where students could joust against their peers. As far as costumes go, NHA were not the odd ones out in their eccentric gear; crowds of attendants were dressed to the nines in their finest Renaissance gear. When asked their thoughts on the faire, Fern Smith (‘27), who was dressed up in their own unique pirate outfit, stated, “I loved all the costumes! Seeing everyone be so creative and have a space to express themselves was awesome.”
At around 2 P.M., all groups came back together for the final and possibly most anticipated event of the day–the jousting event. Depending on where you sat in the outdoor auditorium, you were assigned one of four knights to cheer for, and assigned one of two sides to be on. Myself and Fern purchased favors, so that we could adorn our knight’s lance with a good luck charm and take a picture with him at the end of his joust. Although our knight did not win, the event was still full of enjoyable chaos and cheering, as well as fireworks. It was a truly cinematic experience, and a great way to end an incredible day.
At around three o’clock, tired students gathered back in their vans for another very long drive home, although this one was full of naps and quiet chatter of everyone’s favorite parts of the day. As students went their separate ways, everyone kept the good day in their minds and their moods, making the trip another smashing success.
