Artisans and jousting highlighted Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival
Times of knights and chivalry have come to an end, but those who wished to revisit those times could so at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival, which ran every weekend – plus Labor Day – from late August through September in West Newton. The unique festival included authentic artisans, jousting and other shows related to the medieval time period.
Another unique and interesting art you could find at the festival was the stand for henna tattoos. Elise Linich of Upstate New York ran the henna stand at the festival. It was her fourth time traveling with the festival; though she only attends the Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Arizona dates. The henna stain that she used is handmade and natural, using only three ingredients; the leaf of the henna plant, lemon, and eucalyptus oil. Linich warned people of of ‘black henna,’ which contains unnatural, harmful dyes that can cause irritation and possible scarring.
The festival also offered many costumes and attire for those who dress for the occasion.Daria Porter, a seamstress who owns Annie Laurie Cloaks, takes her passion of sewing on the road with her, selling her cloaks and other garments at the festivals. Porter recalled that it was her eleventh summer with the festival, but like Linich, she doesn’t travel to every stop. With six cats and two dogs at home, Porter prefers to stay near to her hometown in West Virginia, only traveling to the Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. She said that her job is very difficult and time consuming, but also very fun.
Along with many types of uncommon stations at the festival, the food you could find was also unusual. Some of the popular dishes were large turkey legs, soup in a bread bowl and sausage on a stick. Other food options, which were more common, included nachos, pizza, and soft pretzels.
Overall, the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival was a very entertaining festival for all ages. From unique shops to unusual foods, it offered an assortment of attractions. I’d highly recommend visiting the festival when it comes to the area next year.