This year will mark the 50th annual Norman Medieval Fair, which will run Friday through Sunday and feature artisans, food, performances and more.
According to the Medieval Fair program coordinator, Ann Marie Eckart, preparation started in September with auditions, followed by months of rehearsal.
Eckart said since it is the 50th annual event, there will be special presentations at the Last Huzzah, the final performance at the fair’s Gryphon Stage each day.
“A lot of people are excited and celebrating and pulling up old pictures and sharing them. There's been a lot of activity on social media, …” Eckart said. “Some people that haven't been in a long time are saying, ‘You know, I'm gonna go just because it's the 50th. I haven't been in a while.’”
According to Eckart, the fair will have more food and artisan vendors than past years. The fair has a variety of vendors and events suited for all ages and interests.
“You got music, drama, comedy, acrobats, everything on the stages for the people like that kind of entertainment and different styles of music, a lot of folk music, pirate music, ren-fest music — for lack of a better term — so it's a little bit of something for everyone on the stages,” Eckart said.
Attendees can visit the fair’s website for a program including a map and full list of vendors.
In recent years, the fair has been met with rain and cool weather. Eckart refers to last year’s fair as “the medieval ice bog fair.”
“It was 40-ish degrees most of the time,” Eckart said. “There was one day where we didn't open until 11 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. because we were waiting for the wind chill to get above freezing, and it rained the entire time, and we had ankle deep mud and standing water.”
However, even with the “medieval ice bog fair” taking over, Eckart said that didn’t stop the fans and attendance was still around 51,000.
Eckart said people watching is one of her favorite fair activities.
“I love seeing people get so fully immersed and so fully engaged in what's going on around them — in all the sights and sounds and new things that they're seeing and learning — that their faces light up, …” Eckart said. “Especially a little kid … watching the blacksmith turn this chunk of metal into something absolutely amazing, like a candle holder.”
The Medieval Fair will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Reaves Park. For updates related to weather, attendees can check the fair’s website and social media. Admission is free, and parking is available nearby at Lloyd Noble Center for $10.
This story was edited by Madisson Cameron. Vanessa Essien and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
