On Saturday, we took the kids, Mary Ann (Berta's sister), and Ryan (her husband) to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in Mount Hope.

We used to go every year, but it seemed like we were seeing the same show every time, so we haven't gone over the past few years. They have since added many new things, and have chagned the show a bit. But I think they may have started to give in to the commercialism of it a bit more than what it used to be all about.

For the uninitiated, the Faire is basically a 20-acre area that has all sorts of recreation from the era of the Renaissance. Everyone there dresses in period clothing and speaks with an accent. The actors are all quite friendly and usually try to immerse you in their fantasy. One of the best things about the Faire is that it's not just something you go watch, it's something to take part in.

But it seems things have changed a bit. Maybe it's just from my perspective, but it seems like a lot more people come to the faire and expect to be entertained rather than participate in the fun. It also seems that people spend a lot more time eating and shopping than they do at the actual attractions. This is not so surprising, since the joust this year was pretty weak, too.

The last time we went, the joust was amazing. There were four knights; two good, two evil. The barkers would rouse you in a boisterous rally for whichever side you chose to sit. The knights actually went at each other. I mean, nobody wants to get hurt, but they came away from the joust making you wonder how they survived it even if you could see them cheating just a bit by acting up glancing blows. They were still getting hit.

The two knights this time around barely touched each other. There wasn't anyone to rally the crowd. It just wasn't as involved.

The finale show on our last trip had people sliding into the jousting arena on zip lines, explosions, and someone evil killed in a swordfight who was subsequently set on fire. This time? Nothing like that.

The shows were overcrowded, and like most interactive entertainment these days, people seemed to want to be told where the action was, rather than figure it out. There is a lot of wit in the script that they coreograph for the Faire, and its dialogue is lost on the rabble. It's no wonder that the Trial and Dunke show, an adults-only Benny Hill-like affair where they dunk people in water, draws a bigger crowd than any of the excellent vaudvillian shows.

It's sad because I had been looking forward to taking Abby to the Faire all week, and then we go and it's too difficult to get her involved. Partially it's the crowd, partially it's the distraction of her aunt, who has the same inclination as the crowd. It makes me sad because the Faire is something that I really enjoy, and it feels ruined for her. She's not taking away from it the same great memories that I did.

Ah, well. There's always next year.