* SOOnC I ATLhSeP OST LcI eG HnTe
A different realm
New Renaissance Festival of Central Florida is up to the challenge of entertaining crowds. STORY: CHRIS GERBASI
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enaissance fair regulars have three simple tips for first-time visitors: Don’t miss the jousting competition. Be sure to watch the human chess match. Buy a turkey leg and eat it. Otherwise, no plan is needed. When the Renaissance Festival of Central Florida makes its debut this month, guests can stroll the grounds of the “kingdom” and take in the unusual sights and sounds of another place in time. The five-day event runs from 10am-11pm April 7-8 and 13-15 at 31600 Camp Challenge Road in Sorrento. Renfest, as it’s called, is a fundraiser for the host site, Camp Challenge, which
is an Easter Seals camp for special-needs children and adults. Tickets range from $21 for a one-day pass to $200 for an all-access pass and can be purchased at renfestcfl.com. Free admission is offered to any special needs guest who is, was, or could be a Camp Challenge camper, and the festival fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Festival executive director Jim Boyle anticipates up to 30,000 people will enter the world of adventure, fantasy, period music, and performers in the “Realm of Doolan.” Jim says “doolan” is Gaelic for “challenge,” which is fitting given the locale. “We have crafted the story to make Doolan a tremendously special place, so special, in fact, that Queen Elizabeth I has decided to have her coronation in 1559 in the Realm,” he says. The Realm includes five kingdoms, each with its own iconic attraction and themed
