Event: United States

Maryland Renaissance Festival

When:	23 Aug - 19 Oct 2008; Weekends only (annual)
Where:	Crownsville Road
Costs:	US$18; seniors (62+) US$15; 7-15 yrs US$8; under 7s free 2-day festival pass US$28 Fairever pass US$80
Opening Hours:	10am-7pm

The American fascination with old English history continues throughout the country with the ever-popular autumnal Renaissance Festival. Maryland's, first held in 1977, is one of the longest-running and more tongue-in-cheek ones around, held every year in Crownsville.

The festival aims to transport the visitor back in time and is basically a big costume party, with a recreation of a 16th-century English village named Revel Grove, set on a 125-acre wooded site. The village contains everything you'd expect from an old English town: craft and food booths, five pubs, eight major stages and a jousting arena. The king and queen, their entourage, musicians, glass blowers, fishmongers and knights all walk the streets and go about their business.

Visitors can browse through the craft booths, watch fire-eaters and thrill at vigorous jousting in full armour. Choral groups, jugglers and the ever-present "comely wenches" complete the programme.