King Richard's Faire, near Cape Cod, is day of jousts, turkey legs, songs, royal watching

With nosebleed tickets to Beyonce’s Renaissance tour starting at $125 each, you may want to check out King Richard’s Renaissance Faire where the $44 ticket ($39 cash at the gate) includes Washing Well Wenches who are, well, definitely not Beyonce.

But the ladies are funny, bawdy and sexy in a 16th century working class way (you should see what they do to audience volunteers!) plus the festival includes daily jousts where knights on horseback knock each other off ― the horses.

The joust has an exciting new cast member, Lily, who showed some real fire in her first performance on the joust field. Read more about her below.

With $17 giant smoked turkey legs, $14 fried whole onions, $12 beer, ax throwing, face painting, a strolling lady bagpiper, a Monty Python king and corsets to rent, this haven in the woods is a lot to unpack.

So, let’s get started:

When is King Richard’s Faire in Carver open?

King Richard’s Faire, The New England Renaissance Festival, runs weekends through Oct. 22, plus Monday, Oct. 9. Gates to the realm open at 10:30 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.

How much does King Richard’s Faire cost?

Base price is $39 for adults and $20 for ages four to 11. There is a $3.48 fee for adults and $3.20 fee for kids if you book ahead at https://kingrichardsfaire.ticketspice.com/king-richards-faire-2023. You can avoid the fees by paying cash at the entrance, but on busy days, you may not get in. Although cash is required for entrance and food tickets, most shops in the realm take credit cards.

What about parking and bathrooms at King Richard’s Faire?

Both are free. Parking is in a sprawling field in front of the kingdom. You answer nature’s call inside the gate, at a village of porta-potties located in a fenced-off area ― a village within a village ― near the joust.

Should I wear a costume to King Richard’s Faire?

You don't have to, but you certainly can. When we visited Labor Day weekend, we saw costumes from “Star Wars” to period costumes replete with brocade vests and Tudor flat caps. Many people start out slow, adding a piece each year.

If you don’t have a costume, you can rent one for the day at Seams Like a Dream where owner Lisa Maxwell-Rounds has been dressing fairgoers, bridal parties and corporate gatherings for three decades.

At King Richard’s, the cost is $40 to $75 per adult, $10-$20 for kids, plus accessories like $5 tiaras. Credit cards are accepted. Cotton-based costumes like the ones wenches wear are cheaper and I highly recommend being laced in a corset which made my back feel fantastic. (Maybe you should ask thy physician first.)

Maxwell-Rounds said all cotton costume pieces go into the washing machine every night because “I wouldn’t want to wear someone else’s sweat.”

You can buy gowns to take home for $99-$495 at Hearts Delight. Or, to add a touch of fantasy to your own outfit, a pair of five-foot-tall embroidered gossamer wings is available for $200 at Bards of Birdsongs/Dancing Wings.

OK, all dressed? Let’s move on.

Is there food at King Richard’s Faire?

You start with buying food tickets at one of the designated booths ― $1 each with a $5 minimum purchase. The least expensive thing we saw was a $5 bottle of water. While escaping reality at the faire, thy job is to totally ignore calories and prices.

The $9 apple cobbler with ice cream was sweet and delicious but we didn’t have enough tickets left to try a slice of organic fudge ($8 or 2 for $15) that came in a dozen flavors (including bourbon-something) and was made with 30% less sugar ― leaving it with 20 grams per serving, a little less than the average candy bar.

How do I meet King Richard and Queen Anne?

The royal couple attend the jousts and several performances, hold court and lead a daily parade. They are available for photos and to meet people all day.

Is every day the same at King Richard’s Faire?

There are more than three-score scheduled shows, along with a different theme for each weekend, a list of which can be seen at the fair’s website. This weekend is warrior weekend with a Viking tug-of-war on the joust field. There is also the unexpected: The weekend we visited there was a marriage proposal between two elaborately costumed fair workers. She said yes!

Is King Richard’s Faire family-friendly?

Definitely. We saw freshly knighted children clopping coconut shells together and it sounded just like horses as they followed the Monty Python king (not King Richard) to the joust. There are more than a dozen kids’ activities plus human-rides for kids and their adults.

There are also many multigenerational families who work the fair each year. At the entrance, meet the Green Man (Bill Emmett) and his real-life daughter Rose Petal (Shana Fuqua) and her real-life husband, Edward Fuqua, who takes time from his job as a reference librarian to play gambler Edmund Hazzard.

“We first came for her 12th birthday,” said Emmett, a retired civil engineer. “And we’ve been here each year since 2002.”

Who is this newcomer, Lily?

Lily, a beautiful Andalusian quarterhorse mix, aged 10, debuted in the joust after retiring from her fulltime job as a carriage horse in West Virginia. On Labor Day, she carried Sir Thomas (Paul Hoemer) in his blue-and-silver armor.

What if I want a souvenir of the King Richard’s Faire?

There are hundreds of choices, from hair ribbons to wooden swords (which must remain sheathed inside the kingdom,) from dragons to kilts, from pirate clothes to ceramics to puppets! Looking for an investment? For $60-$150, you can buy at Memories in Glass one of owner/artist Susan Johnson's hand-soldered lead stained glass pieces that reflect light in all directions. For $290, you can own a pewter goblet made by Karen and Heather Rivas and displayed at the Smithsonian, according to shopkeeper Kyle Martin.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: King Richard's Faire is near Cape Cod but in a world far far away