‘You can go in and feed them, and they’ll sit on your hand.

One of the more popular features, especially with the younger ladies, is a butterfly garden. While there are permanent structures on the property, Avaloch has expanded to now include two villages. ‘It’ll be a barbarian blast.’ Each season the faire evolves, Rickard said. It’s our barbarian and viking weekend,’ he said. ‘Next weekend is our last for the season. Owner Larry Rickard said the fun at Great Lakes Medieval Faire runs rain or shine. Axel’s show is in the more adult area of festival, with the first two shows rated PG-13 and the day’s later shows rated R. 10, which was themed ‘Togas, Tiaras, Masquerade & Dreams: A Roman Bacchanalia.’ French and Cella agreed one of their favorite acts is ‘Axel the Sot,’ a bawdy comedy show performed by an inebriated sailor just returned from sailing the seven seas. ‘It took me about a week.’ Normally the duo attend the Celtic weekend, but bad weather deterred that outing so they visited on Aug. She was dressed in a floor-length gown made from silky lilac material and he wore a matching vest. Michelle Cella and Ben French made their annual trek to the faire from Youngstown.

The family saw a lot of the performances, and little Kaelyn said she enjoyed ‘the whole thing,’ but then agreed she liked the musical acts best. ‘Usually I’m dressed up, but not this year.’ Joining the Tompkins was their daughter, Martha Harwood son-in-law, Jim and granddaughter, Kaelyn. The performances are fun,’ Carolyn Tompkins said. ‘We like to look around at all the booths. People come out here and you know that you can go up to people and talk to them and be totally accepted.’ Carolyn and Eddie Tompkins, of Mentor, have been coming to Great Lakes Medieval Faire for the past seven or eight years. This place has such a sense of community. You can come to a Renaissance fair and see a beautiful maiden and give her a flower and its perfectly acceptable. ‘Then there’s kind of the romance of the time. People love to dress up in the extravagant costume whether its as a peasant or nobility,’ Najarian said of why she thinks people are drawn to medieval gatherings. In Latin it means ‘fall in love with flame,’ she said. Billed as a fire and danger exhibition, her show is called Adamo Ignis. As a follow-up trick, Najarian walked – barefoot – up a small ladder with machetes for steps. A fire performer and dancer, she exhaled like a dragon in a folktale. ‘To be able to meet royalty, the princesses and fairy tale characters here, their eyes just light up.’ In her first appearance at the faire, Christine Najarian smoked the performance stage.

‘This is sort of the medieval Disney, I say,’ Marcelli said. A very family-friendly atmosphere, even with the armor and weapon-clad denizens of Avaloch, younger attendees can immerse themselves in another, more fantastical setting. We treat them all the same,’ Scheimann said, who was in the middle of filling out knighthood papers for the young visitors.

‘We don’t care who you are, or what you look like. There’s magic in these woods, and people know it.’ Unlike other Renaissance festivals, Scheimann said the Great Lakes Medieval Faire, currently in its 22nd season, is more like a lively extended family. ‘We have more returning season ticket holders because this festival is special. ‘I believe that there are more season ticket holders here than some of the larger festivals,’ Marcelli said. It’s the second year in a row the royalty has returned to Avaloch. Ruling over the crowd is King William and Queen Isabella, or Eric Scheimann and Christine Marcelli. PHOTOS: 22nd annual Great Lakes Medieval Faire Avaloch – known to those in the 21st century as the Great Lakes Medieval Faire, 3033 State Route 534, Rock Creek – is open to the public for another weekend, Aug. Fair maidens, dashing knights and an uncommonly high number of wing-wearing individuals filled the woods in the kingdom of Avaloch for another festive weekend.

Great lakes medieval faire ohio