Medieval Fair 2023 takes over Reaves Park this weekend

Mar. 28—Norman's Medieval Fair is an opportunity to go back in time to the middle ages to view weapons demonstrations and shop from a wide array of artisan vendors.

The 46th annual free fair runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Reaves Park. The 2023 iteration boasts more than 170 vendors and 40 food and drink options.

Medieval Fair program coordinator Ann Marie Eckart, said many of the longtime performers are back this year, including the Society for Creative Anachronism, with combat, art, weaponry and dancing demonstrations.

"We have a new one called Canterbury Tales that will demonstrate daily life activities in (the middle ages) with characters from Chaucer's literary work," Eckart said.

The Saltfork Craftsman Artist-Blacksmith Association will share the knowledge, education and promote appreciation for blacksmithing with live forges, according to the event flier.

Notable entertainers include Topsy Turvy, an acrobatic, family friendly comedy show, Brizeus, a musical quartet with bagpipes and percussion, and Jester Rejects, a juggling and comedy act by twin brothers Kent and Kevin Mercer.

Eckart said there are three new food vendors, so attendees should come hungry.

Newcomers to the food line-up are Some Like It Tot, Momma D's Italian Food Truck and Mekong Spice, but of course, regular favorites like Brew Boys BBQ's Turkey Legs and Ozark Mountain Funnel Cakes and Handcrafted Lemonade will be sold at the fair.

Michael Pitton, owner of Ozark Mountain Funnel Cakes, has been a vendor at the Medieval Fair since 1980. He also runs Helmut's Strudel, which sells Austrian puff pastries, both sweet and savory. Over more than four decades, he's watched the fair evolve from a small event by a Brandt Duck Pond into a festival that entirely takes over Reaves Park.

"When it first started, armor was crafted from cardboard and weapons were wood and covered with duct tape," Pitton said. "Now, they use real chainmail armor and real weapons."

Nico Penic, director of cast, will play Geoffrey de Chateaubriant VIIII, for his fifth Medieval Fair.

"He was the eldest son of Jeanne De Clisson, who was the Lioness of Brittany, and one of King Edward's privateer captains," Penic told The Transcript. "Geoffrey is a runaway baron, and he's escaping his responsibilities by joining his mother at sea. Other actors call me 'your excellency,' which is the technical title of a baron, and Geoffrey has a lot of issues with that, and I play it up that way."

Pitton said the fair is busy all day from Friday through Sunday, which keeps him busy with his businesses, but he tries to allow time to take in the scenery.

"It puts on a good show for the public and everybody seems to enjoy themselves," Pitton said. "There's a huge variety of food, medieval style games, and artisans and craftsmen have everything you could imagine being related."

Jeff Elkins covers business, living and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him at jelkins@normantranscript.com or at @JeffElkins12 on Twitter.