Ren Faire in 1952!!!

[Love Good Wood]

i just found this while browsing for old ren faire photos...

http://life.time.com/curiosities/life-goes-to-a-jousting-tournament/

it's Bethany College in West Virginia... and they had a ren faire in 1952!... 11 years before the "first" ren faire in 1963 in California.

Check out the LIFE magazine write-up and photos... pretty cool

[chainshot]

AWESOME!  I really dug the pics showing the quarterstaff duel on the log, the egg catching contest and the "holy Quail".  Thanks for the link.

[Merlin the Elder]

There was another faire in northern Arkansas in the early 50s that began as an archery competition. I don't recall all the particulars, but it was started by an archery equipment manufacturer, and according to the article I read, survived in some form up until about 10 or so years ago.

[dbaldock]

Here's the link for the History of the Withrow Renaissance Festival and American Crossbow Association.

According to this writeup about the 1997 Withrow Renaissance Festival, the event started in 1953 or 1954, and had Jousting as early as 1957.

[Queen Margaret]

That is too cool! I just shared that on the Queen Margaret page on Facebook.

www.facebook.com/QueenMargaretofScotlandandtheIsles

Thank you for finding that!

[DonaCatalina]

That is very cool. I enjoyed reading that.

[Ronald the Bald]

Merlin, Could that have been Ben Pearson? He owned a canyon in nothern Arkansas that is currently owned by his son. He was a famous bow hunter back in those days.

[Merlin the Elder]

That's what I had thought, too, Ron, but I don't think that's the case.  I wish I could put my hands on the material I read a couple years back on this subject.  I know Pearson had his manufacturing plant in Pine Bluff, Arkansas for a while, but I'm pretty sure they've moved on.

[Rowan MacD]

i just found this while browsing for old ren faire photos...

http://life.time.com/curiosities/life-goes-to-a-jousting-tournament/

it's Bethany College in West Virginia... and they had a ren faire in 1952!... 11 years before the "first" ren faire in 1963 in California.

Check out the LIFE magazine write-up and photos... pretty cool

That's juicy news  .  California may just need to lose the 'first Renfaire' title.