Medieval Entertainment
Written on May 3, 2026
My wife, Josie, and I traveled from Hawaii to Maryland to visit our older son and his family in April or May of 2021 during the pandemic. Our other daughter-in-law and her son, our youngest grandson, Ezra, traveled with us.
Our younger son, Jon, remained in Hawaii while awaiting transfer orders. Shortly after Ezra's first birthday, the nine of us went to the Medieval Times in Hanover, Maryland for a dinner and a jousting tournament. Ezra had a blast.
A Throwback to the Middle Ages
The theme of everything in the castle was the chivalry and jousting of England in the middle ages. There were shops and other venues just outside the arena. We could buy goblets, swords, and even full suits of armor. Most of it was pricey.
I bought a wine goblet for my wife, Josie, and it cost me almost $30. Most of the guests didn't notice how the hosts were addressing them. I got tired of hearing "my lord" every time one of the hosts spoke to me.
I know they were trying to sound authentic, but if I heard my own name in every other sentence, that too would annoy me.
The Medieval Times Arena
We were fed while watching all the events. If you like horses, you'll like this place. The horses pranced, and they danced, depending on what their trainers wanted them to do.
I wasn't impressed by the food, which included what looked like a chicken half for every guest (except for the vegetarians). I was impressed by how well-trained the players were.
Many of the events were dangerous, especially the jousting. The lances were designed to easily break against the opponents' shields, but a mistake could definitely hurt someone.
The only real complaint I had was that I couldn't understand much of what the queen and some other players were saying. It must have had something to do with the microphones they wore.
The family enjoyed themselves throughout the evening, and that's exactly what it's all about, isn't it?
The Maryland Renaissance Festival
Jon joined us later in the year. Before he and his family departed for his next duty station, the 10 of us went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. I don't remember exactly where it was located, and it took longer than necessary to get there.
We still managed to get there before it opened to the public. The medieval period of the festival seemed to be the same as the dinner theater, and they used the same players as the Medieval Times. I think the jousting was the last thing we watched before leaving.
Jon bought some mead to drink at some point, but most of us drank bottled water. I'm sure one or more of us had soft drinks. I don't remember who it was, but one of us had some kind of barbecued turkey leg.
There were hundreds of venues selling all kinds of things. I don't think we bought anything other than food and drink.
Image by William Adams from Pixabay