It’s an escape into a world of creativity. The Oxford Renaissance Festival (ORF) in Thorndale, Ont. brought thousands of people out into a world of imagination. At the LARP (Live Action Pole Playing) fight pit, guests were getting a chance to battle. “I love encouraging everybody to get out of their bubble and try something new,” said Karma, the voice of the fight pit. “Our fight pit gives everybody a chance to experience what it feels like to be in a real fight.” The two-day event gives guests a chance to dress up in costume and enjoy fantasy and medieval times. The most popular show is the full-contact real jousting. “You have to be here to see it live,” said Shane Adams, owner of Knights of Valour, a premier full contact jousting team. “I can talk to you until I’m blue in the face, but nothings is going to give you the vision until you are able to see if for yourself with your own eyes.” All around the Thorndale Fairgrounds, people were dressed up. “I am a fawn today,” said Cade Collins, a cosplayer. “I made up this costume. Most of the pieces are made by me like my shirt and my vest and my bracers. I love being at the Ren Fair and getting to dress up and see people and all sorts of cool outfits.” A few metres away, gun commander Mike Robertson was loading his cannon to fire. “This is the greatest,” said Robertson who owns the three-pound ball cannon from the 1990s. “This is this is something we do we do about 12 weekends a year and it’s super fun to even own a cannon.” Back at the fight pit, Dustin Smith (AKA Wargn Magnamus) was helping with the LARP. He is a part of a group who travel to a 53-acre property near Watford, Ont. every weekend to Mixed Medieval Arts LARP. “Our very first year here, they thought we’d be sitting around a little table, giving up business cards, showing off a brochure, something like that,” said Magnamus. “We ran around in a rat costume until they got somebody dressed in a rat catcher costume, and we just made that storyline up that every day is new here. Every day is something special.” Each year since 2013, the ORF has brought thousands of people to a place where they can enjoy a comedy show, food, drink, vendors or just mingle with pirates and fairies. “People that want to escape this political, mundane world, to be able to come in to an age of fantasy, to an age of history, and be able to relive some of our culture,” said Magnamus.
