15 Things To Know About the 2011 Bay Area Renaissance Festival

Continuing through April 17 is the 2011 Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Tampa Bay, a celebration of the revial of classic learning and wisdom that followed the Middle Ages.

What You Need To Know:

• Time — The festival funs through April 17 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine.

• Location — The grounds of the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), at 11315 North 46th Street in Tampa. Call: 813-983-0111. For turn-by-turn directions, click here.

• Cost — Gate Admission: adults ($17.95), child admission, ages 5-12 ($9.95), senior admission ($14.95). Advance Admission: adults ($14.95), child ($6.95). (See “discount tickets” below.)

• Yes, there is a weapons policy, and especially so keeping in mind the time period celebrated. Guns, of course, are banned. But, so too: “swords, knives, dirks and daggers must be completely sheathed and peace-tied. Axes, claymores, maces, antique firearms, pikes and halberds are not allowed on the festival site. No drawing of any weapon at any time. Must be 18 years or older to carry a weapon.”

Saving Money:

• Parking — there is no charge to park.

• Discount tickets available at Walgreens, MOSI, participating Circle K’s, Subway, Bealls and Vitamin Discount Center. For groups of 10 or more, call: 1-800-601-4848.

Nice To Know:

• Eating and Dining — The food menu posted online features more than 60 items, including Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, gyros, spanikopita, strawberry shortcake, foot-long corn dogs, sheppard’s pie, quesadillas, Italian sausage and foot-long corn dogs. The Pirates Feast Menu features “music and mayhem in the galley of the Black Pearl Pirate Ship” and is served 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily. Cost is $45 and includes festival admission. Cost is $30 for meal only. Reservations taken by phone (813-983-0111) or via email. Entree choices are pork tenderloin or blackened salmon.

• Entertainment noted online includes music by The Bawdy Boys and Tampa Bay Pipe and Drum; stage acts, including “fables, fantasies and fortunes” and “washing well wenches” and lane characters, including King Henry VIII, the kings knights, the royal guard and baron and baroness Blackheath. Also, live armored jousting, a human combat chess match and the Village of Fittleworth, featuring fairies, muckhill mummers, peasant dancers, the Sokolov gypsy caravan and more.

• The Merchant Marketplace, noted online, features vendors in 15 categories: leather (nine vendors), metal (6), mixed media (8), readers (5), make and take (5), glass (7), all things natural (12), wood (10), fiber art (13), musical instruments (3), fine art and photography (3), apparel (16), face and body art (4), jewelry (16) and pottery and porcelain (4). 

• Looking to renew your vows? There is a free mass vow renewal ceremony every weekend day at 11 a.m. For wedding information, call: 1-800-601-4848. Call the same number, too, for event and party planning and for group discount information.

Below is a list of five more things to know about the festival, including weekend themes and the "Afterhours Ball."

King's birthday celebration, beer tasting, fencing competition and harvest market vendors