Hank Aaron Stadium to Host Renaissance Faire

This year's Mobile Renaissance Faire will come to "The Hank" after splitting time between the Mobile Zoo and the Mobile Fairgrounds since its inception eight years ago. "The location is great, the stadium is great and I think this could be our best Faire yet," Renaissance Faire organizer Steven Melei said. "When you come down the street or even from the interstate, it's almost like looking at a medieval coliseum. I think the atmosphere and surroundings are going to give people that attend a unique perspective on the events."

"We are trying to show that Hank Aaron Stadium is a year-round facility," BayBears assistant GM Mike Callahan said. "The Renaissance Faire will just be another way of showing that the BayBears are dedicated to putting family first and we can accommodate just about anything." The Mobile Renaissance Faire started to humble beginnings in 2002 at the Mobile Zoo off U.S. 98 in Wilmer, before moving to the Fairgrounds two years later. The Faire is not only a historic take on the Renaissance age, but it also was established to help people learn about the period.

"When we first started the Renaissance Faire, we were attempting to inform and entertain people at the same time," Melei said. "We wanted to show patrons what medieval times were like and show them what the lords of the time would do to try to cheer up their people. It was not an easy time to live in, so it was believed that with uplifting events, it would give people hope for the future; and that is what we try to bring to each of our shows."

During the Faire, there are many different events including jousting knights, wizards, fire breathers, sword swallowers, jesters, jugglers and gypsy dancers. A king and queen are also reigning during the event and a big hit with kids is the falconry exhibition. There are several medieval booths and vendors at the event with authentic food and drink. There is also a renaissance theatre for all to enjoy.

"Our Faire is really focused toward family," Melei said. "We want to get kids interested in history and off the couch. We want to show them they can have fun participating and learning history at the same time. Not many people understand what the life of a knight was like and we want to show them these things." Melei said renaissance fairs got its start during the late-1960s in California and have branched out since then. BayBears President/COO Bill Shanahan took part in several fairs while serving as the General Manager of the San Bernardino Sprit in the 80s.

"When I was in San Bernardino, we did some promotions with the local Renaissance Faire," Shanahan said. "It was a big success for us and the faire, and we feel like this connection can be just as successful." Melei said having the Renaissance Faire at Hank Aaron Stadium seems almost fitting because some of baseball's earliest roots come from the period in history. "There was a game called rounders during the Renaissance period, which is similar to baseball," Melei said. "It started late in the era and had bases and a bat. It was played almost like cricket, but the concepts to baseball were much the same."

This year's event will take place Nov. 14 and 15 at Hank Aaron Stadium and feature more than 25 vendors over the two days. The event will run from 10 a. m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 15. Tickets for the Faire are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12-and-under and any kid under 4 is admitted free. Adults can buy a weekend pass for $15, while a child's weekend pass is $10. For more information on the Mobile Renaissance Faire and how to be a part of the festivities, visit www.mzrf.us or call 1-877-429-8462.

"We are excited about transforming Hank Aaron Stadium into a medieval land," Callahan said. "It will be a great time for the kids and adults just the same and we are looking forward to having the Renaissance Faire here for years to come."