I'm not really sure that this "unscheduled" event wasn't an improv bit set up by some of the players at Excalibur, but it certainly made a big hit with the kids! Even better: it didn't require a whole lot of space or preparation -- just a dragon pinata full of candy, a length of rope and a Master-of-Cermonies (MoC) to organize the game, act as referee and "operate" the dragon. The rules were simple, too: no blindfold, and just hit the dragon three times with a wooden sword. Of course, the MoC didn't make it easy to hit the pinata! By clever manipulation of the attached rope, he could make that dragon swoop, soar, dip and weave tauntingly around each would-be dragonslayer (Photo, left: this young lady manages to connect with a right solid blow as the dragon attempts to fly out of range). Naturally enough, the MoC played the dragon according to the abilities of each child: the younger the swordsman, the less active the dragon became (Photo, below).

Being at faire, the kids were already primed and ready for fun, so the chance to swing a sword -- even a wooden one! -- and hit something until it broke drew a large crowd! The dragon, on the other hand, proved pretty durable. He took a serious pummeling before losing his tail (Photo, left) -- and a whole lot more bashing and hacking before his side cracked open, allowing some of the candy inside to spill out. At that point, the MoC declared the dragon slain...

But the fun wasn't over yet, however. The MoC now spilled the remaining candy into the center of the "arena", and drew all the children together in a circle around him (Photo, above). Only when he was satisfied that everyone was ready and in place did he allow them to dive in and scramble for the treats (Photo, below). Even then, he made sure no one got more than their fair share of the goodies -- nor that the youngest children went away empty-handed! As far as I could tell, everyone who helped "slay the dragon" that afternoon left with big smiles and feeling right happy. Indeed, it seemed to be such good fun for all that, methought, other faires should seriously consider adding something like it to their regular schedule of childrens' activities. The kids certainly seemed to like it -- AND it required NO batteries to operate!!!

BACK TO Excalibur Fantasy Faire 2003...

Standard Disclaimer: This webpage is strictly an *Unofficial* look at the Excalibur Renaissance Festival held near Bastrop, TX. The author of these pages is in no way, shape, manner or form connected with the Excalibur Renaissance Festival (OFFICE ADDRESS: 1007 Main St., Suite E, Bastrop, TX 78602) and/or any of the sponsors associated with this event. All opinions expressed are strictly this author's own. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are copyright ©2000-2004 by George Laking.

This page created 4 March 2004