During mid-July I had vacationed in Chicago. Ergo, that gave me the opportunity to play at the Bristol Renaissance Faire! So I packed my trusty camcorder and my Minolta camera and plenty--and I do mean plenty!-- of film for both. What resulted was a most enjoyable experience at faire in spite of some minor technical and environmental problems.

Bristol is located in Kenosha just within the Wisconsin-Illinois border. The site is of good size and attractive, but also has a chimeric nature in its composition. The front third is a recent addition that used to be part of the parking lot! It is completely out in the open with a lake at one corner. A friend of mine jokingly referred to it as the "Serengeti"! The remainder of the grounds is under a very pretty forest canopy.

The most striking aspect of Bristol is its cast. The participants on the whole appear to have great depth in their talents and training for faire. They vigorously interacted with patrons-- and quite a few performed their art with such skill that it was easy to suspend one's disbelief! A good portion of cast is part of one of three guilds: The Guilde of St. George which composes the court of Queen Elizabeth (Photo, above) o learn more about the Guilde of St. George, go to www.tir-nan-og.com/st-george/; The Guilde of St. Ives (also known as the Revelers' Guilde) who are responsible for entertaining the crowds who visit the faire (Photos right and below) and The Guilde of St. Michael (or the English Military Guilde) who give historical demonstrations and recreations at their encampment as well as throughout the grounds. There is also the fight cast who partake in the bulk of the story arc throughout the day and continually show off an excellent array of combative and acrobatic skills.

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This page created 27 July 1999
This page updated 02 September 2007

Disclaimer: This--and the Webpages following--are an *Unofficial* look at the Bristol Renaissance Festival held near Kenosha, Wisconsin, every year since 1973. The author of these pages is in no way, shape, manner or form connected with the Bristol Renaissance Festival (OFFICE ADDRESS: 12550 120th Ave Kenosha, WI 53142-7337), Renaissance Entertainment Corporation, and/or any of the sponsors associated with this event. All opinions expressed are strictly this author's own.
All photographs on this page are copyright ©1999 by Frank Hui.