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A host of fairies and fantasy characters, a knight in real shining armor, a pirate parade and perhaps a dragon or two will be featured in San Juan Bautista’s historic Third Street district for the city’s first “Frolic & Revel,” a Renaissance Faire-inspired experience that will run for six Saturdays, starting at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19.
Organized by San Juan resident and El Teatro Campesino veteran Graciela Serna Nutter, in cooperation with the San Juan Bautista Business Association and Luna Gallery, the event, Nutter said, is meant to bring some excitement—and foot traffic—back to the sleepy little town.
“We have some really exciting things planned,” she said. “We hope people will think, ‘San Juan was fun the last time we went, and let’s go again.’ This is a feeling we want to get started again.”
Visitors to the free event can visit nine different stations within a few blocks, where they take part in various activities and meet and interact with cosplayers, musicians and performers, storytellers and artists.
Strolling Elizabethan-era reenactors will also be present, including Michael Rozin, as a fairly awkward character.
“I’m portraying a commoner who wants to be a jester,” he said, “but he’s not entirely there yet. I’ll do little dances, little jigs, and tell a couple of jokes here and there. Just being very childlike in a way, trying to bring smiles to people’s faces.”
Rozin, 16, has attended the Northern California Renaissance Faire for the last three years and performed in the Anzar Drama Club production of “How to Survive Being in a Shakespeare Play” earlier this year.
“I think what attracts me to that time in history is how slow everything was, so different than it is now,” he said. “Performing like this is a cool kind of escape. I really love playing different characters and being in the limelight. I think this event is going to be super cool.”
The aforementioned shiny knight will be portrayed by 17-year-old James Kaiser, who will wear a reproduction of proto-Gothic armor from the early 1500s. Kaiser’s interest in knights and armor was spurred by his own research into his family history,
“Nine times out of 10, if you were my ancestor, you’d be a knight,” he said. “So I began studying the specific armor they wore and how they trained. It’s inspiring. If I were one of my ancestors and saw one of my successors wearing armor, I’d be pretty proud of them.”
The suit, he said, weighs about 100 pounds, which is heavy enough to be taxing to wear for long periods, but flexible enough that he once walked to school in it and wore it during class.
“I do feel weighed down by it,” he said, “like gravity just increased. It takes about 30 minutes to put on, because there are a lot of leather straps that are hard to reach. But I have movement for almost everything—I can fully sprint and do things like that.”
Though he’ll wear only the period-appropriate 1500s armor, Kaiser is putting together two other sets: Roman officer armor in iron and bronze dating to the time of Christ, and Byzantine-era Visby lamellar armor, made of steel plates sewn together in rows.
The historical accuracy of his outfit will contrast with some of the more lighthearted activities planned for the event, such as a pool-noodle joust with contestants on stick horses. Or the parade of pirates scheduled for 7:30 p.m. each night.
Luna Gallery will serve as one of the main hubs, with different artistic or musical activities planned each evening.
Gallery director Jennifer Colby said that, as a longtime Renaissance Faire devotee, she is very much prepared for the event.
“I am so excited about this,” she said. “We have all kinds of things going on at hubs throughout the town, and I have lots of things planned for visitors to the gallery.”
Luna Gallery’s first night features both the opening reception for a new exhibit, “Crossroads: Chaos and Compassion,” and a musical performance by singer-songwriter Anjali Maziarz with Sarah Newman on harp.
In the following weeks, visitors can enjoy a host of crafting opportunities, including a sketch circle on Sept. 26, when art materials will be provided for drawing costumed performers.
Luna is also the starting point for the Pirate Parade, which proceeds downtown via Third Street.
As part of the festivities, most businesses in town will be open through the evening, and vendors will offer food, including turkey legs.
Because the event is set on the street, it will be alcohol-free, though the usual restaurants and bars will be open. Some, like Daisy’s Bar and The Hideaway, are also serving as hubs.
In the Renaissance Faire tradition, visitors are encouraged to come dressed up in any kind of costume they like—historic era-appropriate or not. City regulations forbid anything that could be identified as a weapon, so keep those authentic swords and morning stars at home and think plastic and fun.
As with all of the Business Association events, this is a grassroots effort driven by local participants, many of whom are volunteering their time and talents to the production. Plans are also underway for more seasonal activities in the same spirit.
“We’ve come up with some really fun things,” Nutter said, “and our goal is to just keep going. Day of the Dead and our Christmas Tree event are coming up and, don’t tell anyone, but we have something planned for Valentine’s Day. I’m just kidding—tell everybody.”
Special activities on Sept. 19
Fairies at Luna Gallery: 5 to 6 p.m.
Art Reception at Luna Gallery: 5 to 7:30 p.m
Fairy Story Time: 5:45 to 6:10 p.m.and 6:40 to 7:10 p.m.
Pirates vs. Knights battle: 6:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.
Pirate parade: 7:30 p.m.
The Frolic and Revel festival will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 19 through Oct. 24. In San Juan Bautista’s Historic Third Street district, from Pearce Street to Muckelemi. Admission is free.
For more information, text (831) 260-4140 or email convertedcouture@gmail.com
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