The sixth annual Gumeracha Medieval Fair will be held on the 5th and 6th of May in the Federation park from 10am to 5pm on Saturday & 10 am to 4pm Sunday. Again,there will be another two days of fun and excitement with a medieval theme. Last year over 6,000 people had a wonderful time and this year will be even bigger!
This year we will see another exciting event at the fair;
A four meter high Trebuchet or medieval siege engine will be displayed and will be demonstrating how they were used to attack and destroy castle walls during warfare in Europe and the Middle East during the Crusades. The large encampment of Manning Imperial will also show the investiture ceremony of knights.
The Medieval Fair will also have a new Celtic domain, with a Bardic storyteller, musicians and dancers as well as the Highland Cattle and craft stalls.
The Medieval music ensemble called Harlequin will be coming again from Tasmania to perform on both days of the fair as well as The Medieval Feast on Saturday night. The group we be a highlight at the fair, performing two concerts per day and a workshop on the history and construction of medieval stringed instruments.
Once again musicians and entertainers from across the state will provide medieval folk music from many cultural backgrounds. The very popular Merchants Lane will also be offering a wide range of medieval style crafts and activities. The dedicated children's area will again have storytellers, face-painters, a children's costume maker, as well as the Native Animal Nursery and the popular Punch & Judy show to ensure there is a lot for the whole family to enjoy. The daily Costume Competition (with Judging at 12:30 & 2:30 for kids) will cause a flurry of excitement for all comers!
The Castle Gate Arena will feature plays by the Gumeracha Fair players, medieval music bands and instrument workshops, the Costume Competition, medieval archery informative talks by Ian Stratford and more.
Walkabout entertainers from the Gumeracha Fair Players will entertain both children and adults alike with a variety of characters including Rufus the pet dragon.
In the combat arena Knights and Vikings from local Medieval Re-enactment Groups will clash swords, looking to impress the beautiful medieval maidens and wow the cheering crowds. Saracens and the Sensuous dancers will contrast the fast and furious Border Celts with their sturdy hawthorn sticks and the broadswords of the Ghille Mhor Dancers. A village peasant, suspected of a misdemeanour, will be dragged off to the stocks for punishment. The Viking encampment will be particularly interesting, showing the visitors their techniques of camp fire cooking and general living. The Gawler Irish Dancing Club will vie with the medieval dancers for the patron's attention.
Across Kenton Creek, in the Medieval Village visitors will find the village blacksmith hard at work in the “smithy”. The village encapsulates what life was like in the medieval times as the spinners and herbalists, basket makers, calligraphers, costumers, a cooper and several woodworkers ply their trade. Past the village, patrons will find the Medieval Archery ground where they can experience demonstrations of the famous English Longbow.
The food purveyors will also follow the medieval theme with sumptuous tastes to tempt the passers by with food and beverages derived from the local Torrens Valley area with Wendy and David Cook of the Birdwood Wine and Cheese Centre. The famous “Mein Hosts” from the Lobethal Bierhaus will be serving their award winning beers and mead and the Town Hall will be alive with medieval feasting and entertainment on the Saturday night.
All this historical fun is being put together with the co-operation of local community and service groups of Torrens Valley. From the last Fair net profits of $10,000 were dispersed back into the community by the Management Committee. This has become an exciting annual event which benefits the whole of Gumeracha and Torrens Valley District.
Interested in Joining in and being a part of this exciting weekend?
Just fill out and post off the:
2012 expression of interest pdf form  (98kb)
Gumeracha Medieval Fair - Next on 5, 6th May 2012
Federation Park, Main Rd Gumeracha South Australia.
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