Renaissance Faire of Kings Valley Oregon Celebrates 25 Years with the Plague Edition

Every September, in the small town of Kings Valley, Oregon, something out of the ordinary happens. An otherwise typical hayfield is thrust 500 years in the past to become the site of the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire.

Under the reign, and watchful eye of Queen Elizabeth I, artisans, bards, and craft mongers come from all over the realm to share their enchanted world with the public. Their goal? To spread merry and blithe, and to teach history through live re-enactment.

For a small fee – $14 for adults, $7 for ages 6-12 – spectators can be catapulted from their mundane modern lives straight into the center of a 16th century Elizabethan marketplace. Here you can dine on turkey legs and mead, shop for magic crystals and shape-shifting corsets, or try your hand at archery. 

This year was the faire’s 25th anniversary celebration and was aptly dubbed, “The Plague Edition.” 

The faire was started in 1996 by Leslie and Ken Engle of Philomath. Leslie spent her early life traveling the world and after settling in the United States in her teens, she dedicated her life to education. She and Ken created this living-history faire to teach people about what she believed was one of the most important times in Western history – the Renaissance, which means, the rebirth of thought. 

Since Leslie’s death in 2009, her son Adrian Hughes and his wife Jackie Hughes have taken over the operation and oversight of the faire. Jackie is the production director but concedes that, “it takes a village to make a faire.” 

There are nine guilds that belong to Shresbury, each of which are responsible for a different task. From the Mad-Stampers Guild, who sell tickets at the entrance, to the Guild of Drake, which houses the nobility of Shrewsbury, each guild plays an important role in the overall success of the faire. 

“Everyone here is family,” Jackie said. “Each guild is a small family unit and then faire is like the big family reunion where we all come together.”

Entertainers, spectators and vendors travel from all over Oregon, Washington and even as far away as Texas to attend the faire each year. Donning ornate costumes, participants and attendees alike blend seamlessly into the Elizabethanesk backdrop.

Sherian Dollinger, a member of the Guild of Drake, presides over the faire as Queen Elizabeth I. Her intricately beaded gown, which weighs approximately 100 pounds, is one of the most elaborate costumes on display at the faire. 

“It took me 3 months to make it,” Dollinger said. “The beadwork alone took me 572 hours.”

Queen Elizabeth I can most commonly be seen, parading around the market, or sitting with the rest of the royal court in the shade near the Tourney Stage waiting for the most popular attraction – the joust. 

The Knights of Mayhem, led by Charlie “Sir Charles” Mason Andrews, are a group of knights who, clad in suits of armor (which weigh about 130lbs), engage in the very real extreme pro sport of professional jousting. Andrews is the 12 time reigning World Champion in Heavy Armor Full Contact Jousting. The Knights of Mayhem rose to stardom in 2011 when they starred in their own series of the same name on the National Geographic Channel. 

The jousts occur twice each day of the faire and draw huge crowds. From the witty – and hilarious – banter of the MC and the knights, to the excitement of the competition, this event is extremely entertaining. 

If jousting isn’t your thing, or you’re looking for something to do between tournaments, the faire offers several other forms of entertainment. Several stages around Shrewsbury showcase musicians, dancers, magicians, and even comedians throughout the day. 

Activities like archery and throwing axes at knights are also on offer for attendees of all ages! 

Stephen Howard and his knights, Sir Jamie (Jamie Wate) and Sir Duncan (Hunter Lee) were attending Shrewsbury for the first time this year. “We came because the faires we normally attend in Washington were cancelled due to Covid,” Howard said. Howard and the knights run “The Axeman’s Outpost,” a booth where participants throw axes at the knights to try and win prizes. Howard and his dragon, Traddlaq, also put on a show together several times a day. 

The faire is also a place for artisans to sell their wares. Morgan Harris works at her dad, Shane Harris’, booth, Redwolf Ltd, which showcases Harris’ hand crafted historically inspired jewelry.  “Our pieces are made from forged copper,, bronze, nickel and caste pewter,” Harris said. 

“Covid hurt us last year,” she continued. “We sell our jewelry online and through etsy, but a large percent of our income comes from the faires we attend in Oregon and Washington.” 

“Plus, I really missed this last year. I like attending faires because the type of people who come here are my favorite. There is a lot of history and art which you don’t see in the mundane world. And you’re supporting local arts and buying handmade goods!”

History and art are two huge parts of Shrewsbury. Bill Hunt founded “Pictland” at Shrewsbury 17 years ago, because he wanted to share his history and culture with people. 

The Picts were a group of people who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland during the middle ages. 

“My mother was from Scotland and I was raised there,” Hunt said. “My father was from the US and I ended up moving to Springfield, Oregon later on. As a young man I grew up wandering the countryside of Scotland hearing stories that fascinated me. People told me the history of the Pict tribes – my history – and I wanted to share it. The feeling to share it intensified as I got older. The Picts are a forgotten people – a very important forgotten people.”

Pictland lies at the far corner of Friar Tucks Forest in Shrewsbury. One of the more inclusive displays at the faire, Pictland includes demonstrations of ancient arts like basket weaving, a reconstruction of Pictish stones, and informative and entertaining retellings of Pict histories. 

Full of good food, entertainment, and colorful histories, the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire is a delightful way to spend the day. 

In keeping with their mission of teaching history through play, Shrewsbury offers live classroom presentations, community outreach, online resources for students and teachers, and a scholarship program. More information about these services can be found at shrewfaire.com under the “Hands on History” tab. 

Information about volunteering or joining a guild can also be found at shrewfaire.com.