BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. — Royalty, a catapult competition, a fire eater, a wedding and wenches are a few of the features of the Bridgewater Renaissance Faire on Saturday next to Baxter Springs High School.

The event, sponsored by the Cherokee County Arts Association, will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m.

Organizer Audrey Chubb said the wedding is a new feature this year and she expects it to be a highlight of the event. Lord Michael and Lady Andrea, or Mike and Andrea Minor, will renew their vows in a ceremony typical of those performed in the 1500s and 1600s. The bridal procession to the church begins at 1 p.m.

Though the couple will be renewing their vows, Chubb said she hopes to have a real first-time wedding in a future faire.

“I think it’s going to be something we’re going to continue to do,” Chubb said.

The Royal Feast follows the wedding and it will include Sir Dragon Breath the fire eater, madrigals, dancers and other entertainers.

“We sold out last year,” Chubb said. “We had 40 seats, so this year we bumped it up to 60. It’s 60 minutes of entertainment, food and fun.”

King Richard III and Queen Anne Neville, played by Allen and Shelly McColm, will preside over the faire and the feast. Their reign lasted just two years, from 1483 to 1485, the year the king died.

A Punch and Judy puppet show also is new this year.

Chubb said a returning favorite among attendees is the trebuchet competition. The trebuchet is a type of catapult used during the renaissance. Physics students from Cherokee County high schools will compete against each other, launching water balloons for speed and distance, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and again every half hour until 12:30 p.m.

Two encampments will feature demonstrations by members of the Society of Creative Anachronism Shire of Bois D’Arc and Bramble’s Schoole of Defence.

This is the fourth year the Cherokee County Arts Association has sponsored the event after taking it over from the high school. Chubb said last year was the biggest event so far and she anticipates an even bigger crowd this year.

The event will be rescheduled in the event of rain or bad weather.
Admission is $5 for ages 12 and up and $3 for children ages 3 through 11. Children under 3 are free with a paid adult. The Royal Feast costs an addition $7.

More information is on the Web site www.bwrenfaire.us.