Knights return for 27th annual Renaissance Faire
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Knights in armor are preparing to do battle at the 27th annual charity Renaissance Faire scheduled to be held on Sept. 20-21.

The Renaissance Faire, which is sponsored by the Lakewood Lions Club and the Society for Creative Anachronism, will be held in Pine Park, Country Club Drive and County Line Road, Lakewood.

"This is a family festival for all ages," said Don Alemany, who is a co-director of the event with Gordon Frank. "It transports people back to medieval England. The Renaissance Faire will take you back in time to when romance and chivalry abound. You will be entering the magical world of the 16th century."

A medieval village and events at the park will transport guests back to a time that is long gone.

World champion jouster Shane Adams and other competitors from Australia, Canada and the United States will compete on the field of battle as visitors watch the tournament, just as kings, queens and villagers did hundreds of years ago.

"These are professional jousters," Alemany said. "This is not choreographed. They will be in full armor and their horses will be galloping at about 40 mph."

There will also be archery competitions using the English longbow, knights in armor battling for their honor in hand-tohand combat, a gypsy camp, belly dancers, wandering minstrels, jugglers, fire eaters, story tellers and more.

Visitors will be able to see crimes and punishments re-enacted and there will be pony rides and rides on horse-drawn wagons. Merchants will sell their wares and there will be plenty of food available for purchase as visitors stroll through the village.

"Visitors will revel in the scents and smells of the foods," Alemany said. "They can feast like royalty on juicy roasted turkey legs, fish and chips, steak-on-astick, dragon dogs, cheese steaks or funnel cakes."

Children's games and activities will be available for the young at heart, and for those who are a bit older there will be tests of skill with a bow, an ax and a knife.

On Sept. 21, visitors will be able to witness the crowning of the faire's king and queen, chosen from children age 10 and under who are dressed in clothing of the period. Prizes will be awarded to all participants.

All net proceeds from the event will benefit sight, hearing and local Lions charities and projects.

"Basically, this is the club's only fundraiser event for the whole year," Alemany said. "It allows the club to donate to its charitable causes. We contribute quite heavily to the LADACIN Network."

The LADACIN Network (Lifetime Assistance for Developmental and Challenging Individual Needs) is a nonprofit agency whose mission is to provide education, therapeutic, social, residential and support services for people with cerebral palsy or other physical disabilities. Established in 1952, formerly known as Cerebral Palsy of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, LADACIN Network now provides lifetime assistance to more than 2,500 families in 11 facilities.

The Lakewood Lions Club was chartered in 1951 and was honored with the 2007 Humanitarian of the Year Award given by the LADACIN Network.

"We've been contributing to them for more than seven years," Alemany said. "We also provide Lakewood High School seniors with college scholarships; we provide glasses and hearing aids for the needy; and we also contribute to Juvenile Diabetes, Harbor House, the Lions Eye Bank, Deborah Heart and Lung Center, and the Kimball Medical Center Eye Clinic."

The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Today's "known world" consists of 19 kingdoms, with more than 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Society members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which may feature tournaments, arts exhibits, classes, workshops, dancing, feasts, and all manner of arts and sciences that would be found in the culture of pre-1600s western Europe.

The society's East Kingdom is comprised of the areas of eastern Pennsylvania, eastern New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Admission to the Renaissance Faire for adults will be $10; and $1 for children age 6-12. Children under 6 will enter for free. Parking is free.

For more information and directions to Pine Park contact the Lakewood Lions at 732-905-1065 or Don Alemany at 732-414- 9639 or visit http://www.lakewoodrenfair. com.