E.O.Smith students to rub elbows with knights and damsels

Members of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire were at the 2008 Boom Box Parade. Photo by Brenda Sullivan.

E.O. Smith students won't just observe; they will help form the stories that play out at the Faire... They will experience the hardships of being a serf, behold a battlefield of warring knights in full armour and hear speech and music of that period.

Imagine being able to actually meet a knight in shining armour? A damsel in distress?

Students from E.O. Smith High School will be able to do just that, during the Connecticut Renaissance Faire's "School Day," on Monday, Sept. 29.

“The Connecticut Renaissance Faire’s 'School Day' initiative is one of our most exciting programs, because we are able to provide young people with the opportunity to experience a truly unique part of history in a way that is interactive and fun,” said Michelle Renihan, the Faire’s education coordinator.

The goal is to create a learning environment where everyone feels safe and has fun, she said.

“The Faire is all about family and it is our hope that many of the students will come back with the rest of their families to experience the fun and revelry together for a full day," Renihan said.

Almost 200 E.O. Smith juniors will take part in activities during their own day at the Renaissance Faire, which opens on Sept. 27. (Rumor has it that this year, there will be a special wedding held on the first night.)

"School Day," however, is soley for educators and students to experience the magic of the Renaissance period.

But E.O. Smith students won't just observe; they will help form the stories that play out at the Faire that day.

They will experience the hardships of being a serf, behold a battlefield of warring knights in full armour and hear speech and music of that period.

In order to participate, educators must pre-register their students for "School Day" no later than Monday, Sept. 15.

There will also be a reduced student entrance fee that day [$6 per student and $6 per chaperone.]

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire is a living-history recreation. It takes place at the Hebron Lions Fairgrounds on 347 Gilead St. (Route 85) in Hebron.

For more information about the Connecticut Renaissance Faire "School Day" program, visit the Faire’s Web site at www.ctfaire.com or contact Michelle Renihan at 774-253-6385 or michelle@ctfaire.com.