On the KSST Good Morning Show with Enola Gay, we met Murdoch Blackadder, the Marquis of Clencoe (Jason Brumfield) and Laird Marquis Dunan (Jack Bolowskie), Renaissance royalty who will be present at a ‘High Tea’ fundraiser for Shadow Ranch, scheduled for Sunday March 31, 2019. Accompanying them were a Shield Maiden (Kris Cobb) and a Tavern Wench (Barbara Palmer), local business owners who will also appear in costume at the renaissance-style High Tea event. The public is invited to attend for entertainment, a delicious array of scones, meat pastries and luncheon sandwiches, an assortment of teas and a wine tasting. Attendees are also invited to dress in Renaissance-style costume, or in Sunday clothes, when attending the tea. It will be held at The Venue at 219, on Main Street downtown Sulphur Springs, from 3-6 pm. Tickets are $25 each, available online at shadowrenfest.com, at Pioneer Cafe downtown, and at Sulphur Springs Sign Shop through March 29. The event is a fundraiser for Shadow Ranch Therapeutic Riding Center of Hopkins County, and will also serve as a pre-event for the Shadow Renaissance Festival set for July 26-28 at the Hopkins County Civic Center.
Last summer, the first Shadow Renaissance Festival had a successful turnout. This year, organizers speculate that more than 6,000 persons could attend the three-day event, on the final weekend of July 2019 on the grounds and inside the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. In place of the jousting events held last year, the Festival’s Main Event entertainment will be “Knight Fights”, a full-contact medieval sport with fighters from all over the United States as well as contestants from the History Channel’s “KnightFights” expected to compete.
Members of the Scottish royalty also appear at Renaissance festivals in Texas, like the 8-week-long Scarborough Faire in Waxahatchie during April/May and the North Texas Irish Festival held annually in March at Fair Park in Dallas. Actor Jason Brumfield is originally from Hopkins County and gives his full support to the new local Renaissance fair. Kris Cobb, one of the fair’s organizers stated that 100% of proceeds from the local Ren Fest will be donated to Shadow Ranch Therapeutic Riding Center, located in southeastern Hopkins County, for it’s ongoing work in providing handicapped persons with equine therapy. Find out more at shadowranchtrc.com or shadowrenfest
