Con*Monkey

The 10th annual Mobile Renaissance Faire takes place November 12-13. Don’t miss your chance to witness jousting tournaments, sword fighting  and SCA battles. Of course this festival is not just limited to fighting.  Magical Wizards, Falconry, Jesters, Jugglers, Arabian Dancers, and Fire Breathers all ply their trades to entertain the crowds.

Traditional medieval costuming plays a large role in the renaissance festival.  At the Jousting tournament you can observe the King and Queen in their regal attire.  Knights and jousters can also be recognized by their elaborate costumes.  You will also see many people dresses up in less elaborate or commoner outfits.  Now everyone can be a queen or a knight and the renaissance festival does a great job of highlighting the social hierarchy of the period.  Hours of time and  research go into the details of these period specific outfits.  Many of the participants put hours of labor into hand creating their costumes. Visitors to the faire are encouraged to come in costume and further immerse themselves in the experience.

Don’t have a costume?  Not to worry!  Their will be  several merchant booths set up at the faire selling wares from medieval clothing and weaponry to traditional medieval foods. Mobile’s annual Renaissance Faire will be held at the Abba Shrine Temple, located at 7701 Hitt Road.  Festival hours are 10am-6pm and admission prices are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 5-11.  Children under the age of five are admitted free. Bring your family for a fun filled action packed educational experience at the Mobile Renaissance Festival!

More information can be found at the official website:

http://www.yesteadyhands.com/MobileRenaissanceFaire

Zombie Walk Mobile was pretty epic. I had never gotten into costuming, cos-play, undeading it up, etc. This wasn’t too far a stretch as I ended up a fairly … fresh looking zombie with a few open wounds but no base makeup to give that stylish embalmed look. Yet, it had the added bonus of me feeling more tan than I’ve ever felt in my life.

An event like this is really perfect for the starting or apprehensive cos-player. It’s not like you’re jumping into a massive con as Jar Jar with a “Free Hugs!” sign around your neck, (zombies are respected on some level). The activity is inclusive; it’s most likely the biggest group cos-play in which you will ever participate. Zombie costumes are also cheap and hard to mess up, making it a great beginner’s project.

The immersion you have lurching amongst 150 – 200 undead is pretty infectious. It’s not long before something clicks in your head beckoning you to forget reality, grasp the moment and eat its delicious oozing flesh.

It was a good day for a lurch. Zombies young and old came together. A significant collection of canned goods were gathered for the Bay Area Food Bank. It was managed well and the weather was about perfect. Zombie Walk Mobile was a lot of fun; we’re looking forward to the next event.

Pictures! Videos!

Zombie Walk Mobile’s Facebook Photos

Footage from WKRG.com: