text: There is nothing quite so apocryphal and intriguing as the stench of a man cloaked in velvet brocaded tunics and leggings speaking victorian english under the swelter of 110 degree weather gnoshing greedily on a cartoonishly large turkey leg. The stench is one of body odor, nose gays, grease, loathing, and pretense. It's an unmistakable odor I have come to equate with bluegrass concerts, trustafarians, and the anachronistic carnies of the renaissance fair. The Az Renaissance Fair is quite a spectacle indeed. I have been to it many times in my life, as a toddler, as a sneering adolescent, and as a drunken giggly twenty-something through each prism of perspective I saw this place differently depending on my age. Im sure I gazed at the strange sights and smells as a toddler in amazement and wonder. As an adolescent I probably complained of the heat and made sarcastic comments at every opportunity. As a grown ass man, believe it or not I had a great time. If you've never been it's worth the drive out just to see what all the fuss is about. There is of course the obligatory turkey legs, the overpriced beer in tankards, the jousts, etc. The highlights for me were the wild men and the falconer. dont ask, just go.