The Friday Flyer | Renaissance Faire 2015 attracts peasants, royalty

Amy Martinez, a recent quadruple amputee, was chosen to serve as the Renaissance Queen. Her royal court included her husband Ryan, son Liam and daughter Harper. Photo by Donna Ritchie.

Photo by Donna Ritchie.

Renaissance Faire 2015 attracts peasants, royalty

Holiday Harbor was location of the inaugural Renaissance Faire hosted by the Family Matters Club and Jr. Woman’s Club on Saturday, October 17. Like all good Renaissance Faires, this one had music, games, prizes, vendors, food, dancing around the maypole and people in Renaissance costumes.

Amy Martinez, Canyon Lake resident and recent quadruple amputee, was chosen to serve as the queen. Her royal court included her husband Ryan, son Liam and daughter Harper. “We were so honored to have them. We just couldn’t think of anyone better to be the inaugural queen,” says Julie Aguirre of the Jr. Women’s Club.

From her throne, and with her royal court by her side, Queen Amy welcomed the guests and posed for photos with them.

Food was plentiful and far more than the famed turkey legs. Sosy Robinson, president of the Family Matters Club, served up Renaissance-inspired theme food from the snack bar. Guests had their choice of hot dogs, racks of ribs, turkey legs, beef stew and sides of nachos, beans and corn. There were plenty of kid-friendly options on the menu too.

Shawna Bowen, founder of the Family Matters Club, ran the children’s area in lower part of the park where there were game booths, prizes, coloring contests, face painting, fortune telling and a photo prop booth. Also on the lower part of the park were craft tables where kids had a jolly olde time making shields and swords, crowns, sand art and face masks.

There were two inflatables for the kids – a castle jumper on the lower part of the park and a huge dragon slide on the upper part.

The Jr. Women’s club volunteers ran the upper part of the park where the guests mixed and mingled, shopped, danced around the maypole, played cornhole games, took photos with Queen Amy and her royal court and enjoyed the sounds of the band, The Luv Buckit. Also on the upper deck were booths where kids could engage in fantasy play with archery and mock jousting and knife throwing.

Preceding the announcement of the raffle winners, Queen Amy gave a speech thanking the Canyon Lake community for attending and for all they have done to help her and her family.

The event closed with Karen Terry, president of the Jr. Women’s Club, along with Queen Amy, announcing the lucky winners of the raffle prizes.

The Family Matters and the Jr. Women’s Club would like to thank Queen Amy and her family and all the residents who came out to support this event.

The JWC would like to invited residents to attend their Holiday Boutique Fundraiser on Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lodge.

The Family Matters Club is currently selling tickets to their next event, a holiday Quarter Mania “Fun-draiser” at the Lodge on Sunday, November 22, from 1 to 4 p.m.