# Medieval Times in NJ-- I wanna go. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415 "2013-07-24T20:43:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/21 "2013-07-25T15:17:00Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Semi-Hijack. > > I JUST moved to Charlotte…where is this fair at? I have never been to a ren faire and I would LOVE to go. Welcome to Charlotte! Maybe we’ll have to have another Dopefest to celebrate. The Ren-Faire is held north of town, in Huntersville. All the info is [here](http://www.royalfaires.com/carolina/). ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/22 "2013-07-25T15:24:43Z")
We did the one in Vegas. A big part of the show was the audience participation. You have a champion for your section that you all cheer for. Otherwise, this exactly describes it: > [@Apocalypso](#): > > Summary: Cool horse-riding stuff, not quite as cool (but still fun) swordplay and dueling, and kind of mediocre food. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/23 "2013-07-25T16:09:05Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > It was ok… a chicken leg and a potato on a pewter plate which you had to eat with your fingers. (Its “plate in one hand”, and “Mongul fist manga” with the other. You will have greasy fingers, so dress appropriately. Your soda will be on the floor in front of you until you are thirsty.) Your huge plastic cup-o-soda will be the color of the knight in the games you root for (which depends on where you are seated, which you will have no control over). You get to bring the plastic mug home as a souvenir for free. > > Out front, they will sell you knight cutlery like short swords, long swords, and broad swords. They also sell hard liquor at two bars. If you buy swords etc, you’ll have to pick up your cutlery purchases after the show or take them out to your car before the show as the slicing up of loud guests is frowned upon. They do take VISA at the cutlery shop and their prices are high enough that in 30 days time, everything that you buy you’ll think of as a “Bastard!” sword. :rolleyes: LOL We went to the one up in Mass - in a medieval recreationist group in medieval clothing. I was wearing my [13th century Norman](http://embroidery.racaire.at/?cat=244) stuff. [a bit less embroidery and in blue] They got really snippy when I wanted to use the fork from my [chatelaine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatelaine_%28chain%29). I told them I wasn’t going to get my clothing greasy and ignored them. The server got fairly grumpy, “they didn’t use utensils back in the middle ages” pffh. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/24 "2013-07-25T16:46:56Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Insert obligatory Ben Stiller quote about the soda. Dude, I got a lot of tables. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/25 "2013-07-25T17:09:34Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > LOL We went to the one up in Mass - in a medieval recreationist group in medieval clothing. I was wearing my [13th century Norman](http://embroidery.racaire.at/?cat=244) stuff. [a bit less embroidery and in blue] > > They got really snippy when I wanted to use the fork from my [chatelaine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatelaine_%28chain%29). I told them I wasn’t going to get my clothing greasy and ignored them. The server got fairly grumpy, “they didn’t use utensils back in the middle ages” pffh. As far as I recall, the fork wasn’t commonly used in England and France until the early 1600’s. It was used as far back as the 12th century in what is now Italy. before then, most people used knives to cut and spear, spoons for soups and stews and their hands for most other purposes. So, it appears that ‘they’ used knives and spoons in the middle ages and if ‘they’ included the Italians then forks were used as well. But most Americans don’t imagine that the middle ages occurred anywhere but in England. The real reason that they don’t want folks to use utensils is because it makes for easier clean-up. And don’t argue with your waitress. She has a lot of tables to serve. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/26 "2013-07-25T18:07:54Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > As far as I recall, the fork wasn’t commonly used in England and France until the early 1600’s. It was used as far back as the 12th century in what is now Italy. before then, most people used knives to cut and spear, spoons for soups and stews and their hands for most other purposes. > > So, it appears that ‘they’ used knives and spoons in the middle ages and if ‘they’ included the Italians then forks were used as well. But most Americans don’t imagine that the middle ages occurred anywhere but in England. > > The real reason that they don’t want folks to use utensils is because it makes for easier clean-up. And don’t argue with your waitress. She has a lot of tables to serve. I wasn’t asking her to clean up my fork, I simply was acting civilized for that persona’s time and place. After all, wasn’t Florence the center of civilization?:dubious:😃 ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/27 "2013-07-25T19:03:51Z")
It’s fun, but a lot of reality will invade your fantasy. The food is decent, if uninspired, but the menu is limited and the beer selection was a choice between Bud, Miller, and (I think) Guinness or Heineken. The fights and jousting are okay, but as was said upthread, you’ll find better at the Renaissance Faire. It’s fun to go once, but once is enough. Especially at $50+ a person. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/28 "2013-07-26T01:57:53Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > The real reason that they don’t want folks to use utensils is because it makes for easier clean-up. And don’t argue with your waitress. She has a lot of tables to serve. Don’t you mean “serving wench”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/29 "2013-07-26T02:35:50Z")
My son went yesterday. He loves it. I think it is his 5th time now. I’ve been once. The food is fine and it is fun. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/30 "2013-07-26T04:06:31Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Don’t you mean “serving wench”? 😉 Yeah, call her that. It adds to the atmosphere. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/31 "2013-07-26T04:32:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Yeah, call her that. It adds to the atmosphere. 😛 Since it’s been referenced a few times, I’ll post the video. 🙂 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ou1EBRxLQJs/hqdefault.jpg "The Cable Guy Funniest and best scene EVER!!!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou1EBRxLQJs) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/32 "2013-07-26T11:48:34Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Since it’s been referenced a few times, I’ll post the video. 🙂 > [http://youtube.com/watch?v=ou1EBRxLQJs](http://youtube.com/watch?v=ou1EBRxLQJs) Dangit, how was I picturing Stiller delivering that line instead of Broderick? (I mean, yes, it’s a guy being directed by Ben Stiller on how to interact with Janeane Garofalo, but that’s still no excuse.) In my defense, I’m now re-imagining the entire movie with Stiller – and it’s slightly funnier. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/33 "2013-07-26T14:49:41Z")
I went once about seven or eight years ago. It was fun enough for what it was (we brought kids) although I can’t say the upgrade was worth it. The package we bought guaranteed seating in the first three rows but the event wasn’t particularly crowded and the view from Row #5 wasn’t going to be much different than the view from Row #2 (picture bleacher type seating). I think we got a few other things out of it (a photo, etc) but we had mainly upgraded for the seating. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415/34 "2013-07-26T16:47:51Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Since it’s been referenced a few times, I’ll post the video. 🙂 > [http://youtube.com/watch?v=ou1EBRxLQJs](http://youtube.com/watch?v=ou1EBRxLQJs) How in Hell speed-dating became more popular than combat to the death by Lirpa, I’ll never know… “Troika…!” “Is this Vulcan Chivalry? The battle arena air is too hot and thin! He’s not used to it!” “The air is the air. What can be done?” “I can compensate for the atmosphere and the temperature… with this Jager-Bomb!” “You may proceed…” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-times-in-nj-i-wanna-go/664415.md?page=1)