A midsummer day’s dream: Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire; CCnews Photo Gallery

CEDAR CITY – Hundreds of fans of all things medieval braved the heat Saturday to attend the final day of the Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire in Main Street Park in Cedar City.

Kids knock the heads off of famous ladies of history at the "beheading beanbag" toss game at the Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire, Cedar City, Utah, July 12, 2014 | Photo by Cami Cox Jim, St. George News
Kids knock the heads off of famous ladies of history at the “beheading beanbag toss” game at the Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire, Cedar City, Utah, July 12, 2014 | Photo by Cami Cox Jim, St. George News

From minstrels to fire performers, belly dancers to knights in full armor, characters in period costumes entertained the crowd, wandered the park, performed on small stages and even engaged fairgoers in mock combat.

Medieval-style tents dotting the park were filled with merchandise, activities and food.

Virginia Rollins, of Cedar City, has volunteered at the fair on and off for the past 15 years. She manned the information booth at this year’s event, which opened Wednesday and concluded Saturday.

“I’ve been here all weekend,” she said with a laugh.

Rollins said attendance was high this year.

“Probably about a thousand,” she said.

Among performers at the fair were some local groups that specialize in historical combat, including Dominion of Capella, a Cedar City-based nonprofit organization that focuses on the combat, arts and sciences of the historical period covering A.D. 800 to A.D. 1600.

“We’re a living history re-enactment group,” member Fred Govedich said.

Govedich’s group was on hand at the fair demonstrating a variety of skills, from combat to leather crafts and fiber arts. The group also hosted a free “boffer” activity for kids, where children could engage in mock combat with group members.

Govedich said his group attends the Cedar City Renaissance Faire every year.

“We do things like this and invite people to come in and learn from us,” he said.

Fred Govedich, left, of the Dominion of Capella, and Aaron Orton, of Black Company, engage in a mock battle at the Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire, Cedar City, Utah, July 12, 2014 | Photo by Cami Cox Jim, St. George News
Fred Govedich, left, of the Dominion of Capella, and Aaron Orton, of Black Company, engage in a mock battle at the Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire, Cedar City, Utah, July 12, 2014 | Photo by Cami Cox Jim, St. George News

Combat, including rapier and sword fighting, is one of Govedich’s specialties within the club. His day job is a far cry from medieval warfare, however – he works as a biology professor at Southern Utah University. He said so far he hasn’t had occasion to attack any of his students on the field of battle – but he has encountered some of them while dressed in his medieval garb and attending events with Dominion of Capella.

“They are usually kind of surprised to see me,” he said. “Most of them know I do this, though.”

The four-day Utah Medieval Renaissance Faire concluded Saturday night.

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1 Comment

  • Grass July 13, 2014 at 7:56 am

    I think I just figured out where those guys with the 40 pounds of pot were headed.

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