Attention medieval geeks: your time for fun has come. Kingston, NH is hosting the 8th Annual Renaissance Faire this weekend.

I got a sneak peek at what this faire has to offer and even those of us that are medieval-challenged will find some quality entertainment.

Like at most fairs, you can buy stuff. This fair offers lots of unique handmade items: walking sticks- Gandalf-style; hand-bound journals; chainmail jewelry; leather masks and moustaches; and organic soaps and bath salts.

I picked up some Chamomile Soap that smells intensely girly. I love it.

Not only are there things to buy, some sellers offer their services as well. The Henna tent was probably my favorite part of the fair. For those of you who aren’t familiar, a Henna tattoo is a semi-permanent Indian tradition of painting designs upon the hands. At this fair, they’ll paint almost anything almost anywhere for a minimal price. They give you care instructions, too, so that your tattoo will last as long as three weeks.

Here is the tattoo I chose to get.  It looks pretty good if you ask me.

Aside from all that, there were lots of interesting characters roaming around the fairgrounds. The belly dancers were very friendly with onlookers, shaking their bodies and whipping their hair within inches of our faces.

The Queen spent time walking around the faire with her court in tow, when they weren’t all on stage putting on a nifty show.

The faire has four stages where different acts perform throughout the day. Aside from those performances, there’s a Maypole Dance that everyone can participate in.

You get all of this and more by paying $12 at the entrance (sadly, there’s no student discount- I asked). I’d say it’s well worth shelling out the cash, since you’ll at least get a good laugh at the costumes and the opportunity to leave with some pretty cool treasures.

The Renaissance Faire will run from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday May 19 and Sunday May 20 in Kingston, NH. If you’re plugging it into your GPS, the address is 9 Thorne Road Kingston, NH 03848. Any additional information can be found at the website here.