The Middle Ages return to Long Island this June

**Due to size and permitting issues, this event has been cancelled for Sunday, June 11.**

Treat your family to an exciting day at the festival this June, as the Riverhead Medieval Festival brings the Middle Ages back to Long Island. Medieval Scenarios and Recreations, Inc. (MSR, Inc.) is pleased to announce the Riverhead Medieval Festival, June 10-11, 2017 from noon to 5pm, at the Dorothy P. Flint 4-H Campground in Riverhead.

Walk the grounds and learn about the crafts and skills of the middle ages, try your hand at archery, talk to citizens of the Kingdom of Acre, and for the younger guests, there will be children’s games and activities. The festival will feature a marketplace; local vendors will showcase their handmade wares including jewelry, leather goods, soaps, fiber arts and décor, and much more.

If you find yourself hungry along the way, Long Island food trucks Old Thyme BBQ and Eat Me Drink Me Gourmet Grilled Cheese will be on site to fulfill your culinary desires. Be sure to stop by and visit Horses Healing Veterans, a local nonprofit, in the marketplace to learn about its mission and the valuable support it offers for local veterans and at-risk horses, and don’t miss performances by Tribal Dance Long Island throughout the afternoon.

Local festival enthusiasts may recognize some of the personalities at this event from the Sands Point Medieval Festival. MSR Inc. is a nonprofit educational group, and the majority of the actors providing entertainment and staffing activity booths are volunteer members of the organization.

One of the questions we are most often asked is, “how is a medieval festival different from a renaissance faire?” The answer is largely two fold.

1. Unlike most commercial renaissance faires which employ professional actors, MSR Inc. festivals are staffed largely by volunteers, with only a handful of paid performers interspersed. The lords and ladies, knights and royalty you wave to and converse with are teachers, lawyers, managers, and parents, who are passionate about the history and skills of the middle ages.
2. Many renaissance faires have embraced elements of fantasy, which while fun, are not authentic. As an educational group, MSR Inc. seeks to present events with as many authentic elements as possible, necessary anachronisms notwithstanding. Microphones and eyeglasses are necessary, however the group tries to present an atmosphere and activities that closely mimic that of a true medieval festival. As an example, you may notice that the marketplace sprawls out in a circle rather than following a grid layout.

The Riverhead Medieval Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11, 2017 from noon to 5pm each day. The Dorothy P. Flint 4-H Campground is located at 3186 Sound Avenue, Riverhead. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 5-12, ages 4 and under are free.

Keep in touch on Facebook by liking Kingdom of Acre Festivals, or view the official event announcement here.