The Great Northern Medieval Fayre, a medieval festival located near Toronto, Canada, is offering special educational packages for schools and teachers who are interested in giving their students some lessons on life in the Middle Ages.
Designed for students in Grade 4, the educational program offers lessons about the food, work, art and people found in medieval society, using artisans and re-enactors dressed in medieval garb.
Linda Laforge, the Show Co-ordinator for the Great Northern Medieval Fayre, tells Medievalists.net, "We're attempting to put all of the Medieval pieces together, to show kids and adults what people did to get through a day in the middle ages. We have a fantastic jousting troupe that will put on an exciting and yet informative show, explaining how things were done once upon a time. Wye Marsh is coming out to give us a Bird of Prey show, where kids can get up close and personal with these most magnificant birds. They'll discover how integral these flying beasts were, and who got to use them.
"The show will be filled with colourful characters who are willing show them how they made anything, from clothes to weapons. They'll be able to throw an arrow at a target or maybe even learn how to fight, the medieval way. There isn't a more intensive, interactive or exciting way to learn about Medieval days this side of Toronto."
The fair will be held from June 3-6, 2010, and marks the first time the event will be held. The organizers expect several thousand people to attend over the four day period, which is being held near the town of Collingwood, about an hour north of Toronto.
Linda Laforge, a Celtic artist who has taken part in other medieval fairs in Canada, explains that she wanted to create this event after "realizing what the huge audience in this area were missing out on, I aimed to develop a quality, educational and entertaining show. It's also a chance not only to share something this cool on a larger scale, but I get to add my own creative flare to the show."