At Hawkwood Fantasy Faire the entertainers will do
almost anything to ensure that you have a good time, including playing with
fire. Step onto the fairgrounds nine miles north of Fort Worth and you enter a
land of knights, minstrels, merchants, and an assortment of elves and fairies.
Shaded from the sun by a thick forest canopy is a village where the costume
party lasts through Sept. 29.
“We’re not stuck to any particular historic period,” said Lindsey Hart,
publicist for the festival, “we’re much more vague and relaxed.”
The fair has eight stages with rotating performances going on continuously
during the day. The April Fools (pictured) amaze the whole family with juggling
and fire-eating performances, while Liz & Lucy in the pub fill the air with
bawdy revelry, and in between are a dozen other acts that amuse and amaze.
Between the shows, try your hand at the archery range or throwing knives. For
the kids there is a petting zoo with exotic animals and elephant and camel
rides.
The 70 merchants in the village sell everything from dragon sculptures to
earring racks. Besides the two pubs there is a food court serving an assortment
of snacks and meals. The village baker makes a fine bread, and with luck you
might be in time for a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven. Many of the
craftsmen demonstrate their manufacturing process on-site.
The festival grounds are north of Alliance Airport and across I-35 from the
giant motor speedway (under construction) at FM114. Gates open on Saturday,
10am-7pm, and Sunday, 10am-6pm with Dragon’s Flagon pub staying open until
midnight on Saturday. One-day tickets are $9 for adults, $5 for children. There
also are two-day and season passes available. For more information call,
817/430-4102 or http://web2.airmail.net/hawkwood. Look for the fair to open for
a Haunted Forest Halloween celebration and a special Celtic Christmas shopping
bazaar.
Coming up this weekend…
Tour Texas state parks on Sept. 7 & 8 with guides at Monument Hill/Kreishe
Brewery to visit one of the oldest brewery sites in the state, 409/968-5658; or
hike through Wild Cave and to Gorman Falls at Colorado Bend State Park,
915/628-3240. Liendo Plantation, Elisabet Ney’s home outside of Hempstead, is
open for tours on Sept. 7, 409/826-4400.
Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farm opens Sept. 8 for Grandparents Day, Sept. 15 for
Celebrating Cotton, Sept. 21 & 22 for Fall Festival, and Sept. 29 for
Homegrown Music Day. 837-1215.
The Early Years of R&B is a 50-piece exhibit of photos by Benny Joseph and
related documents at the Multicultural Center in Heritage Park, Corpus Christi,
Sept. 6-Oct. 31. 512/883-0639.
Coming up…
Grapefest in downtown Grapevine features the products of Texas wineries along
with a fair and carnival, Sept. 13-15. 800/457-6338.
Hummer/Bird Celebration in Rockport welcomes the migrating hummingbirds and
other fowl to the coast with a weekend of tours and seminars, Sept. 12-15.
800/242-0071.
Ultimate Blues Cruise sets sail around the Caribbean
Jan. 19-26 with top
musical acts aboard ship for continuous music and fun. 800/886-6132 or
http://www.ultimatecruises.com.
This article appears in September 6 • 1996 and September 6 • 1996 (Cover).
