Among the countless reasons why we love living in Baltimore is its proximity to the Maryland Renaissance Festival (running weekends through Oct. 25), just about 25 miles south in Crownsville—which is continuously lauded as one of the best in the United States. When the summer winds down, hundreds of thousands of visitors stitch up their corsets, dust off their flower crowns, and make their way to Revel Grove—the 27-acre village of King Henry VIII and his royal company.

Stepping through the front gates sends attendees on a fully immersive trip back to the 16th century, with period-specific shops, artisans, performers (everything from song and dance to juggling and comedy), and sustenance (including the famous turkey legs, eats on a stick, and steins of mead) around every corner.

And fair-goers from near and far seem to be craving that kind of rare escape. As the festival celebrates its 50th anniversary, it’s more popular than ever—with tickets selling out as fast as the horses that rush around the jousting arena, which prompted a wait-list policy for the first time this year.  

Contributing photographer and Maryland Renaissance Festival regular Lauren Castellana—pictured below, donning a hand-made jester costume that she worked on all year in anticipation of the fest—strolled around the village to capture the fun, food, performance, and pure joy of opening weekend.