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What: Bristol Renaissance Faire
When: Saturdays and Sundays from mid-July to Labor Day
Where: Off I-94 at the IL/WI Border

If the summer of 2010 has got you down—I’m looking at you, fellow Bulls fans—why not try another century? And who better to ask for a century suggestion than someone who frequents the distant past?

“It’s like stepping back in time,” said Liana Alcantara, treasurer of the University’s What You Will Shakespeare Company.

Interestingly, Alcantara isn’t talking about performing the works of the bard. She’s remembering her journey through time to last year’s Bristol Renaissance Faire, an annual event that runs Saturdays and Sundays from mid-July to Labor Day, including Labor Day itself, and that promises a variety of unique entertainment and vendors in an historical setting.

This will be the faire’s 23rd year, and Bob Brinkman, in his third year as entertainment director, said it has more great things to see than ever before.

“The amount of entertainment stages we have is much larger than it was when I started,” said Brinkman. “Everything has just gotten bigger.”

That increase in size means the faire can host an unprecedented variety of acts, many of whom will be new to the faire or returning after missing previous years and will help add up to “over 60 hours of entertainment per day” by Brinkman’s count.

“We’ve been rotating a lot of new entertainment out,” said Brinkman. “We have new music acts. We have variety acts that haven’t been to Bristol in many years, such as the Tortuga Twins. And yes, if anybody asks, we do have all three of them.”

Fortunately, one of the venues at the faire has grown as well. This year will see the reopening of the Midsummer Stage, which now stands at 36 feet high and which Brinkman said will use equipment such as pulleys to give the faire further unique entertainment.

“The new stage is so much larger, so much taller. It’s going to give us a lot of chances in the next few years to really do things that are bigger and better and more exciting,” said Brinkman. “Up and down is more interesting than side-to-side, and so it gives us a wonderful place to host.”

Much of the entertainment, new and old, will be focused on this year’s theme of romance, which Brinkman said will shape many aspects of the faire.

“On the streets, we’re going to have a kissing wench, which Bristol hasn’t had in about a decade,” said Brinkman. “Everybody at the faire is really tying to it. Our street performers have been learning love poems and how to woo women. It’s all about getting out there and having a really good time with the lighter side of romance.”

Though Alcantara said the event isn’t entirely historically accurate and is “more faire than renaissance,” she pointed out that the creativity and dedication put into the event guarantee something original and fun.

“It’s such an experience,” said Alcantara. “You can just get some friends together and have a good time.”