Creative Date Ideas: Medieval/Renaissance Theme

Spanning the time period of approximately AD 500 -1600, Medieval and Renaissance times shared the commonalities of knights, ladies, chivalry, romance, and unbelievable feasts. Overlapping one another in time, one marked the 'middle of time' (the middle ages a.k.a. the medieval time period) while the other marked the beginning of the 'rebirth' or modern times (the Renaissance).

For the romantic at heart, or those who are dating or married to someone with an interest in the medieval/renaissance theme, here are some ideas for creating just the right date with that special someone.

DINING

Ye Lion's Den Restaurant: Ogden. This theme restaurant offers an all-inclusive price for their 5 course dinner meal. Something for every budget is available. The food is excellent, and entertainment travels from room to room and table to table. They also serve lunch, and can accommodate large groups.

Homemade Medieval and Renaissance Cookery: For those who wish to create a home cooked medieval feast, this site is rich with all you need to know in order to replicate medieval and renaissance food customs and recipes.

ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS

Shakespearean Festival: Cedar City. Held annually each summer beginning in June, and running into part of the fall; this festival is held on the campus of Southern Utah University.

Utah Midsummer Renaissance Festival: Cedar City: While the Shakespearean Festival is going on, also in Cedar City, this festival operates for about half a week in July as an additional source of fun related to this time period.

Medieval Fest: Salt Lake City. This annual event was moved to the campus of USVC, and is held in October.

Renaissance Festival: Layton. Annual event held in May. Food, entertainment such as jousting, artisans with their wares, and more.

Medieval Chamber: Moab. A 3A II technical canyoneering experience which takes about 3 hours of time. Previous climbing and rappelling experience is not required when accompanied by an available tour guide. More information is available on the website.

Medieval/Renaissance Music Concerts: Statewide. This website will give the latest information available about concerts of these types of music coming to Utah (and other states). Click on the appropriate state on the shown map in order to get the concert listings for that state. If there are none in that state, it will give you information about the concerts closest to your chosen location.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For those wishing to enhance the medieval feel to the date, to give a medieval or renaissance themed gift, or just are curious and want to learn more about the time period; the following is a list of websites with a great assortment of medieval/renaissance theme information and items for rent or sale.

Quidditas: Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association Online Journal, BYU. If you want to learn more about medieval times, BYU medieval events, or general medieval information with the goal of authenticity; this is a great source for information.

Glossary: a listing of medieval and renaissance terms with their definitions.

The Medieval Knight: To gain a brief overview about knights, the knight's code, their armor, weaponry, and more; this site is an easy read with great photos.

The Medieval Lady: A brief overview of medieval ladies, and the life they were raised and expected to live.

Costumers: a listing of costume rental stores across Utah for those wishing to rent a medieval or renaissance costume. Those wishing to purchase a costume may do so easily online at any number of sites with replica or very authentically detailed costumes. Search words such as 'renaissance' and 'medieval' along with the word 'costume' will result in a plethora of site results.

Medieval/Renaissance/Baroque Music: Listings of CDs containing medieval, renaissance, and baroque music to enjoy with your date.

Medieval Gifts and Miscellaneous Items: This online listing is a collection of jewelry, gifts, costumes, and supplies related to the medieval and renaissance themes.

Medieval/Renaissance Wedding Information: Just in case things go really well on the date, this site has a great deal of helpful information for planning a medieval/renaissance style wedding.