Recently, I took my kids to the Bristol Renaissance Faire and learned a few (useless) factoids.
• Between 30,000 and 45,000 turkey legs are sold during a single, nine-week season of the Bristol Renaissance Faire.
• Approximately 450,000 gallons of ale, wine, iced tea and lemonade are consumed each season.
• Bristol’s Queen Elizabeth has six exquisitely detailed gowns, each costing thousands of dollars to create.
• The Queen knights somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,280 children every season.
• First-year performers are required to complete 45 hours of classes in the Bristol Academy of Performing Arts prior to the start of the season.
• The longest-standing participant at the Faire is Pamela de la Pena, a Cordon Bleu-trained food vendor who has been serving Faire guests crepes and tempura for 30-plus years.
• More than 100 couples have been married at Bristol over the past 21 years. Every summer, there are dozens of pre-arranged marriage proposals at the Faire.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.