ANCHORS AWAY FOR HIGH SEAS ADVENTURE AT THE BAY AREA RENAISSANE FESTIVAL AT MOSI

The weekend of March 24th and 25th is the welcomes all peg legs and eye patches to the High Seas Adventure!  Special events include a Fencing Competition, Tattoo Competition, Wine Tasting, Grape Stomp, Vow Renewals and lots of pirate themed fun!

Pirates will be roaming and pillaging the Realm this weekend!  Patrons can participate in a Jack Sparrow Costume Contest or join competitions such as Walk the Plank, Swab the Deck, and Pirate “Aye” Eating Competition with Scotch Eggs!

All are welcome to try their hand at fencing this weekend! Patrons can participate in the 3rd Annual Imperial Florida State Fencing Competition.  Anyone who wants to join this competition is encouraged to sign up.  The competition is split up into two categories; 0-1 years fencing experience and 1+ years fencing experience.  Registration is available online as well as from 10am—1pm at the front gate for a fee of $10. Every registrant will receive one free ticket to the festival!

If guests are timid they can instead show off their finest and most unique ink at the 3rd Annual Tattoo Competition!  Categories include Best Pirate Tattoo, Most Colorful, Most Covered and Most Unique!   The competition is sponsored by TattooFest 2012.

Spread the love with free vow renewals this weekend!  Couples can check in at the front gate shortly before 11:00 am to sign up for the vow renewals and will receive a special renewal document.  Wine tasting and a grape stomp are open for couples or singles to partake in all weekend as well!

This weekend would not be complete without the finger-licking barbeque competition!  The 3^rd Annual Buccaneer BBQ Competition will feature local restaurants, chefs and home cooks to battle it out for trophies and bragging rights!  The competition will be judged on the following categories: Presentation, Taste, Flavor, Tenderness and Texture.  Patrons should make sure to try the free samples and purchase barbeque treats from the vendors in the Special Events Field.

Local contestants include: Gorilla Barbeque, Grandpa Jones Smokehouse, Firehouse BBQ,  Hats Off To Dining and Holy Hog, the defending barbeque champion!

The Bay Area Renaissance Festival at MOSI is located on Fowler Ave and 46th in Tampa across from the University of South Florida and parking is FREE.

High Seas Adventure Weekend At The Bay Area Renaissance Festival

The weekend of April 9th and 10th is the High Seas Adventure Weekend. Weekend events include a Longbow Competition, Biker Weekend with a scheduled Bike Run, Horseshoe Competition, Beer Tasting, Vow Renewals and a special Scotch Egg eating contest.

The Tortuga Twins are back for this weekend only! Come watch D’Angelo, Raphael & Lucio juggle, mime, do whip stunts, all while interacting with the audience in this hilarious comedy trio act.

The area’s finest archers will be in attendance for the Longbow Competition. Tampa’s best bow men and women will test their skills with classic longbows in a variety of categories. Cyndi Cartelli, the longbow competition coordinator and experience archer, began shoorting at the age of ten with her father. She later began doing demonstrations and instruction at local fairs. “It was one of the few sporst women were allowed to participate in back then. And a challenge to do it in full (skirt) hoops! It’s fantastic!”, Cartelli says. Lords, ladies, and squires are the three categories eligible for prizes. Little archers can shoot suction arrows in the Children’s Realm. Cartelli is looking forward to seeing the results of the 30 to 40 shooters this weekend. The competition begins at 11 a.m. each day in Piper’s Valley.

 Both the Longbow Competition and Horseshoe Competition will accept walk-up participants, but pre-registration is available. Each contest will offer fantastic prizes.

This weekend is “Knights on Bikes” weekend! 98 Rock, Full Throttle magazine, and St. Pete Powersports are combing forces to put on a bike show Sunday, April 10th. Registration for this event is from 10am—2pm and will be complete with trophies and prizes. Come hang out with Jesse Kage from 98 rock from 2pm—4pm then stick around for the awards ceremony at 4pm with guest judge Donny Wilson from St. Pete Powersports. For this weekend only, patrons who show their motorcycle endorsement at our box office will receive $5 off a general adult admission. All bikes welcome!

Vow Renewals are offered each day with cake and punch following the ceremony. Each couple will receive a special renewal document.

The Bay Area Renaissance Festival is a first-class experience whose 33rd season begins on Saturday, February 26 and ends on April 17, 2011.  The Festival is open weekends, with a special day for schools and senior on Festival Friday, March 11, 2011. The Festival is open from 10a.m. – 6p.m., rain or shine with a special St. Patrick’s Day Blowout on Thursday, March 17th from 5pm-10pm.  Admission at the gate: Adults $17.95; Children 5-12 $9.95; four and under are free!  Discount tickets are available at participating Circle K and Walgreens stores and at MOSI or online at www.BayAreaRenaissanceFest.com.  Parking is free.