By Robin Knight

There has been a shift in the Kootenays over the last year, and it’s a shift backwards. With coordinators from both Nakusp and Kimberley, Medieval Festivals are the most anticipated events of the summer.

The Kimberley City Bakery Medieval Festival will be held on July 9 and 10, followed a couple weeks later by Nakusp Medieval Days, on July 23 and 24. With different events to see and do, and groups to visit at each festival, they are both worth the visit and the trip!

The Kimberley City Bakery Medieval Festival will be bringing back many of the highlights of last year’s festival and adding some new ones as well. Kicking off with a parade down Wallinger Street, and into the Platzl, crowds will get a chance to glimpse many of the acts and artists who are part of this year’s festival. Anyone who wants to dress up in their best medieval costume (whether Knight, Viking, Lord, or Lady), is invited to join the parade, which will start in the old Canadian Parking lot at 10 a.m.

The festival will continue to be free to attend, and will again take place in the Platzl and Coronation Park Ball Diamond.

The Platzl will be the place to see live music in the Gazebo throughout the festival, featuring three talented acts: The Merrie Minstrel Finkleman, a wandering minstrel; Lennan Delaney, a musician new to Kimberley who will share his talent on Sunday; and Cantus Firmus – an a cappella group out of Vancouver, that will be sharing their musical talents on the Saturday, and offering a Gregorian Chant Latin Mass Sunday morning at 9 in conjunction with Kimberley’s Anglican Church in the Gazebo as well.

This taste of traditional Latin mass music will be a rare treat here in the Kootenays, and is highly anticipated as one of this year’s new offerings.

Also available in the Platzl will be a fortune teller, slack line sword fighting, Viking games, medieval displays of how they created different crafts, a place to make your own flower wreath for your hair, interactive medieval fighting, crafts, a game of giant chess, and even a sword in the stone – the perfect place for your medieval selfies!

The Coronation Park Ball Diamond, next to Centennial Hall, will be home to the Viking Village over the two-day festival.

A fight area will be set up for Viking fight reenactments with the very popular Kiddie fight (where kids fight the Vikings with pool noodles), Knights fighting, Archery competition, and a new interactive fighting opportunity using foam weapons.

Medieval vendors will be onsite with food, drink, and medieval wares to help people get into the medieval spirit.

The Viking Village will give visitors a chance to watch the Vikings make nets, demonstrate tablet weaving, cook, forge medal, and live like Vikings would have done about a thousand years ago.

An intimidating Barbarian also guards the entrance of the village, with his imposing throne, also another must see for the kiddies and kids at heart alike.

If you are looking for more of a chance to interact with the Vikings, musicians, and festival guests, The Elks Club Medieval Feast is not to be missed. “No silverware,” but plenty of food, music, and entertainment. Tickets must be purchased in advance from The Kimberley City Bakery, Centex, or The Elks Club in Kimberley.

And if you need even more of a medieval fix once the festival is over, be sure to head down to Nakusp at the end of July. More information can be found about these festivals at:

Kimberley City Bakery Medieval Festival 

Nakusp Medieval Days

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