Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park - 2009

Camelot Returns to Manhattan!

Take a look at the Video New Yorkled shot at the 2005 Festival: Fort Tryon Park Medieval Festival 2005 VIDEO

Rub the rust off thy armor, iron thy chain mail and polish up on ye chivalry because the 2008 Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park will be held on Sunday, September 28, from 11:30 AM - 6PM!

The annual event is sponsored by the City of New York Parks and Recreation and the Washington Heights and Inwood Development Corporation (a not-for-profit organization).

Admission is free.
Expected Attendance: 40,000+

The festival is a unique chance to experience the medieval period in the most authentic setting this side of Europe. The area around the Cloisters Museum in Fort Tryon Park is transformed into a medieval market village where knights in armor, jugglers, jesters, magicians, musicians, storytellers, and puppeteers will perform. A blacksmith, manuscript illuminator, pottery decorator, wood carver and other artisans will demonstrate their crafts. Performers and fairgoers dress in historical costumes. Medieval food is available and craft items will be sold. The afternoon culminates with a jousting event between knights on horseback!

Fairegoers young and old are promised a lot of fun and a chance to learn what life was like in the Middle Ages. Special activities for children make up an important part of the festival, including a variety of puppet theater, music, dance and storytelling activities. The faire is also a chance to discover the beauty of Fort Tryon Park with its stunning views of the Hudson River, the Palisades, and the Cloisters Museum. Parks’s staff will conduct a hawk watch from the park’s heather gardens.

Medieval Festival Highlights:

• The Grand Tilts and a Joust between knights in armor on horseback
• Acclaimed ensembles and individuals presenting a variety of medieval music, dance and song.
• A living chess match featuring medieval combat
• Merlin-like magicians will cast spells on youngsters of all ages.
• Demonstrations on medieval life and fashions as well as one-on-one and group combat.
• Medieval Craft Demonstrations and Sales
• Medieval style food and drink.

HOW TO GET THERE:

BY TRAIN:

Take the IND “A” train to the West 190th Street stop in Manhattan. Take the elevator up to the entrance to the Festival.

BY BUS:

Take the M4 bus north to its last stop, which will be marked either 190th Street, Cloisters or Margaret Corbin Circle. The bus will leave you at the entrance to the festival.

If you are familiar with city streets, you may also take the M100 or Bx7 bus to 192nd Street and Broadway. Walk one block west to Bennett Avenue. Go in the subway entrance on the west side of Bennett Ave. and take the elevator up to the top of the hill and to the entrance to the Festival. You do not have to pay to use the elevator.

DRIVING:

The exit on the Henry Hudson Parkway for the Cloisters is closed. In addition, Fort Washington Avenue north of 187th Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic after 11AM. There is no parking at the festival. On-street parking is extremely limited in the area.

There are garages on Broadway at 177th Street and Broadway at 184th (above Staples) and on Dyckman Street east of the Southbound Henry Hudson Parkway exit. There is a very large garage at the Presbyterian Hospital Parking garage located at 165th Street and Fort Washington Avenue.

If you are lucky enough to find on-street parking, the “A” train runs along Ft. Washington Avenue (you want to go to the 190th Street Station) as does the uptown M4 bus.

A lot of people park their cars well away from Ft. Tryon Park but along the “A” train or M4 bus routes and then take the subway or bus to the festival (see above public transportation directions)

For more information, the public can call (212) 795-1600.