UNM Medieval Studies Association hosts 4th annual Medieval Faire

The University of New Mexico's Institute for Medieval Studies (IMS) student association hosted its fourth annual Medieval Faire today on Johnson Field, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Event organizers planned a festive, exciting community gathering that spanned age groups and featured medieval-themed offerings celebrating how history connects to our modern world through arts, food and cultural entertainment activities.

The medieval period covered approximately the 5^th through the 15^th centuries. It was defined by hierarchical social structures, the Catholic Church, Gothic architecture and stylized religious art.

In medieval times, fairs and festivals like this one were vital to the growth of economies, cultural traditions and social systems. They could even connect isolated regions. Today, they can serve in the same capacity, fulfilling the event's mission to connect the UNM community to the greater Albuquerque community.

"One of our core values is increasing community collaboration between the university and the surrounding community members and businesses," said Jessie Bonafede, the event organizer, IMS outreach fellow, and a UNM doctoral candidate in medieval studies.

The fair bridges ancient history and the present through experiential learning activities, including demonstrations, workshops, and hands-on experiences that let visitors learn about and engage with history. Attendees could watch and learn how to sword fight, participate in spice blending workshops, learn from an active practicing blacksmith, and see and learn about a working beehive.

Bonafede shared that there is a movement within the field of medieval studies that is shifting from a European-centric view to a more global one.

"We wanted to embrace this movement and think about how we can bring New Mexico and UNM into the faire and bring it home for our visitors," said Bonafede.

Vendors included UNM student resource departments such as Graduate Studies, National Student Exchange and Study Abroad and the KIVA Club, among many others. Local shops included Old Barrel Tea Company, Fuller Forge Creations, Albuquerque Sword Labs, and Bumble & Bug Bakery.

The fair continues to grow each year, including the community network that knows about the event. For the first time in the event's history, eager participants reached out to Bonafede to ask to participate, instead of the other way around.

New this year, they partnered with Daniel Fuller of Fuller Forge Creations, a local active blacksmith, who could share the tricks and tools of his trade with attendees. Next year, the team hopes to work through the proper channels to have Fuller have a fire and work with metal on-site.

Fuller shared that "Blacksmiths were some of the most important folks in medieval times. They performed mostly behind-the-scenes work. They made and maintained tools, such as nails and fasteners, for everyday use. They also played vital health care roles, from veterinary work, such as making horseshoes, to treating severe battlefield wounds by cauterizing them."

Bonafede and Myers both fervently agreed that they would like to see this festival continue to grow and bring in more people. In fact, this year they partnered with Albuquerque Public Schools and supported three local middle school field trips. They hope to expand their APS partnership in future years and increase that number.

"One of our most important missions is to share what UNM has to offer and what the faculty and students are doing. More importantly, we need to bring community members onto campus and make the public part of what we do here," said Lisa Myers, IMS co-director.

To learn more about the Institute for Medieval Studies, visit the Institute's webpage. To receive direct updates about the festival and department events, sign up for the newsletter by emailing [email protected].