Royal Medieval Faire – 2026

3 hours ago

2 min read

Despite a cool and cloudy day, this year’s Royal Medieval Faire was a tremendous success for the Kitchener Knights!

Three months of planning came together as 32 Brother Knights volunteered throughout the day, preparing and serving hundreds of smoked turkey legs and jumbo hot dogs to the colourful crowds attending the Faire.

The day began early, with the setup crew gathering at Columbus House at 7:30 a.m. to load trucks and trailers with everything needed for the event: five barbecues—including two industrial double units—12 propane tanks, three tents, tables, chairs and all the equipment required to prepare, serve and safely handle the food. Our packing and setup plan has been refined over the past three years, and that experience paid off. Once on site, tents went up, barbecues were levelled and serving stations were positioned according to plan.

Deputy Grand Knight Patrick Olinski served, with Kevin Schmalz, as Event Co-Chairs, keeping everything moving while expertly delegating responsibilities among the team. Four “Sellers” worked the crowd, taking orders and directing hungry customers to our two-person cashier station. Behind the tents, the chefs kept the grills busy and the serving tables stocked, while the front-end crew packed and wrapped the “dogs,” “legs” and fries.

Adding to the success of the day, a few of our Ladies played an essential role, running the cashier stations and efficiently processing orders through to the production team. Special thanks to Gabriel, Marilyn and Jo Ann for their dedication and hard work—and for helping to keep the guys on track throughout a very busy day!

It was a hive of activity—and quite a sight to watch!

With three hours still remaining, excitement turned briefly to concern as the Sellers began running low on order forms—a sure sign that our supply of turkey legs was disappearing just as quickly. Selling out early would have been a good problem to have, but a few timely phone calls resulted in a last-minute delivery from our vendor, allowing us to keep the grills going and the orders flowing.

By the end of the Faire, we had virtually sold out of everything.

More than a successful fundraiser, the Royal Medieval Faire was another great example of what can happen when Brother Knights, family and friends work together. From planning and transportation to cooking, selling, processing orders, serving and cleanup, the success of the day belonged to the entire team.

Thank you to everyone who gave their time, energy and enthusiasm to make the 2026 Royal Medieval Faire such a success. Well done!