Age of Chivalry

Walter O’Douling is a little more casual about Clark County Parks and Recreation’s 14th annual Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival. His Wild Celts band is "almost like an Irish punk band," and the closest thing he got to period authenticity was a wardrobe malfunction with his kilt a few years back.

"They just told me, if it’s a windy day, try to keep it under wraps literally," O’Douling says with a laugh.

There’s room for all levels of involvement today through Sunday at Sunset Park, 2601 E. Sunset Road. Each year builds upon the one before it, though attendance dipped last year — 35,000 compared with more than 40,000 the year before — when Saturday was essentially rained out.

"A lot of the vendors and re-enactors say they come because it’s the most fun Renaissance festival they do," says Lyon Davis, cultural specialist for the county. "The others are owned by private companies and are more business oriented."

"We actually do see it as a priority," O’Douling says of the Celts, returning to play five sets over the course of the festival this year, after two years away in California. "We think it’s a real cultural point in Las Vegas. It’s not often there’s an event in Vegas that’s not sponsored by a casino or a big corporation.

"The Ren fair has a very strong connection to the whole Celtic scene," O’Douling adds. "We go around the campsites. These guys will spend a year making this special brew. We love to go around and sample the goods. They’re just a great bunch of people."

One of those campsites might be staffed by Perusse’s nonprofit organization, A Time in History. The group draws big crowds with its combat demonstrations but also offers displays of quieter skills such as rope-making.

In combat, "We don’t allow the little snapshots with your wrists, to where you’re barely touching somebody and saying, ‘You’re dead,’ " he says. In his group, you know when you’ve been hit. "We do full swings. Not full strength, but full swings. It looks more authentic that way."

Perusse’s family has been into the Renaissance scene since the local festival’s humble beginnings in Paradise Park. At first, "I thought my wife and my daughter were goofy. Then I got out there and saw these guys fighting and said, ‘Well I can do that.’

"I did framing for pretty close to 15 years, so my forearms and arms were strong enough to do stuff a lot of guys couldn’t do."

Perusse and other enthusiasts started A Time In History a few years ago because they wanted to focus more on history. Some groups lean more toward "Lord of the Rings"-style fantasy.

"If you want to portray a monk in France in the mountains in 1401, you need to know what was going on in that period: what type of food they ate, things of that nature. It’s a lot of study," he says.

A new twist for the festival this year is Queen Alexandra’s encampment. Her Majesty will greet, bless and knight guests. On Friday evening and Sunday morning, she will host a tea with light refreshments. At sunset Saturday, she will get married in a ceremony followed by a masquerade ball.

More than 100 artisans and a roster of Celtic-flavored bands are featured in the festival, which includes jousting, black powder demonstrations, strolling minstrels, contortionists, magicians, storytellers, jokers, jugglers, fire eaters and belly dancers.

Students are admitted free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. Regular admission is $10 per day or $25 for a three-day pass for adults and $5 per day or $10 for a three-day pass for seniors and students. Ages 5 and younger are admitted free.

Call 455-8200 or visit www.lvrenfair.com for more information.