ALMFF draws thousands from near and far

BY MOLLIE S. WATERS

The Greenville Standard

 

The annual Alabama Medieval Fantasy Festival (ALMFF) was held on Saturday and Sunday, and it was a huge success.

Although severe weather threatened attendance the entire weekend, people showed up in droves. Saturday was especially busy.

“The crowd was massive this year,” said ALMFF regular performer Luisa Reyes. “I believe the biggest I’ve seen. There were times on Saturday when the lanes were really crowded.”

Although exact numbers have yet to be tabulated, Saturday’s crowds likely broke the festival’s record for highest attendance in a single day.

On Sunday, things started a little more slowly, but numbers picked up as the predicted storms did not materialize. In fact, people were still arriving at 4 p.m., just an hour before closing.

Attendees at this year’s festival also got really involved in the activities, such as sword fighting and Rat Puck, but the number of people wearing costumes also increased from previous years.

“So many were wearing elaborate costumes,” said Reyes. “I especially enjoyed the Snow White costumes I saw over the weekend. One spectator explained to me that she made hers out of curtains. It was very elegant!”

Costumes ranged from knights to maidens, but there was everything in between, including Mario characters, Steampunk, Harry Potter, Disney, and so much more.

“The faire was a lot of fun this weekend,” said Reyes. “Hot and humid, that’s for sure.  But, still fun.”

Plans for next year’s festival are already in the works.

For more information, visit ALMFF.com, or visit their Facebook page.