Through a bright Saturday morning, Eastern Washington University was the epicenter of color and extravagance: fantastical swishing dresses, half-hidden elf ears against the glittering makeup of those from faraway lands.

Offering food and drink, wares, elixirs, archery and live demonstrations of a trebuchet, students and community filed in for the first ever Renaissance faire at EWU on Saturday, May 17.

The event was organized by the Archery Club and the Fencing Club, who came up with the idea,  with the late-inclusion of Eagle Entertainment marking a unique collaboration between organizations. While the event was intended to be held at the iconic Roos Field, all stations were moved indoors to a neighboring building in anticipation of stormy weather, which came in the late afternoon.

For Stephen Croskrey, the Fencing Club president and one of the faire’s organizers, the turn-out was better than expected.

“I’m really happy with the amount of people who showed up,” Croskrey said. “Having vendors was really cool. There were things people could do other than walk around — they could get food, sit down, you know, then get up and do stuff.”

EWU’s Dungeons and Dragons Club oriented new travelers with a quest, guiding them through the faire: guests discovered their clues three to earn the reward of “marbled gemstones” — a pack of colored dice.

Beyond the D&D booth in the brightly-colored and themed vendor’s faire, a walk through the stalls and the dining hall brought travelers to the demonstration room, where attendees watched with rapt attention as the Fencing Club displayed a typical spar between opponents.

Taped against a mirrored wall was a riddle leading to the next room: the archery range.

Amidst the cavernous room, echoing with its uninhabited space, there were only targets, stacked cups and bows waiting to be notched, waiting for the right travelers to pick them up.

Beyond that, the archery range was a free-for-all. With bows and padded arrows in buckets by the door, visitors were free to try their hand at hitting any of the targets or stacks of cups placed randomly through the room.

The second clue was found only by weaving through the archers lining up for the nearest target, taped-up against the wall and out of the way. Another riddle, worn and weathered, leading travelers outdoors to find the trebuchet.

The trebuchet offered live demonstrations, too. The trebuchet, a type of catapult controlled by a sling and popularized in siege warfare, was operated with a quick-release, or a rope allowing the operator to release the trebuchet by several feet away rather than by hand, allowing easier use and a better view for on-lookers. Taped in front of the trebuchet was another clue: a riddle leading back to the vendor’s area.

Past stalls of polymer-clay charms of all sorts – sunflowers, aloe plants, detailed mini-turtles and hand-sewn tote bags — there sat a vendor of elixirs: lemonade and tea, raising money for EWU’s herbarium.

Grace Ogle, one of the elixir-sellers, explained the purpose behind the fundraising.

“We just got (a) grant to digitize the herbarium, but it’s a long process,” Ogle said. “If you don’t know, the herbarium has thousands of pressed plants and macrofungi, like a plant library of sorts.”

Aside from hosting student vendors, the Ren Faire provided an opportunity too good, for many, to pass up: an excuse to dress-up.

“I came out here for an excuse to dress up and see the events,” said Ty Greene, a Ren Faire attendee among a group of several dressed in “medieval” clothes thrifted the day prior.

“(I decided to go) because it’s my first ren faire and I wanted to have fun,” said Eli Sabo, a member of the community accompanying friends.

“It’s all of our first time,” added Silver Nightingale, draped in a blue cloak, gesturing to the surrounding, in-fashion group ambling through the dining hall, past tables of footlong turkey legs.

While the weather held up through the evening, the faire didn’t leave the emergency in-door home.

“For next year,” Croskrey said, “we want to have it outside no matter the weather. Whether that’s through planning or being able to cover everything if the weather does turn, it’ll be outside.”

The archery and fencing clubs are already planning next year’s EWU Ren Faire, spearheading the organizing while trying to bring in more clubs to participate in another bright, lively day of fantasy.