SANDPOINT — Everywhere you looked, a gallant knight or finely dressed lady could be seen under sunny skies as the Sandpoint renaissance faire welcomed a record-setting number of people looking to capture a taste of medieval life.

"The weekend went incredibly well and far exceeded our expectations, thanks to the dedication and hard work of our volunteers and the patronage of our guests," Cassandra Robinson, Sandpoint Renaissance Association board member, said. "We welcomed record attendance, saw countless smiling faces, received many compliments from guests, and enjoyed an amazing display of costumes throughout the weekend."

The two-day faire welcomed a record setting 9,000-plus people, as well as hundreds of volunteers, vendors and performers.

"We continue to be amazed by the creativity and enthusiasm of our guests," Robinson said. "The costumes this year were absolutely outstanding, and we deeply appreciate the time, effort and imagination people put into bringing the spirit of the renaissance faire to life."

With sunny skies and warm temperatures, Robinson said the faire had the perfect weekend and offered something for everyone.

Members of the court, including Queen Elizabeth I, greeted faire attendees who started gathering an hour or so before gates opened at 9 a.m. both days. Adding to the fun was an impromptu ribbon-cutting — with twine tied to leftover paracord — to start the day, Robinson said.

"We will refine that new tradition in the future by purchasing actual ribbon," she said. "I heard (Queen Elizabeth) ask all the guests to 'hydrate or die-drate' before they entered; she said it was a famous Shakespeare quote."

Robinson and other faire officials said they are incredibly grateful to everyone who made this year's faire happen — from volunteers, performers and vendors to sponsors and community partners. Without them, the faire would not be the same.

"The Sandpoint renaissance faire is truly a community event, and its continued growth and success are only possible because so many people come together each year to make it happen," Robinson said. "The success of this faire allows us to partner with the Vietnam Vets and to make donations throughout our local community."

This year's event, as in the past, took participants — and attendees — back to approximately 1583, a time when England was ruled by Queen Elizabeth I, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

A time of cultural, artistic and economic renewal, the period saw Elizabeth transform the country into a major power in Europe and the world. Faire organizers said there is something magical about the period — and about being able to share it with others.

That shared love of history and a desire to offer the community a chance to experience another time and place led to the first Sandpoint renaissance faire during Labor Day weekend in 2017.

Held at the Woods Ranch rock quarry field, the group wasn't sure what the reaction would be or whether anyone would show up. By the end of the weekend, more than 1,500 people turned out to revel in the fun.

The faire has only grown in the years since, with organizers expecting more than 8,000 people during the course of the weekend.

And it's the reaction of those visiting their creation of the medieval world, which has to be created from scratch in less than a week and torn down in a few days, that makes the hard work worthwhile.

"It takes so much work throughout the whole year, but when you see the joy on people's faces and you know they've been looking forward to it, it makes it all worth it," Robinson said previously. "At the end of the fair, there's nothing like that feeling that we get when we've pulled off a successful event that brought so many people in Sandpoint joy."

    Queen Elizabeth I talks to a fellow Sandpoint Renaissance Faire member at the faire on Sunday.