OHIO STATE RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL RECREATES ROBIN HOOD LEGEND COLUMBUS -- From days of yore, medieval lore and legends will prevail. The campus converts to the gothic ages as knights and nobles mingle with jugglers and pages. Ohio State University students and faculty will recreate "The Legend of Robin Hood" at the 23rd annual Medieval and Renaissance Festival on Saturday, May 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the South Oval (12th Avenue at College Road). The goal of the event is to increase appreciation for the medieval and Renaissance periods and to present a glimpse into the characters of people of long ago. The festival begins at 11 a.m. with a Grand Processional through Mirror Lake Hollow. Throughout the day, costumed performers will entertain visitors with medieval sword fights, plays, a human chessboard, dances, juggling, magic and music. Games and amusements such as Nine-Men's Morris, Fox and Geese, and chess -- on a life-size scale -- are offered as an example of leisure-time activities of the Renaissance. Face painting and balloons will be available for children and the young at heart. Festival-goers are invited to watch a magic show or to have their palms read. Musical instruments, clothing and games all recall a distant era. Many visitors also dress in period style. Crafts and food reminiscent of the Renaissance, as well as festival posters and T-shirts, will be sold. "The Medieval and Renaissance Festival allows Ohio State to share its vitality with the community," said Shelly Bansal, a freshman from Cincinnati majoring in political science and public relations and chair of the festival steering committee. "It's a fun day for the entire family. It has juggling, sword fights, magic, humor, and it's free." # Contact: Shelly Bansal, (614) 688-2674, or David Strauss, University Honors Center, (614) 292-3135.