Jeanne McHale and Fritz Knorr of rural Moscow will serve as the queen and king of the Moscow Renaissance Fair on Saturday and Sunday (Geoff Crimmins/Moscow-Pullman Daily News photo).

43rd annual event adds beer and wine garden, new children’s activities

Jeanne McHale and Fritz Knorr of rural Moscow will serve as the queen and king of the Moscow Renaissance Fair on Saturday and Sunday.

Fritz Knorr and Jeanne McHale will serve as king and queen of the 43rd annual Moscow Renaissance Fair on Saturday and Sunday at East City Park.

The Moscow couple married nearly 40 years ago and both felt honored by their selection.

“We were thrilled to be asked,” said McHale, who works with Knorr in the department of chemistry at Washington State University.

Both are founding members of the Moscow Volunteer Peace Band and they often perform with other area ensembles, with Knorr playing the sousaphone and McHale on the melodica. The couple has also devoted great effort to educating area youth about solar energy and are involved in a variety of social and political causes.

The couple said they began attending the fair soon after arriving in Moscow in 1980, and they have played important roles in helping organize the event throughout the years. Knorr is listed as a main parade organizer this year.

“We live in a small town,” McHale said. “People do a whole lot. You can’t get away with not being involved.”

Royal couples are able to choose their own official attire to wear during the fair, and this year the queen will wear a lilac gown and king will don a burgundy outfit. McHale made her own shiny crown and Knorr was able to borrow headgear from a past king: Latah County Commissioner Tom Lamar.

New this year to the fair is a beer and wine garden, as well as a new offering for children where they create art that will be offered for sale.

Craft vendors have been the major source of funding for the event and the addition of beer and wine service is expected to help the fair’s nonprofit community group continue being the only self-sustaining festival of its kind in the region.

“Renaissance” in French means “rebirth,” so the fair is a way to celebrate spring, McHale said.

“This is a unique community event,” Knorr said. “And a chance for everyone to have some fun.”

Virtually all of the food booths are sponsored by other area nonprofits.

The Moscow Renaissance Fair runs 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

Visit http://www.moscowrenfair.org for details.

(By Terri Harber, Moscow-Pullman Daily News)