Oh, the burden of royalty at the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

The king and queen of England were headed to Aberdeen. It was Renaissance Faire Night at Ripken Stadium, where the Single-A IronBirds were ready to play the Greenville Drive.

Actors Fred Nelson and Laurie Simonds were game for the appearance, sporting 30 pounds of brocade, ruffles and lace to promote the opening of their make-believe realm on Saturday.

Noblesse oblige.

“The pitch itself was horrible,” his majesty wrote in an email afterward. “The costume definitely restricts shoulder movement, and the ball bounced once before the plate. … Didn’t matter. We all had great fun.”

The fall festival takes place on weekends from Aug. 24 through Oct. 20 and, after almost 50 years, remains a singular event on the Maryland entertainment calendar. It is held at 1821 Crownsville Road in Annapolis.

The fair is a series of scripted plays and shows set across 10 stages — even the jousting is part of the pageant. But it’s also an outdoor festival at a 19-acre pretend village called Revel Grove that’s held over nine weekends. Crowds are entertained by some 200 performers, from actors and musicians to stunt artists and jousters.

Vendors sell the ordinary (think bubble wands) and the exotic (think leather and swords). Visitors can munch on sausage or cheesecake on a stick or gnaw on smoked turkey legs, then wash it down with the honey wine known as mead.

Nelson is in his 22nd year as the oft-wed Henry. This is Simonds’ 18th season, including four as Lady Seymour and the last two since her character became queen. Forty-six professional actors surround them, including state Del. Heather Bagnall as Lady Thomasin Templeton.

“We are in character and, obviously, we’re wearing heavy costumes and it’s very hot out there. So, it can often be a very physically demanding performance,” Nelson said. “And we are all doing that together. It’s kind of like going to hell and back together. We are a tight unit based on what we all do together.”

Actors have spent weeks memorizing lines for the year 1537 — Simonds uses an app — but also perfecting the skill of staying in character while walking through a village crowded with onlookers and plotlines. Because, whether it’s kids or adults, people want to engage with the walking, talking fantasy players.

“I love to let them talk about who they are and what makes them want to be in Revel Grove and they see the magic that we create,” Simonds said. “You sort of lose yourself in that too — that, ‘Oh, hey, this is real for them.’ And I’m glad that I get to help be a part of that.”

Going to the festival can be like sticking your head in a Renaissance blender, a bewildering mix of funny hats, pointy shoes and shouting fools. You can wander, but it pays to make a plan by using the changing list of shows and the map on the website.

“You can’t see it all in one day,” Simonds said. “I don’t even know if you could see all of it in a whole weekend. But if you’ve never been there, you’re going to be walking into a very immersive, real life, actual structured building environment.”

Jousting? Yes. Music in the pubs? Yes. Magic? Up to you. Jacques Ze Whipper? His 3.4 million Instagram followers might be on to something.

And if you decide to come back, you won’t be alone.

“I have noticed people coming up to me with their kids and introducing them to me,” Nelson said. “And I come to find out, over the course of the conversation, that the reason that they wanted to introduce their child to me is because they themselves came up to me and played with me when they were children.”

General admission tickets are $26, with discounts for children, seniors and groups. The show does sell out to avoid overcrowding. Prices go up Sept. 14, when the weather usually cools and the crowds swell.

Here are other things to do in the week ending Thursday Aug. 29.

City Dock moves

7 p.m. Thursday

City Dock in Annapolis will be closed for months starting this fall if a city plan to transform it into a climate resilience project stays on schedule. So grab all the time there you can.

Fitness business Moms in Motion presents a waterfront dance workout class at Susan Campbell Park just in time for sunset. $20.

Summer movie

7 p.m. Friday

It’s funny just how many bad movies Nicolas Cage has made. Good ones, too. Sure. But the World War II flick “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage,” though based on a true story, probably isn’t one of the good ones. Rotten Tomatoes viewers give it just 30%.

Hear me out on this. What can save a meh movie from oblivion? Watching it outdoors in the fading days of summer!

SOFO, a group of merchants along South Forest Drive (get it?), will show the 2016 film in the Bay Ridge Plaza parking lot. The evening starts with music at 7, with food and drink for sale. The movie begins about 8:30. Parking is limited. Bring your own chairs. Free.

Guitar hero

6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday

It can be hard to pick a show from the stream of Rams Head on Stage acts. But a sure sign of a talent worth catching is two performances in one night.

Marcus Miller is a New York-based bass guitarist, songwriter and producer who’s worked with jazz legends including Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. He’s also a politically aware activist honored by UNESCO, which produced the 2020 get-out-the-vote concert, Lift Every Voice and Sing. The Annapolis shows come at the tail end of his summer tour promoting his funk/R&B collaborative album “Basement Party.”

Tickets are $55 plus taxes and fees.

Wet dog kinda day

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday

The end of summer means it’s time to get your dog wet.

The Anne Arundel County SPCA’s annual Puppy Plunge is a fundraiser where dogs get a chance to get in the water at Camp Letts in Edgewater. There will be music, food, drinks and merchandise. Admission is $10 per car.

Down by the River

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday

Anne Arundel County continues its waterfront park open houses at Quiet Waters Park.

The River Days Festival include rides aboard the tour boats Miss Anne 1 and 2, music, games, crafts, face painting, food trucks, and activities by local environmental organizations and county agencies. Registration required. Free.

Last chance

7:30 p.m. Tuesday

It’s your final night to catch Classic Theatre of Maryland’s outdoor summer production, “The Miser.”

Moliere’s farce takes place in the beer garden at Reynold’s Tavern. Tickets are $55-$75 plus taxes and fees, and do not include dinner or drinks.