STERLING - Even Queen Elizabeth needs a summer vacation, some time off from her royal duties to “sojourn to the countryside.”

“It is a way to meet all those who I adore as my subjects,” she said as she took a bite from the turkey leg she held in her right hand. Her royal Majesty was enjoying a hearty supper with Lady Mary Sidney, engaged to the Earl of Penbroke, and Lady AnnedeVerde, Countess of Oxford.

“It's always well to supper in the presence of her glorious royal Majesty,” said Annedeverde.

Queen Elizabeth, adorned in a yellow beaded and embroidered gown, waved to many a-passerby transported thither 422 years ago to the time of Shakespeare, jousting and lords and ladies at the Sterling Renaissance Festival.

This weekend is the last of the seven-week festival which began on July 7 and concludes today.

Co-manager Virginia Young deemed this year's festival successful, but marked by a decrease in attendance. She cited the economy and high gas prices as possible reasons for a lower turnout.

“We have to be aware of the times we're living in economically,” said vender Linda New-Craig, who has sold floral headpieces at the festival since its inception 31 years ago. “I think people have to be more careful with what they are spending. A lot of it is going to the gas tank. We come and play and have a good time here, but we need to be careful too.”

Though attendance is down, Cole Sheckler, handcrafter of fine gems, is not really concerned.

“In the early years we were lucky if we got 1000 people in a weekend,” he said, who has worked at the festival since the beginning. “And over the last decade it has been variable,” citing weather patterns, advertising and cost as determinants of traffic.

But a decrease in attendance didn't mean that the festival was deserted. Countless people from Cayuga to Wyoming to Albany Counties and has far east as New England came to the festival on Saturday to soak in the history, the fun, food and entertainment.

Melissa Jones of Skaneateles and her niece, Lola Cowie of California, came to the festival for the first time five years ago. Now it's a yearly tradition.

“We just want these memories,” Jones said. “We want to share this as our favorite time.”

Cowie, 12, came to the festival prepared. She wore green and white period clothes, was ready to throw tomatoes at the heckler, watch the Washer Wenches teach the men how to treat their ladies as they air their dirty laundry, and eat plenty of food.

“We love to eat the food,” Jones said as she stuffed her steak-on-a-stick into her mouth. “The first part is all about the games and the vendors and the shows. The second part is all about the food. We've already had turkey legs and steak-on-a-stick. The next is the cream puffs. And before we leave we're going to have an apple dumpling.”

“We are?” asked Cowie.

“Yes. We're going to have a foodfest.”

Colleen and Christopher Smith of Skaneateles decided to take their three children, Taylor, 11, Christopher II, 9, and Noah, 5, to the festival to see what it was all about.

The first stop was watching a joust.

“It makes it feel authentic,” Christopher Smith said. “Like we've really gone back in time.”

“It makes me feel like a knight,” said Christopher Smith II.

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239.

Breakout:

If you go:

What: Sterling Renaissance Festival

Where: 15385 Farden Road, Sterling

When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.