DOWAGIAC — This weekend, local college students were transported to the days of yore — to times of swash-buckling knights, glamourous damsels and charming jesters.

Saturday, Southwestern Michigan College hosted its second annual renaissance faire on the college’s Dowagiac campus. The faire, part of SMC’s welcome week for new and incoming students, treated visitors to turkey legs, a comedic troupe, belly dancing, combat and visits from Lake Milton’s Raptor Center’s birds of prey, among other attractions.

“I would call it a success,” said Branden Pompey, assistant manager of SMC’s student activity center, of the fair.  “It was a lot of fun.”

According to Pompey, SMC roughly estimates that the fair had 200 visitors over its four-hour run. The event also saw booths and vendors including soap, flower crowns and jewelry salespersons. The Dowagiac District Library also got in on the fun, hosting a table for students to learn “Shakespearian” insults.

After last year’s inaugural faire drew more interest than expected, this year’s event was about adding attractions and making the event as fun and entertaining as possible for students, Pompey said.

“Last year, this was just a crazy idea, and we wanted to expand and see where we could grow this,” he said. “This was an opportunity to show our students that ideas, even really crazy-nerdy ones from assistant managers, can be done here at SMC.”

Part of the reason SMC hosted the faire during welcome week was to show incoming students that they can have the same college experience at SMC that they can have at a bigger state school, Pompey said. It is the same logic that governs other “just for fun” events SMC hosts, such as “Tom Hanksgiving,” where students watch Tom Hanks moves before Thanksgiving break, Halloween dances and a trip to ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“We want our students to know there are things going on at campus, and that we are a vibrant campus both during the week and on weekend,” Pompey said. “We want students to stay here on the weekends for events like this and get involved in campus life.”

As a former college student who went home nearly every weekend, Pompey said he understands first-hand the importance of fun weekend events like the renaissance faire for college students.

“Had there been more events like this when I was a student, I feel like I would have stayed the weekends and gotten more out of my comfort zone and gotten to know more of my fellow students,” he said. “I really want to make it a point to get our students engaged and get them walking around campus and to stay and have some fun on the weekends. That is a really important part of college.”

Following this year’s successful renaissance faire, Pompey said he is hopeful SMC will host the event again next year to continue providing medieval fun for students.

“We try to be silly and fun,” he said. “And the ren faire is a lot of fun.”