It’s a tradition you can sink your teeth into: the oversized turkey leg, a medieval meat that’s reigned over Ren fair culture for as long as we plucky squires can remember. At the Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival, there’s no better place to find the smoked treat than Sir Rodney’s Legs. Run by Rodney Balinski, who’s been serving at Ren fairs since 1976, Sir Rodney’s Legs has been a staple of the Las Vegas fest since it began.
“I hear about this all year long. I could be in Home Depot or somewhere and they say, ‘Hey turkey leg man! Hey turkey leg man!’ They recognize me,” says Balinski. “I put myself in the program every year. It’s on the inside front page, and I’m standing there with a turkey leg, a steak sandwich and my signs behind me. You’d be surprised how many people come up to get my autograph.”
Going out of his way to make his turkey legs as authentic as possible, Sir Rodney uses his own recipe and gets his meat from suppliers in Texas and North Carolina. “It’s not something you buy at Costco,” he says. He also has hand-cut, prime ribeye steak and sauteed mushroom sandwiches, served on freshly baked rolls.
“I have about 200, maybe 250 people that come to the fair just to buy the legs,” he says. “They’ll buy maybe two dozen to carry them through until Pirate Fest, and they’ll buy some more.”
Balinski’s reputation dates back to his days of working at Pirate Fest and other fairs in San Diego. Draped in his distinctive pirate garb, he’s earned his share of treasure within that scene, too.
“I was doing a Renaissance fair in San Marcos, California. Did that for about 12 years, and the turkey legs were a big hit. They made a big production out of it, as far as the festival, and then they knighted me Sir Rodney,” he says. “I got a beautiful hand-painted sign. It’s a knight with a sword, and then it’s got the turkey leg-crossed emblem right below it.”
The thrice-knighted proprietor says word of his turkey legs eventually got ’round to Age of Chivalry founder Fred Macklehaney, who asked him to join the Las Vegas festival. “I said absolutely, anything to keep me in Las Vegas,” Balinski says. “I started there and 30 years later, here I am.”
Balinski’s son and daughter-in-law also help out with Sir Rodney’s Legs, making it a family tradition they all enjoy.
“It’s just comfortable. The people are great,” he says. “I like the entertainment, the jousting, the belly dancers, the pirates. They have different themes and everything. It’s a wild time.”
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