Renaissance Festivals!

[PortageGirl]

I love em too, don't quite dress up, though I have some things. I used to live near the Colorado Renaissance Festival in Larkspur CO. it was a total hoot!

I live within doable distance of the Great Lakes one, THANKS for the heads up on that AhBee01! I might have some trouble getting there, but I'll try! (life getting in the way you know!)

 

[MagsC]

I really love some of the renn clothing links I am coming across.....
In the summer and early fall I would enjoy traveling about anywhere for a renaissance festival! I think there is group (divided into smaller groups) that does this kind of thing all of the time. The last time one of my kids checked we are in the shire (I THINK thats what they call it?) of northfield, or something like that.
Sounds like a great hobby to me!

PS If I ever get married again, it WILL be a renaissance themed wedding.

 

[MagsC]

Found it!!! The group is the SCA and our "shire" is Northshield.

 

[AhBee01]

PortageGirl it runs till Aug 15th here is the link!

http://www.medievalfaire.com/

 

[MagsC]

Here is another link I found on one of the clothing sites of renn faires all through the USA.

http://www.verymerryseamstress.com/renaissancefaires.htm

 

[TwistedSerpent]

I used to spend a lot of time volunteering for the one in MN. One of the zoos had a cottage there that they displayed animals at, which later on was given to the MN Herpetological Society (a group of people dedicated to reptiles and amphibians), and with them I would go dress up and sit there with my snakes and educate people about them. It is the societies biggest fundraiser and social event. There even was a nice pond where gators and turtles were brought in for people to see. Ours was pretty big too, so a lot of people go by and touch their first snake and actually see a big gator for the first time.

A group also divided off of us who have taken to belly dancing with snakes.

I'll post pictures in a little bit.

 

[TwistedSerpent]

People would 'walk' the larger snakes, using the stick to beat back kids from the animal's head. This is a boa in the picture.

And an albino reticulated python (was about 15 feet long)

Smiley the gator

Yes thats someone with a codpiece checking out the fence

More snake walking

Belly dancing

Also people with the very large tortoises would make up little costumes (like kilts and fairy wings), dress the tortoises up with a little donations bucket on them and walk them around the grounds.

 

[MagsC]

Great pictures! I remember seeing a tortoise last year. I wish I could go every weekend but think it will turn out to be just the one time in September.

 

[oldchickenlady]

We have a great one here in middle TN. The guy who started the Ren. fair here bought a bunch of land and started building a castle! I mean a freaking for real castle! Unfortunately, the state of TN decided to put an interstate right down the middle of his property. He fought it for years but eventually lost, so he had to buy more land to hold the fair. He had been building on his castle now for years. He offers tours every year and you can go through and see what he has done. A whole lot of it has been done by him personally. The Ren fair is held every weekend during the month of May and includes the Memorial day weekend. They also have a Romance weekend. They have many vendors, actors, people demonstrating all kinds of things like blacksmithing, etc. Of course the jousting is totally cool! In fact there is a place in Kentucky (or used to be anyway) that trains horses for jousting! Pretty neat. Also, there is a group (can't remember their name) that comes and dresses up as Queen Elizabeth and her court, complete with ladies in waiting and courtiers. The woman who has played the Queen for several years looks so much like a real queen it is unreal! Her clothes are just fabulous. My husband took her picture one year and it was awesome! They walk around the fair and play their parts so well! There are also musicians that walk around and play these instruments that you would have seen in Queen E.'s time. It is great! I have been several times and have my own costume. There are serving wenches, pirate types, bellydancers, food vendors, and of course the knights! It is a lot of fun to don a costume, which are sold there, and let yourself go back in time for a while. If anyone can make it here sometime next May, it is definitely worth the trip. Since it is in May the weather isn't too hot yet. I haven't been in 2 years but I want to go next year and see the castle again.

 

[MagsC]

oldchickenlady, I want to go!!

Seriously, I will have to check it out as my son lives in TN and my niece will be going to college there.
Sigh. I wish I had enough money to take an rv and just go to all of the renn faires I could....