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Gandalf….?
Interesting. Haven’t been out in years to ours. I should go back sometime.
I love the Texas Renaissance Festival, though I miss it most years. Sadly, a fire destroyed some booths recently. They are requiring masks, so the festival doesn’t interest me so much this year.
My kids have gone in recent years. I think it was the late Eighties since I’ve gone. I always liked the buxom barmaid who’d cry out, “Paella, M’lord?” with gold coins stuck to her bosom.
Okay, okay. About 3/4 of the way through I was finally motivated enough to look up the definition of cosplay. Sheesh. I had thought maybe it had something to do with cis-gendered and such words.
Back when D&D was truly a nerd enterprise (TSR) for nerds, cosplayers were referred to as “the folks who stopped rolling dice.”
I have only attended a couple of these faires (Sterling, NY). Historical accuracy did not seem to be a high priority for very many – especially some of the costumes on the young women (leather vest or bikini top over sheer pantaloons or lightweight cotton skirt?). But then most of history, if accurately portrayed, would be so disgusting in our 21st century eyes that we would stay far, far away.
The faires did provide for us lots of fun people watching. It was sometimes difficult to distinguish between the paid actors and the paying cosplaying attendees.
Ours got cancelled this year. :( No new tail for my daughter. Sad.
Uh, this may need a little explanation.
Years ago, anyone who dressed the part could attend the Texas festival for free.
Anyone not very familiar with cosplay should think of such gatherings like a bonus Halloween. It can be good clean family fun. But few people want to see Halloween characters walking down public streets on a daily basis.
Ren faires also provide a nice marketplace for browsing goods rarely seen otherwise, from whittled woodcarvings to a blacksmith’s collectibles. There are even occasionally practical items, like a Celtic quilt.
Festivals are also an opportunity for people who don’t live in pedestrian inner cities to enjoy street performers. One of my favorite things to do at the Texas Renaissance Festival is to sit on a log with a mead and turkey leg while listening to a pretty gal play fiddle.
I nearly spat out my coffee just now.
Fox tails. There are often fur and pelt sellers, and fox tails are quite popular. You don’t see it in the photos I posted here, but the belly dancer had one pinned on the back of her skirt too.
OTOH, when I went to one up in Michigan years ago with a longtime friend, he was shopping for a Skunk-skin cap. And yes, yes he did indeed find one.
It’s really hit or miss whether they’ve been allowed, cancelled by fiat, or cancelled by their sponsors out of liability fears. There was one near Philly not long ago, but there’s just no predicting which ones will still go forward or not.
My buddies and I have a private game we play when we visit the Ren Faire: the first person to spot either “Discount Gandalf” or “BOGO Merlin” would win the coveted “No-Prize”!
Every year she gets a new tail. Three fox tails so far and one dragon. They clip on the belt.
She is 15. Have to get her two next year.
Wife got a nice emrald corset there.
Son got a big pirate mug
Which one in Michigan and about what year?
My brother and I got some wooden scimitars when we were kids. Then as a teenager I bought a battle axe.
They used to sell sugar cane to nibble on. More recently, our festival sold fried gator on a stick.
I’m thinking it was one near Lansing, but it was way back in maybe 2003 or 2004? My friend lived in Flint at the time, and I remember driving a good hour or more from Flint to get wherever it was. It could have been in Grand Rapids instead.
Not the one I played at then.
Isn’t there one in the Ann Arbor area? Maybe it was even held out our way (Battle Creek) for a while. The only reason I know about it is because of church friends who would set up or booth or stand each year. I forget just what it was that they were selling. It has been a couple of years since I last asked them about it – maybe longer.
Don’t know about Ann Arbor. The big one in the Detroit area is in Holly. It is the Michigan Renaissance Festival. Depending on when one went, one might have encountered this guy:
That’s probably it. That whole part of the state is “not us.” It’s all the same. :-)
Nice voice. I see that he died young.
Our friends and their extended family are all very talented, musically. Don’t know whether they ever took any of that to Renaissance fairs.
Yes, cancer.
@franco is a musician at these festivals. I don’t know which ones.
Was he someone you got to know, personally?
Yes. He sang at my wedding.