Help Us Find A Faire
We Have Dragons On Our Minds
Today, we’re looking for suggestions.
I’ve never been to a Ren Faire. I have some vague memories of attending a Central New York Shakespeare Festival back in college, but that could just be memory remnants of a Shakespeare in the Park play festival which they used to hold near my college.
I’m taking about the full on kinds and queens and jousting and jesters deal. I know there’s a few in New Hampshire and New England. I know this because I have friends who attend, including one of may favorite humans in the whole wide world who has written cookbooks and sews her own outfits. (So I hope she’s reading this, you know who you are!)
Anyway, this has suddenly thrust itself into my frontal lobes because Little Bean sent me a video taken at a Ren Faire of a costume contest and parade and several of the performers has dressed in homemade animal outfits, similar to the outfits one would find at Cirque du Soleil. She’s begged be to take her ever since.
This comes out of her crafting hobby where she makes masks, and she’s gotten pretty good at it as well! Combining her love of costumes, with a carnival-like faire has become appealing to her, and sounds like we’d have fun.
There’s one I noticed is not to far from us happening in May and they are advertising a themed Dungeons and Dragons Day, so she’s already designing a dragon mask.
But please let us know. Have you been to any Ren Faires? Do you know of any that you’d recommend? And what advice would you give to first timers to such an event?
Sorry, I have no experience with Ren Faires except on murder mystery shows.
I heard back from my friend:
The Faires to know are
- New Hampshire Renaissance Faire (NHRF), which runs Sat and Sun, May 10-11, 17-18
- Robin Hood Mideival Faire, which runs Sat and Sun May 24 through June 22
- Vermont Renaissance Faire (VTRF, aka Vermont Summer) which runs Sat and Sun, June 21 and 22
- Maine Renaissance Faire (MERF), which runs Sat and Sun from July 19 through August 3
- Connecticut Renaissance Faire (CTRF), which runs Sat, Sun, and holiday Monday (Labor Day and Indigenous Peoples Day), from August 30 through October 19.
Avoid King Richard's Faire like the plague; too damn expensive, and far less bang for the buck.
He says they're all family friendly, and he thinks CTRF has kid costume contests. Will keep his ears open.