What is a Renaissance Faire?
Raise the flags! Sound the horns! The time for the Renaissance Faire is here!
What’s that you say? You don’t know what a Renaissance Faire is?
A Renaissance Faire is a festival that celebrates all things medieval. Typically held outdoors during the summer months, Renaissance Faires are the perfect opportunity the get your geek on, a chance to don your best medieval garb, gather with a bunch of like-minded people, and party like it’s 1499.
The typical Renaissance Faires feature many period-specific crafts and activities. Vendors set up booths and sell all manner of geeky wares, from replica weaponry to hand-made trinkets. Social organizations, like the Society of Creative Anachronism, will be on hand to recruit new members and offer opportunities for the medieval fun to extend beyond the Faire.
And if you want food, you’ll get food! No way you’ll be leaving the Faire with an empty tummy. Some Faires offer dining halls where attendees can share food, drink, and song. Whether you’re craving a nice, light drink or a full turkey leg, you can satisfy your hunger.
Then, if you’re hungry for entertainment, the Renaissance Faire has plenty to offer. Minstrels strut around the grounds playing period-appropriate music on instruments like harps or lutes. Powerful sorcerers work feats of magic and sleight of hand to the cheers of delighted crowds. Actors in character parade about in colorful costumes, adding an element of grace and majesty to the setting.
And should the desire to work with your hands grip you, there are plenty of crafts to choose from. You can make soap or arrows or other trinkets. You may even get the chance to learn a bit of blacksmith skill. You can make your own mementos to help you remember your time at the Faire and learn a little about life during the medieval ages in the process. That sounds like a blast, right?
As the day draws to a close, most Renaissance Faires go out with a bang! Whether a display of swordsmanship skill of a parade of costumed participants, you’ll get a feast for the senses.
You may even be able to get in on the fun, as some Faires offer weapons training. If you’ve always wanted to strap on some armor and battle like a medieval knight, this is your chance!
If all this sounds like fun to you, you’re in luck! The annual East Idaho Renaissance Faire will be open near Rexburg, ID this June. This means you don’t have to travel for hours to have a medieval good time. The Faire features entertainment from local dancers and musicians, as well as hilarious and breathtaking magic shows by Ainsley Ferguson, a hypnosis show by Jim the Asthmatic Dragon and even duelists. The pinnacle event of our Faire is our Knight’s Tournament, a showdown of sword skills and dramatic plot twists that will have you pinned to your seat!
All in all, a Renaissance Faire is a chance to go back in time to live out a fantasy and great, big party all in one. If you feel awkward attending, you can find plenty of friendly people who’ll be happy to help you learn the ropes. So come join us at your local Renaissance Faire! It’s a fun day out for your whole family!