Encyclopedia
A
Renaissance Fair or
Renaissance Festival is an outdoor weekend gathering ostensibly focused on recreating life as it was during
the Renaissance. In fact, these events create a fantasy inspired, in most cases, by both historical references and by perceptions of the
Middle Ages and
Renaissance obtained from movies, games, books, comics, and television shows.
Variations on the name include:
- Renaissance Faire
- Elizabethan Faire
- Renaissance Festival
- Ren Fest
- Medieval Fair
- Ren Faire
- Tudor Fayre
While historical reenactments are by no means exclusive to the United States, the
Renaissance Fair is, arguably, a uniquely American variation on the theme, having as much the flavor of an amusement park or mall as of a
historical reenactment. Since the mid-nineties, however, their popularity has slowly been spreading into western Canada. The people acting the roles , frequently young volunteers, often attempt to recreate swashbuckling movies,
The Lord of the Rings,
Monty Python, etc. as fervently as other participants attempt to be 'historically accurate', while guests may be more interested in drinking, eating, shopping, and watching farce than in some sort of educational experience. Experienced fairgoers often admit that attempts at re-enactment vary in their degree of success, being heavily dependent upon the ethos of faire management/direction, the culture and precedent of the specific fair, and the demographics of its audience. Some fairs endeavor to limit their scope to a comparatively narrow slice of history, while others may attempt to cram approximately six hundred years of history from the High Medieval period to the High Renaissance into one place, juxtaposed with recognizable fictional characters and events . Although religion was a very important part of life in the renaissance era, this aspect is often downplayed, so as to not tramp on anyone's beliefs, whether Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, or other. There is just no desire to see a re-enactment of the Inquisition or a "heretic" burned at the stake!
Spinoffs of Renaissance Fairs include fairs set in other time periods, such as
Christmas fairs set in
Charles Dickens'
London.
Environment
Most Renaissance Fairs are arranged to represent an imagined village in
England during the reign of
Elizabeth I, as this period is generally considered to correspond to the flowering of the
English Renaissance .
There are stages or performance areas set up for scheduled shows such as plays in
Shakespearean or
commedia dell' arte tradition, or audience participation comedy routines. Other performances include dancers, musicians, jugglers, and singers. Between the stages the "streets" are lined with stores where independent vendors sell their wares, alongside food and beer vendors, as well as game and ride areas. Fairs will also often include a
joust as a main attraction. Meanwhile, strolling minstrels,
mimes, fools,
jugglers and
jesters mingle with the fairgoers. Actors portray historical figures and common people, from royalty and
nobility to merchants and
peasants, and are often organized into thematic "
guilds" . Actors wear period
costumes, some meticulously researched recreations and others more generic impressions, and speak using an approximation of the vocabulary and accents of the time. The accompanying
bazaar features traditional crafts, from
jewelry and
stained glass to
metal and
woodwork, as well as traditional English foods like
bangers and mash. Visitors are encouraged to wear period costumes as well, which are available at the Faire for sale or rental.
While every Fair is unique and holds its own complex history, many include one key event. At the end of each day, the musicians and performers gather together on a single stage in order to perform the Pub Sing, where patrons and actors alike come together to end the day's festivities with a bang. The tunes played can often be sung along to, and many times the musicians all play together for one final piece before closing. For those who work at the Fair, the last Pub Sing that a festival holds is traditionally an emotional moment, as it also is their last goodbye to the festival before it comes back next year. At other fairs, the closing parade becomes the focus for the final day of the run. At the two main California faires, the final closing parade on the final day of Faire is called Grand Ringout, and the procession, in a tradition dating back to the earliest Faires, includes most of the cast, crew and staff who have made the Faire a reality for another year.
At its peak, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Black Point, Novato, CA hosted as many as 18,000 visitors in a single day. For a time in the
eighties the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Agoura, CA held the
Guinness Book of Records, known until 2000 [i] as
The Guinness Book of Records is a referenc...
record for most
beer sold at a single venue.
History of the Fairs in America
In 1963, schoolteachers Ronald and Phyllis Patterson originated the Renaissance Pleasure Faire as an outgrowth of school projects. The first Faire was held in North Hollywood,
CA and drew some 8,000 people for the one-weekend event. Some claim that this event was based on an even earlier event held in
Santa Barbara,
CA. The Patterson family's company, Theme Events Limited, and its non-profit affiliate, The Living History Center, are generally credited with developing the Renaissance Faire concept as it exists today.
Since that original event, Renaissance Faires have sprung up all over
North America, most unconnected to the original Faire. Examples include large gatherings in
Texas,
Minnesota,
Arizona,
New York and
Florida. Often drawing people with
nomadic lifestyles, other events such as the Oregon Country Fair and
Burning Man festivals are frequently staffed by the same crew and performers that have worked at Pleasure Faires in the same year. Faire vendors, participants and crew often work the "faire circuit", going from event to event as one faire ends and another begins.
For decades, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire was held in the spring at the Paramount Ranch in Agoura, CA and in the fall at the Black Point Forest in Novato, CA. The event showcased a large ensemble of performers, fine artists and craftspeople and crew. These yearly events drew on the rich variety arts movement in Los Angeles, and the explosion of outdoor public events. Interactive environmental theatre and stage shows were overlaid with large scale processions featuring giant puppets and courtly displays. The
London-based Reduced Shakespeare Company, San Francisco's
i Fratelli Bologna, Tutti Frutti, St. Stupid and the Los Angeles Fools Guild all developed from improvisationally-focused ensembles that initially worked together at the Pleasure Faire. Famous actors who worked at the Pleasure Faire in their youth include
Charlie Sheen,
Emilio Estevez and
Rosanna Arquette.
In 1995, the Patterson family sold the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire to Renaissance Entertainment Corporation , a publicly-traded company operating faires in several states. Several years later, Kevin Patterson and his wife, Leslie, incorporated As You Like It Productions , and produced small faires until 2005.
In 2004, following abandonment by REC of the Northern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire, participants of the original Patterson faires formed Play Faire Productions, Inc., a self-funded, participant-owned corporation which presently operates the Northern California Renaissance Faire™ in Hollister, CA.
While many of those who remember the idyllic and transportative nature of the earlier fairs lament the growth of the fairs as
businesses, new generations of "Rennies" continue to find the same sort of joy in their work at the still-popular modern fairs.
Notable fairs
The is located in Tuxedo, NY off Route 17a.
NYRF, along with the faires of Southern California and Bristol, is one of the three American Renaissance Faires owned by the Renaissance Entertainment Corporation. This annual event, now in its 30th season, takes place from the first weekend of August until the last weekend of September.
The is produced by Play Faire Productions, Inc., a production company formed and owned by long-time participants of the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire and its successor faires, and combines the magic of the original faires with participant management to preserve the genre for future generations to enjoy. NCRF is the first participant-owned, participant-operated Renaissance Faire and traces its roots to the earliest California faires. Now in its third season, the Northern California Renaissance Faire™ takes place in the fall at the Casa de Fruta off of Hwy. 152 in Hollister, CA near Gilroy, and runs for six weekends begining the first weekend after Labor Day.
The is hosted by Renaissance Entertainment Corporation, which took over control of the Pleasure Faire from the Living History Center. The annual event, now in
Irwindale . It is usually held in late spring for 6 weekends. While the Devore location was often hot, dry and dusty, the new Irwindale location is green and pleasant. However, is sometimes very warm, so cool beverages and shady spots in which to relax a moment are very popular features at 'Faire'. In 2006 its weekends are April 8 to May 21.
The , located near
Annapolis,
Maryland, is considered the second-largest event of its kind in the United States, serving an average of 12,000 customers daily as of 2004. The Maryland Renaissance Festival has been in continuous operation since opening 1977 and runs 9 weekends every fall. Its 2006 weekends are August 26-October 22.
The of
Kenosha, Wisconsin has been around for more than thirty years. It started in 1973 as King Richards Faire and reopened in 1988 as the Bristol Renaissance Faire offering fine arts & crafts with food and entertainment of 16th century England. Bristol Academy of Performing Arts auditions are held late spring. It runs for 9 weekends during the summer, starting in early July and ending on Labor Day.
The , located just outside
Shakopee, Minnesota, is in its thirty-fifth year. It started in 1970 and is among the oldest continuously operating Renaissance Festivals/Faires in existence. It runs weekends and Labor Day during August and September. The Minnesota Renaissance Festival which currently boasts the highest seasonal attendance of all the festivals in the Midwest is owned and operated by Mid-America Festivals, Inc., which also manages the , , and Renaissance Festivals.
The , located just east of
Phoenix,
Arizona, has rapidly become one of the largest Renaissance events in the country with over 250,000 patrons visiting over 8 weekends February - April. Its sister production, , is located just north of
Charlotte,
North Carolina. The charming Southern fair has been growing and expanding annually and boast an attendance nearing 140,000 over 7 weekends, October - November.
The , as of 2006, was in its 26th season. It is located just north of Lancaster, PA and just east of Hershey, PA. The 35-acre Shire hosts close to 100 permanent Tudor-style shoppes, 12 stages and one of the largest joust arenas outside of Europe, its own winery and onsite microbrewery. The Faire runs 12 weekends from mid-August through the last weekend of October. 250,000 annual patrons, not counting additional festivals held on the same site.
The , near
Atlanta, is the largest in the Southeast and began in 1986 as a spring festival. In 1994, it added a fall season that continued through 1999. It now runs 8 weekends in the spring with 240,000 attendees.
The in Plantersville Texas, just north of Houston is well positioned to take advantage of the vast population of that sprawling metroplex. Eight weekends per year in October and November are dominated by "Faire Season". TRF boasts participant numbers in the tens of thousands per weekend. Permanant grounds, lavish stages, shops, and decor are well used in season as well as occasional off season events. Most notable about TRF is its encroachment into normal Houston life . During the season one may walk malls, shops, and public streets in full garb with no negative comment.
In a very real sense the Rennies have taken over TRF. On adjacent grounds camping is hugely popular. TRF campers neatly set up elaborate pavilions and tent circles on an otherwise featureless field. The family friendly atmosphere inside the gates takes an adult turn after the sun sets outside the gates. These are not paid actors, but rathter paying patrons of the festival who take matters in their own hands and make each weekend a 72 hours expirence.
The in Hammond, La. Has been rated as one of the "Top 20 Events in the Southeast USA" by the Southeast Tourism Society. This 5 year old fair operates 6 weeks from the first weekend in November until the first week in December. The Louisiana Renaissance festival features 6 stages with over 24 hours of entertinment in one day. Showing as the city of Albright during it's Fall Harvest Festival there is fun to be had for all ages. Rustic camping is avaliable who want to share in the RenFest after hours life of singing and storytelling amongst the other patrons who stay behind for the next day. Food and drink is plentful around the fairgrounds as well as educational displays all around the fair site. Shops & Lane shows are also avaliable all during the day.
Hundreds of other smaller festivals continually spring up on a regular basis across America, with attendance from a few hundred to tens of thousands. There is often a split between those who enjoy the larger, corporate theme park events versus the smaller, more intimate independent offerings.
Myths
There are several common myths and stereotypes about Renaissance Faires.
One such misconception is they intentionally cater to patrons who associate themselves with
witchcraft and other
Wicca-like ideals, since those who follow Wicca or Paganism are attracted to the culture of Renaissance or Medieval festivals; further confusion may lie in the fact that many fairs do have actors playing witch-type characters. However, no fairs deliberately and explicitly cater to pagan or Wiccan patrons.
Mud wrestling might be expected at a Renaissance Faire; however, this is not always the case. There are however certain guilds and groups hired to do such as entertainment, sometimes the faire itself uses its own actors. Modern insurance liabilty sometimes prohibits this type of interaction.
It is a common misconception that Renaissance Faires are run by the
Society for Creative Anachronism. The SCA is a non-profit group of medieval re-creationists, while the professional for-profit Renaissance Faires are more oriented towards providing spectacle for their audiences.
While some Renaissance Faires will display
stocks and
pillories, those journeying to a Renaissance Faire to witness actual
torture would be in for a disappointment. For safety reasons, visitors to Renaissance Faires cannot be forcibly locked into stocks or pillories, and most displays provided by the faires are large enough that a "victim" can easily escape if the experience becomes uncomfortable and are used mainly for photographic opportunities. Further lending to the confusion, several faires have "Trial and Punishment acts" that include
dunking. There are professional acting troupes that skillfully portray public punishment for entertainment purposes within their larger act, and are hired by professional Renaissance faires for their stunt abilities and highly trained realism. Much like the jousters and swordsmen, these players do not actually harm each other.
Because of the seeming reality of the event, some visitors actually believe that
jousting and
swordplay are real, happening on an impromptu basis between actors. While the weapons are real, these shows, not unlike professional wrestling, are carefully scripted stage combat performed by specially trained
actors and stuntmen with years of practice behind them. The audience's perception of real combat is testimony to the skill of these performers. There are, however, some jousting troupes that do perform real lance passes , including the New Riders of the Golden Age and the Free Lancers, where the outcome of those passes is real.
All acts at a Renaissance fair usually have years of skill behind them and are highly choreographed, taking weeks of classes and, in some respects, years of practice in order to make it appear as authentic as possible.
Almost every act will, during a tip pass, say things like "this is how we make our living." The reality is that, with the exception of the high end touring professionals, there are a great number of local or regional acts that are just part time and return to their day jobs during the week. Many of these acts are actually paid quite lowly and depend on tips to recover expenses. As glamourous as festival stage life might seen, only a small percentage can actually make a living doing it full time. Tipping is always appreciated, which is no myth.
Notable entertainers
- Blackmore's Night
- Brobdingnagian Bards, the
- Poxy Boggards
- Gunn, Marc
- Howl-O
- Macdonald, Steve
- Minstrels of Mayhem
- The Reduced Shakespeare Company
See also
External links
- Links to vendors and entertainers
- Everything for the visitor and participant from costumes to accents.
- Loyal Order Of Pretzels, Eating and Drinking. Large collection of pictures from California Renaissance Faires
- . 253 digitised Renaissance festival books selected from over 2,000 in the British Library's collection.
- - index of over 200 operating renaissance festivals around the world.
- - the only publication that focuses exclusively on renaissance festivals .
- website with information regarding dates, previous year's story background, photographs, merchants and other details. Takes place every fall in Ontario, Canada.
- Homepage with detailed information regarding dates, special events, photographs, video highlights, and sponsorship / media information.
- The Original Friends of The Maryland Renaissance Festival follows the festival in detail, offers information and membership.
- Maryland Renaissance Festival Wikipaedia with Renaisasnce Festival information
- - The Maryland Renaissance Festival Friends of Faire information site with photo gallery, message boards and the exclusive Ren Faire Wiki.
- Wiki designed for renaissance faires
- - Weekly podcast of Renaissance festival music and entertainment
- - Largest online forum community of Renaissance festivals and faires.
- - List of upcomming faires on Event Zip.
- - A 16th Century French themed Renaissance Faire
- - The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, runs weekends early August to late October
- - Usually the second weekend of September, described as being the only faire of its kind in Oregon
- - Ohio festival, near Cincinnati, OH. Runs weekends in September and October.
