Top 8 Reasons To Go To A Renaissance Festival

Top 8 what? Everyone knows it should be a top 10 this or a top 10 that. To paraphrase Monty Python… Then, shalt thou count to eight, no more, no less. Eight shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shalt be eight. Nine shalt thou not count, nor either count thou seven, excepting that thou then proceed to eight. Ten is right out!

Now that nice weather is finally here (at least for those of you NOT in the northwest) its time to start thinking of outdoor activities and festivals. If you have not been to a Renn Faire before you are missing out! A Renaissance Festival is NOT a freak fest and it is not full of nerds. It is a bit on the bawdy side but at the same time it makes for a great outing with the kids. Here are a few reasons to find one near you.

Pirates!
Used to be the more “traditional” pirate look but since the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, they tend more towards the Johnny Depp look.

Wenches
Where there are pirates, there are wenches. Some roaming the streets, others serving up huge turkey legs and beer

Belly Dancers
Totally not a sexual thing, but very captivating just as well. The control these ladies exhibit is incredible and you can tell how much they love belly dancing (Ladies, find a class near you and start up right away. And on behalf of all men everywhere I thank you in advance.)

Corsets! (Aka Cleavage)
Seriously, this one doesn’t really need expanding upon, but here goes. Corsets are awesome! And you want your woman to wear them! Taking her to a renaissance festival is a good way to get her not just interested in them but to buy one as well.

Merchants
All sorts of things to look through. Lots of unique jewelry and period clothing, including handmade goods like chainmail armor, leather boots or even leather pants. Plus tons and tons of swords and shields, both metal and wood. If nothing else, you need them to round out your Zombie Day defenses. Couldn’t find a pic of an armory, so here are some kids enjoying some items commonly available at a ren faire

Jousting
Where else are you going to see this?

Entertainment
So far my favorite individual entertainer is probably the Bawdy Juggler I saw at the Washington State Renn Faire. Very funny and a very quick wit. But everyone provides entertainment, every last employee from the actors to the serving wenches even down to the guys selling pickles from a barrel.

Fairies!!
No mention of the Renaissance festival would be complete without mentioning the fairies! Especially Twig who is not only a tremendous entertainer, but beautiful too. The first is Twig, who can be found at www.twigthefairy.com

To find a Renn Faire near you in the US and Canada, go to www.renfaire.com

If you are feeling the desire to get yourself a costume before you go, Amazon is a great place to start your search as they have basically everything right? Some pirate costumes:

Adult Black/Rust Renaissance Pirate Costume