Renaissance Faires

This past weekend we went to a Renaissance Faire in Lebanon, CT; one that we had attended for the past three years after our son showed interest in going. Up until our son became interested and wanted to attend one, I had heard of them, but didn’t know much about them except that I assumed people dressed up in medieval attire. I didn’t know what occurred at these faires or festivals and never had a desire to. However, I must say, they are quite fun and entertaining and I actually enjoy going, though over the three years I have now attended, I have not dressed in period attire or added any accoutrements to my regular clothing. That’s just not my jam. Yet, my son is thoroughly engrossed, loves swords, loves D&D, and enjoys all the activities that they have at these Renaissance Faires. This past weekend, we brought him and 2 of his friends, all of them dressing the part. They had a blast, and my wife and I enjoyed our time wandering around, exploring the different vendors, and watching the sword displays, the jousting matches, and all the outfits and gear that people wore.

To me, it seems Renaissance Faires give people a chance to get a glimpse, however modern it may be, into what life might have been like during medieval times. It is fascinating to me to see the extent to which people will dress up in period attire, or in completely irrelevant costumes like furries, and attend these events. I often wonder as I walk around, what the people who attend these events do for work, what are they like in their everyday lives, and what drives them to attend in such attire. I can see how it can be a lot of fun dressing the part, attending with friends who are like minded, and enjoying the comradery that accompanies it. Yet again, I am a mere observer, not one to partake in the costume aspect. For one, except for this past weekend, the previous two years have been quite warm and the attire that is usually worn seems like it would be uncomfortable, but that’s just my opinion. I think these festivals and faires are a great opportunity for people to shed their normal clothes and lives and pretend to be someone else.

I think that people need an outlet from their everyday lives, especially now when everything can become so overwhelming, social media creating these superficial norms that people feel they need to live up to, and the media spinning constant negativity. In the midst of all that, a Renaissance Faire is a perfect opportunity to walk away from modern day life, if even for a day, and immerse oneself in a different world, a world of fairy tales and make believe, but also somewhat grounded in what in some ways was a simpler way of life. There was no social media during the medieval times, there wasn’t the media constantly bombarding us, and the world was a much smaller place. If for this reason only, to escape the confines of our everyday lives, these Faires are fantastic.

I have enjoyed them all three years I have attended, but don’t know if I’ll continue attending after our son moves on from them. They are fun, they are an escape, but I have my own escape in the woods. To each their own, and I am glad that people have found these and they are put on year after year for the enjoyment of so many people. The Faire we attend in Lebanon seems to have grown immensely in popularity just in three years. For whatever reason, people flock to these events and I can see why. It is well done, the vendors and crew who host it do a fantastic job, and everyone gets into it, even those who don’t dress the part like myself and a handful of others. But the best part about it is, nobody judges anybody else, people come as they want to and don’t care what they look like or what others will think. It is a truly unique experience that I would recommend everyone to try once. But on that note, at least for me, I will remember most the joy that my son and his 2 friends had walking around, fighting with swords, and enjoying the merriment that was the CT Renaissance Faire.