4 tips for getting the most fun out of the Renaissance Faire
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The East Idaho Renaissance Faire opened this past weekend, bringing with it a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, tastes and smells. Ren Faire attendees got to witness swordfights, musical performances, bullwhip skills and medieval costumes galore.
One of the sharpest dressed-dressed folks at the Ren Faire Saturday was Madi Danger. An I.T. worker by day, Danger got into the goth lifestyle and fashion. She started a goth and metalhead-centric social media presence to connect with people who have similar interests where she encourages her followers to be the truest versions of themselves. She currently has 103,000 followers on her Instagram while over 475,000 people follow her on TikTok.
EastIdahoNews.com sat down with Danger to discuss how to do the Renaissance Faire right. Here are a few points to consider to help you get the most fun out of your Ren Faire experience.
You don’t have to be a history geek to have fun. Ren Faires aren’t just medieval history geeks. They offer all kinds of good experiences to anyone who enters.
“It’s a really fun thing to do,” Danger said. “It’s a good thing to do to get out of the house even if you’re not into all (medieval) stuff. Some of my friends I came with are not as into getting dressed up but some of us are into Dungeons and Dragons or ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Sometimes you even see the ‘Star Trek’ people who show up and that’s pretty funny.”
Dress up. Or Don’t. Many people who turn out for Ren Faire, do so in period-appropriate costumes. Your costume can be as simple or as complicated as you feel like making it.
Danger loves wearing her armor but said that dressing up in a full suit of armor brings with it extra issues to consider.
“Last year, when I wore all of my armor, it was a lot of work,” she said. “Especially with the cuirass (chest plate). I have to have it belted up on both sides and that can be a lot of work so I usually have to have somebody help me with the part. Then there’s the gorget and pauldrons that go around your neck and on your shoulders. Those are hard to put on also.”
Not only is armor a bit of work to get into and limiting to your ability to move (and see, if you’re wearing a helmet but it also requires maintenance to keep it in wearable order.
“If you leave (your armor) sitting too long, sometimes you have to de-rust it,” Danger said. “I usually help prepare it with gun oil. The CLP gun oil works best for armor and de-rusting and polishing it up.”
Be mindful of the weather. Hot, windy or rainy weather conditions can suck the fun out of your Ren Faire experience, so be sure you know what to expect and take that into consideration.
“This year I wore less armor because it was so hot and terrible last year,” Danger said. “If it were to rain, I wouldn’t wear armor just because of the rust factor. If it’s going to be hot, like anything over 75, I usually try to use lace or thinner layers, maybe use a little bit less armor. Like today, I wore a lace shirt instead of a long-sleeve cotton shirt so it would be a bit more breathable.”
Also, be sure to keep a water bottle handy on warm days. Heat exhaustion can ruin your day really quickly.
Bring your friends. Like most things, Ren Faire is more fun if you can experience it with your friends. It opens up the possibility of completing quests as a group, where each member’s strengths are a boon to the team.
“(Ren Faire) is definitely more fun with friends,” Danger said. “You have people to talk to and walk around with. Everyone has different interests. One of my friends likes the whip booth. Another friend likes more of the jewelry and the dressing-up factor. She’s a little better at the role-playing factor so that’s kind of fun. It’s just fun because you can explore everyone’s interests.”
You can visit the East Idaho Renaissance Faire the next three weekends, July 1 and 2, 8 and 9 and 15 and 16, at Krupp Scout Hollow in between Rexburg and Rigby. For more information, visit the Ren Faire at the following links:
