Those of us who engage in online role-play come from all walks of life.  There are D&D classicists, with their clerics and bards, rangers and paladins.  We have anime enthusiasts with a resume that might include samurai, anthro, and even some from the yaoi set.  Let us not forget the vampires, whether they be Bram Stoker, White Wolf, Anne Rice, or some strange hybrid from the imagination of the player.  Other players are drawn to characters with an origin of a more strictly historical nature.  Visiting the Red Dragon Inn or the Medieval Tavern is a way that you can sit and watch as a cursed fairy empress, a modern-day paladin with a katana and a .44, an entrepreneurial dragon, and Jack Sparrow sit around and have a conversation (or marry each other).

The common thread that carries these diverse fabrics of characters and play is escapism.  Every single one of us, whether we admit to it or not, escapes into this alternate reality every time we log on as one of our old favorites.  We pretend to be someone else, somewhere else, and everyone there is in on it.  This is not so different from your friendly neighborhood renaissance festival.

For those who have yet to experience these unique events, the renaissance festival is a theme park where a troupe of actors, vaudevillian performers, folk musicians, and artisans gather to recreate a snapshot of another time, most commonly around the English Renaissance.  The most common monarchs at these faires are Elizabeth I or Henry VIII, and they are in attendance, there to walk among lords and commoners for a day and find their pleasure.  The patrons join them in this, and here, people can enjoy a day of music, laughter, romance and wonder. 

While theme parks and historical re-enactments are things found the world over, the renaissance festival is a uniquely American blend of these things.  Buying a ticket gets a person access to the grounds, and while a person could easily have a wonderful day for only the price of admission, every festival provides its patrons with many ways to leave with a lighter wallet.  Ren Faires have long been a place for skilled artisans, where glassblowers, costumers, painters and blacksmiths can sell their wares to an enthusiastic client base.  They are often a wonder-filled place to find a truly beautiful one-of-a-kind item.  Granted, not too many people in the mainstream would have a lot of use for a drinking horn or hand-linked chain mail, but to the regular escapist, these are reasonable purchases.

Another remarkable facet of these places is that they not only provide a place where artisans can gather, they also provide support to performing artists that live outside of the mainstream, and help to preserve a lot of older traditions associated with the stage that have fallen out of popular favor.  Stage acts at the faire range from jugglers, dancers, and musicians to fighters, sword swallowers, comedians, and falconers.  Many of these acts preserve a feeling of variety rarely since the heyday of vaudeville.  It is not unheard of to see fire-breathing, tightrope walking, singing, jokes, and swordplay all pulled into a single variety act.  Many of the performers who work the circuit rely not only on a base contract with the festival and merchandising, they also depend on the practice of busking, better known as "passing the hat," where the audience voluntarily tips the performers for the show that they have just enjoyed. 

Faires throughout the country offer a sense of escapism that most other theme parks do not, largely due to the work of the actors who stroll the lanes and participate in stage shows and other scenarios throughout the days.  While the independent performers often focus on getting people to attend their own stage shows (thus increasing revenue from busking and merchandising), actors more often than not work on a flat rate directly from the faire or a volunteer basis, and they focus their energies on inviting the guests to become a part of the fantasy, a reason, no doubt, why this kind of entertainment appeals so much to those of us who enjoy free-form role play.

Patrons are not explicitly encouraged to walk through the gates of Disneyland dressed from head to toe in a Mickey Mouse costume, but they are highly encouraged to attend the renaissance festival in full garb.  Some choose to be rogues; gypsies, pirates, thieves or vagabonds.  Others may choose to be lords and ladies, either of their own creation or historical figures.  These patrons are often drawn right into the fold by the actors (and often mistaken for cast members by the folks walking around in their civvies).  Even the people who come in their T-shirt and blue jeans are often made a part of the fun by the entertainers in the faire, whether they are endowed as a character for the day, or pulled up on stage to participate in one of the shows.

Some faires are more historically driven.  Volunteers and cast members of the Maryland Renaissance festival are strongly encouraged to be savvy about history and lifestyle of the time.  This faire also has a troupe called the Household of Saint George, who reenact societal and professional roles (carpenter, cook, merchant, spinster, etc.) complete with trade demonstrations of how many of the things were produced back during the Tudor dynasty.  Another festival known for its strong focus on historical accuracy is the Sterling Renaissance Festival, where the Bless the Mark Players, their house troupe of professional actors, receive extensive training not only in the art of street improvisation but also in period styles, language, and dialect.  Stringent standards of performance at this faire make it a truly transformative experience for the patron, as the entertainers are so immersed in the era that they portray.

Other faires tend to embrace the magical and fantastic.  It is not uncommon to see fairies running amok at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival or the Arizona Renaissance Festival.  Some faires even boast wizard's groves and fairy gardens.  Fairy festivals (which attract many of the same artists, performers, and patrons) are becoming popular events in their own right, particularly as single weekend events to celebrate the spring.

There are festivals throughout the country year round, although the summer and fall months see a bevy of very popular festivals as the weather is cooperative throughout the northeast during this stretch of the year.  Many of the larger, more established faires take place during this summer and fall season, including the Sterling Renaissance Festival, the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, the Maryland Renaissance Festival, and the Texas Renaissance Festival.

Tips for those choosing to attend a festival (with thanks to Renne for her suggestions):

• Check the weather and prepare accordingly.  Renfests are often muddy places when it has been wet, so make sure that you are prepared for that.  Many faires stay open in the rain, and while this may seem like an awful time to go, smaller crowds and a very different energy accompany rain days, and might prove to be a very different and exciting experience.
• Try the food!  Turkey legs are not exactly a common menu item out in the regular world, but for many faire-goers, gnawing on that big hunk of meat is a key part of their festival experience.  Not sure what the thing to eat at the faire is?  Check with one of the performers; people that spend all day, every day in a place tend to know where the best kept secrets lie.
• Bring cash.  Odds are, something beautiful will catch your eye and you will want to bring it home.  Some of the highly skilled artisans are individuals practicing a craft because they are truly passionate about it, and therefore, they don't take Lady Visa or Master Card.  Dollar bills are also very handy; many of the performers pay their mortgages and send their kids to school on the tips that they receive from the patrons.  If you tip because pizza gets to your house in a reasonable timeframe, or because your waitress didn't leave you alone for too long, it's not unreasonable to tip because someone trained for years to eat fire in front of you in an interesting way.
• Don't be afraid to dress up!  There are many resources online for purchasing different sorts of renaissance garb, and there are even reasonably period looking options within about every imaginable budget.  Spend a little more time looking, and you can even find  good resources for producing a lot of these things on your own.
• When in doubt: ask.  Odds are that when you see a person dressed head to toe in full period array, they are either employed by the festival, or regular, enthusiastic patrons.  These people can direct you to some of the best things to see and do at a faire, whether it's a ride on a giant, man-powered swing, a particularly great band, or a really funny and enjoyable act.

Not sure whether there is a faire in your immediate area?  You can check here: Renaissance Festivals to search for festivals by location, dates, or the name of the festival.

-- The Signal
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