New York Renaissance Fair – Medieval Madness, Merch and Mead!

The Renaissance Fair – a chance to go out in your medieval and fantasy costume best, eat some turkey legs and drink some mead, and generally cavort around like it’s 1099. You hobnob with fairies, speak with thees and thous, watch grown men on horseback ride towards each other with pointy sticks, and listen to women sing (usually) baudy songs in their wenchy best. That’s right, it’s fun for the whole family out in the woods and you know you want to try it. These fairs exist all around the country and appeal to the inner child in all of us and don’t require any sort of geek cred or anything. They’re just damn fun and allows us to step outside of our everyday dress with an excuse to go medieval on our wardrobe for once.

Don’t be intimidated either: guys, it’s a chance to open up your shirts and show off some chest hair a little. Ladies, if you own anything ever described as a ‘peasant blouse’, go with that. For those of us who look in our closet and wonder when having more than one corset was a ‘practical’ issue… go nuts. The Renn Fair is the excuse (as if we need one) to dress to the nines!

Speaking of dressing to the nines, I attended the New York Renaissance Fair in Tuxedo, NY yesterday for their Labor Day weekend Monday event. It was Barbarian Day, which meant everyone was out in their best ‘grrr, I will smash things’ barbarian culture kind of deal. I went in my best warrior inspired corset, sword at hip, Celtic forehead band outfit and off me and the friends went. We drank mead, shopped for amazing stuff (I got a beautiful six-foot walking stick and new garnet ring) and ate delicious fair food. Me and the friends will be going back however since the whole day it POURED – but did that stop the festivities? Not a chance. We sat out under the trees and got soaked while drinking our mead and the parade on horseback still went by. Stores stayed open among puddles the size of lakes and flower girls went around selling roses from men to their ladies. The pickle seller was still out and the beer booths catapulted marshmellows at passersby to get them to buy something to quench their thirst.

And the shopping. Do not forget your wallet if you’re going to the fair. There is a MILLION things to buy from clothing to leather goods, jewelry and toys. There are shoulder dragons (a little shoulder puppet dragon that moves so well you would SWEAR they’re real) and real swords, hand-crafted boots and hand-blown glass. If you like hand-crafted, quality stuff and aren’t afraid to break out the wallet, this is the place for you!

So here are some photos – you’ll understand why there weren’t more (my camera does NOT like water). We will go back and see more before the fair closes, but my suggestion? Come out yourself! The last weekend is September 25th. If you’re in the New York area, check it out for a day of fun. If you’re not in the area? There’s got to be one near you. Renn Fairs are everywhere! Enjoy the photos and raise a tankard of whatever you’ve got for these amazing costumes!