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An actress playing the role of Mary Queen of Scots in 2003.
An actress playing the role of Mary Queen of Scots in 2003.
For other uses, see Renaissance fair (disambiguation). Renaissance fair may refer to Renaissance fair, a festival in the Renaissance historical style "Renaissance Fair" song by The Byrds

A Renaissance fair', Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival (colloquially renfair or renfest) is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the USA, open to the public and generally commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Some are permanent theme parks, others are short-term events in fairgrounds or other large public or private spaces[1]. Renaissance fairs generally include an abundance of costumed entertainers, musical and theatrical acts, art and handicrafts for sale, and festival food. Some even offer camping, for those who wish to stay more than one day[2]. Most Renaissance fairs are set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Some are set earlier, during the reign of Henry VIII, or in other countries, such as France, and some include broader definitions of the Renaissance which include earlier periods, such as the Vikings, or later, such as 18th Century pirates. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering Renaissance fairs encourage visitors to enter into the spirit of things with costumes and audience participation. All tolerate, and many welcome, fantasy elements such as wizards and elves. A magician, wizard, sorcerer or a person known under one of many other possible terms in fiction is someone who uses or practices magic An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming

Chicago journalist Neil Steinberg said (of the Bristol Renaissance Faire), "If theme parks, with their pasteboard main streets, reek of a bland, safe, homogenized, whitebread America, the Renaissance Faire is at the other end of the social spectrum, a whiff of the occult, a flash of danger and a hint of the erotic. Neil Steinberg is a news Columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Bristol Renaissance Faire ("Bristol" is a major Renaissance Fair in the Midwest. Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" Here, they let you throw axes. Here are more beer and bosoms than you'll find in all of Disney World. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels "[3]

Contents

Characteristics

Jousting knights on horseback perform at the Texas Renaissance Festival.
Jousting knights on horseback perform at the Texas Renaissance Festival. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages.
Costumed performers from the 2006 Bristol Renaissance Faire.
Costumed performers from the 2006 Bristol Renaissance Faire. Bristol Renaissance Faire ("Bristol" is a major Renaissance Fair in the Midwest.
"The Lost Boys" performing at the 2005 Georgia Renaissance Festival
"The Lost Boys" performing at the 2005 Georgia Renaissance Festival

Most Renaissance fairs are arranged to represent an imagined village in England during the reign of Elizabeth I, as this period has been generally considered to correspond to the flowering of the English Renaissance. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the early 16th century to the early 17th century

In a modern Renaissance festival there are stages or performance areas set up for scheduled shows, such as plays in Shakespearean or commedia dell' arte tradition, as well as anachronistic audience participation comedy routines. William Shakespeare ( baptised Commedia dell'Arte ( Italian: "the comedy of artists" is a form of Improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 16th century An anachronism (from the Greek "ana" " ανά " "against anti-" and "chronos" " χρόνος " Other performances include dancers, magicians, musicians, jugglers, and singers. Between the stages the streets ('lanes') are lined with stores ('shoppes') and stalls where independent vendors sell medieval and Renaissance themed handcrafts, clothing, books, and artworks. There are food and beverage vendors, as well as game and ride areas. Games include basic skills events such as archery or axe-throwing as well as Drench-a-Wench and Soak-a-Bloke, which allow a player with a good aim to hit a target and get a fair employee wet. Rides are typically unpowered -- various animal rides and human-powered swings are common. Live animal displays and falconry exhibitions are also commonplace. Falconry or hawking is an Art or Sport which involves the use of trained raptors (birds of prey to hunt or pursue game for humans Larger Renaissance fairs will often include a joust as a main attraction.

In addition to the staged performances, a major attraction of Renaissance fairs is the crowds of professional actors who play all sorts of historical figures and roam the fair, interacting with visitors. Visitors are encouraged to wear costumes, once any weapons are suitably peace-bonded, contributing to the illusion of an actual Renaissance environment. A peace-bonding is a conspicuous lock tie or mark which makes or identifies something as unusable as a weapon that is that the owner's intentions are purely peaceful Many of the fair vendors sell or rent costumes for all ages and types. The Renaissance fair subculture's word for these costumed guests is "playtrons", a portmanteau of the words "patron" and "player", and they add a second level of enjoyment to their experience by "getting into the act" as Renaissance Lords and ladies, peasants, pirates, belly dancers, or fantasy characters.

Most fairs have an end-of-the-day ritual, a parade or concert where all employees gather and bid farewell to the patrons. For those who work at the fair, the last concert that a festival holds for the season is traditionally an emotional moment.

Renaissance fairs are staged around the United States at different times of the year. Fair vendors, participants and crew often work the "faire circuit", going from event to event as one fair ends and another begins. They often camp on-site or nearby and develop close bonds with their fellow performers.

An American Phenomenon

Although historical reenactments are by no means exclusive to the United States (for example, the Earl of Eglinton in Scotland sponsored a large tournament as early as 1839)[4], the Renaissance Fair is, arguably, a uniquely American variation on the theme, having as much the flavor of an amusement park combined with a shopping mall as of a historical reenactment. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Archibald William Montgomerie 13th Earl of Eglinton and 1st Earl of Wintoun ( September 29 1812, Palermo – October 4 1861) was the Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Eglinton Tournament of 1839 was a re-enactment of a Medieval joust and revel held in Scotland on Friday 30 August Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group "Reenactment" redirects here For the 1968 Romanian film see The Reenactment. European historical fairs, on the other hand, seem more on the living history museum model, where an actual historic site is peopled by re-enactors whose job it is to explain historical life to modern visitors. An open air museum is a distinct type of Museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors [5] American Renaissance fair patrons may be as interested in drinking, eating, shopping, and watching farce as they are in an educational experience. A farce is a Comedy written for the stage or film which aims to Entertain the audience by means of unlikely extravagant and improbable situations disguise and mistaken Since the mid-1990s, American-style Renaissance fairs have been spreading into Canada.

It should be noted however that the first American fair (Agoura, CA) was originally designed by the Living History Center to resemble an actual spring market fair of the period. Many of the original booths were no-charge reenactments of historical activities such as printing presses, and blacksmiths. The first commercial vendors were mostly artisans and food merchants and were required to demonstrate historical accuracy or plausibility for their wares. Whole groups of volunteers were organized into "guilds" to focus on specific reenactment duties (musicians, military, celtic clans, peasants, etc). Both actors and vendors were required to successfully complete workshops in period language/accents, costuming and culture and to stay "in character" while working. Fairs that copied the original frequently did not attempt such historical accuracy and in 1995 new management and economic pressures negatively altered the original fair's historical quality as well.

Spinoffs of Renaissance fairs include fairs set in other time periods, such as Christmas fairs set in Charles Dickens' London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The American approach has apparently been exported back to England; a warehouse-based theme park, "Dickens World", opened in Kent, England, in May of 2007. [6]

History of the fairs in America

Morris dancers entertain Queen Elizabeth, Renaissance Pleasure Faire, Agoura, c. 1986
Morris dancers entertain Queen Elizabeth, Renaissance Pleasure Faire, Agoura, c. A morris dance is a form of English Folk dance usually accompanied by music 1986
The real thing: Peasant's Fair, German etching c1530 by Daniel Hopfer
The real thing: Peasant's Fair, German etching c1530 by Daniel Hopfer

In post-World War II America, there was a resurgence of interest in medieval and Renaissance culture. For other uses of etch or etching, see Etching (disambiguation, for the history of the method see Old master prints. Daniel Hopfer (circa 1470, Kaufbeuren – 1536, Augsburg) was a German artist who is widely believed to have been the first to use World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In the 1950s, there was a very strong early music revival, and out of that came folk musician and traditionalist John Langstaff. See Early music and Historically informed performance for a more detailed explanation of this topic John Langstaff ( December 24, 1920 - December 13, 2005) a concert Baritone, and early music revivalist was the founder In 1957, Langstaff held "A Christmas Masque of Traditional Revels" in New York City, and the following year another in Washington, DC. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The City of New York Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D A televised version was broadcast on the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" in 1966 which included Dustin Hoffman playing the part of the dragon slain by Saint George, and in 1971 Langstaff established a permanent Christmas Revels in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hallmark Hall of Fame is a long-running irregularly scheduled anthology program on American Television. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8 1937 His brother Ronald is a lawyer and economist In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. John Langstaff founded the Revels (now performed at Christmas in nine cities across the United States, and in the spring and summer in many locations Cambridge Massachusetts is a City in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. [7]

In 1963, schoolteachers Ronald and Phyllis Patterson originated the Renaissance Pleasure Faire as an outgrowth of school projects. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The first Faire was held in North Hollywood as a fundraiser for radio station KPFK and drew some 8,000 people for the one-weekend event. North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles California. KPFK (907 FM) is a Radio station in Los Angeles California, United States, which serves the Greater Los Angeles Area, and streams The Patterson family's company, Theme Events Limited, and its non-profit affiliate, The Living History Center, are generally credited with developing the Renaissance Faire concept as it exists today. [8]

For decades, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire was held in the spring at the Paramount Ranch located in Agoura, CA, and in the fall at the Black Point Forest in Novato, CA. The event showcased a large ensemble of performers, fine artists and craftspeople and crew. These yearly events drew on the rich variety arts movement in Los Angeles, and the explosion of outdoor public events. Chinese Variety Art (Chinese 雜技藝術 is the name giving to the collection of performances that include a wide range of Acrobatic, balancing acts and other spectacles Interactive environmental theatre and stage shows were overlaid with large scale processions featuring giant puppets and courtly displays. Participatory theatre is a form of Theatre in which the Audience interacts with the performers or the presenters The London-based Reduced Shakespeare Company, San Francisco's i Fratelli Bologna, Tutti Frutti, St. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Reduced Shakespeare Company is an American acting troupe that writes and performs unsubtle fast-paced seemingly improvisational condensations of huge topics Tutti Frutti is a Commedia dell'arte troupe based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Stupid and the Los Angeles Fools Guild all developed from improvisationally-focused ensembles that initially worked together at the Pleasure Faire. This article is about the American organization For the Discworld Fools' Guild see Fools' Guild (Discworld Since 1981 the Fools Guild has existed as a disorganization Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of Famous actors who worked at the Pleasure Faire in their youth include Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Rosanna Arquette and Penn Jillette. Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3 1965 better known as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor Emilio Estévez (born May 12, 1962) is a Golden Globe - and Screen Actors Guild (SAG Award -nominated American Actor Rosanna Lauren Arquette (born August 10 1959 is a Golden Globe -nominated American actress Film director, and Film producer. Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American Comedian, Illusionist, juggler and Writer known [9]

Myths and Lore

Belly Dancer from the 2004 New York Renaissance Faire.
Belly Dancer from the 2004 New York Renaissance Faire.
An entertainer at the Scottish Games at Dunsmuir House in Oakland, California.
An entertainer at the Scottish Games at Dunsmuir House in Oakland, California. The Dunsmuir House and Gardens is located in Oakland California on a 50 acre site Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U

The jousting and swordplay on exhibit in most Renaissance fairs is not real. Fencing is the art of armed Combat involving Cutting, Stabbing, or slapping bludgeoning Weapons directly manipulated by hand As with professional wrestling, these "fights" are often carefully scripted mock combat. Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff The weapons are real, but the participants are skilled, trained actors and stunt performers. Some jousting troupes, however, do perform real lance passes (using real pine lances).

Although the stocks and pillories displayed in some Renaissance fairs look alarming, they are not actually functional. Stocks are devices used since Medieval times for Public humiliation, Corporal punishment, and Torture. They are provided for amusing photo opportunities and for entirely fictional stunt acts by professional actors.

Acts at a Renaissance fair usually have years of skill behind them and are highly choreographed, taking weeks of classes and, in some respects, years of practice in order to make it appear as authentic as possible. In Historical reenactment, authenticity (sometimes referred to as the A-factor or simply A) is a measure of how close an item prop action weapon or

Renaissance fairs have several variant names, many of which use old-fashion styled spellings such as "faire" or "fayre". These historically inaccurate spellings likely originate from the Middle English variant of the Anglo-Franc word "Feyre"[2]. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of They can also be referred to as "Elizabethan", "Medieval", or "Tudor" fairs (or fayres). "Ren Fair" and "Ren Fest" are popular colloquialisms.

Controversies

Within the Renaissance fair community, there is difference of opinion as to how authentic a fair ought to be. Some feel the fair should be as authentic an experience as possible, to be educational and like European living history museums. An open air museum is a distinct type of Museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors [10] Others feel that entertainment is the primary goal. [11]

There is regret among some long-term Renaissance fairgoers that the fairs have changed over the years. Many of those who remember the idyllic and transportative nature of the earlier fairs (especially those fairs operating with a non-profit spirit) lament the growth of the fairs as businesses. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage Once small, intimate gatherings, where nearly everyone knew each other, they have become more like professional theme parks. However, more organized, professional, family-friendly fairs have also attracted a larger, more diverse audience from the population at large. [12]

Notable fairs

These are only some of the larger Faires around the country. The Highland Renaissance Festival is a permanent Renaissance festival located on former farmland in Eminence KY and set in the fictional early 14th century village Louisiana Renaissance Festival is a Renaissance faire in Hammond Louisiana Revel Grove The English Tudor village is of woods and fields There are more than 130 Craft shops and 42 food outlets The Michigan Renaissance Festival (MRF is a Renaissance fair, an interactive outdoor event that focuses on recreating the look and feel of a fictional English village during The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is a Renaissance fair, an interactive outdoor event which focuses on recreating the look and feel of a fictional 16th Century "England-like" The New York Renaissance Faire is located in Tuxedo New York off New York State Route 17A. The Ohio Renaissance Festival is an annual event that takes place on weekends from late August through October The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire is a Renaissance faire located in Manheim Township Lancaster County Pennsylvania. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Southern California (RPFS is the first original modern Renaissance Fair; it opened in 1963 and has run ever since However, there are many many more, of various sizes and themes.

Notes

  1. ^ "State fairgrounds could benefit from fuller calendar", Battle Creek Enquirer, 5 September 2007
  2. ^ See, for example, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival at [1]
  3. ^ Neil Steinberg, "Out of Time, Nearly: Feast of Fools", Chicago Sun-Times, Wednesday, August 15th, 2007, page 23
  4. ^ Mark Girouard, The Return to Camelot: Chivalry and the English Gentleman, Yale University Press, 1981 ISBN 0-300-02739-7
  5. ^ Val Horsler, Living the Past, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, in association with English Heritage, London, England 2003. Neil Steinberg is a news Columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily Newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. Yale University Press is a book Publisher founded in 1908. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remained ISBN 0297 84312 5
  6. ^ "What the Dickens?", "The Guardian", 18 April 2007
  7. ^ John Langstaff's obituary in "The Guardian", UK
  8. ^ Peter Thomas and Richard J. Sneed, The Faire: Photographs and History of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire from 1963 onwards, The Good Book Press, 1987. The Good Book Press was a fine press book publisher founded in 1977 by Peter and Donna Thomas of Santa Cruz California.
  9. ^ Peter Thomas and Richard J. Sneed, The Faire: Photographs and History of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire from 1963 onwards, The Good Book Press, 1987. The Good Book Press was a fine press book publisher founded in 1977 by Peter and Donna Thomas of Santa Cruz California.
  10. ^ "Bristol Renaissance Faire organizers strive for authenticity," according to the Chicago Heights "Star" at "Bristol Renaissance Faire for more than kings, queens" on August 23, 2007
  11. ^ Richard Shapiro, who founded what later became the Bristol Renaissance Faire, said he favors entertainment. Bristol Renaissance Faire ("Bristol" is a major Renaissance Fair in the Midwest. “We were so authentic back then it was almost painful” ("King Richard’s Faire brings a Renaissance revival" at projo.com, the Providence Journal online, August 30, 2007)
  12. ^ " Renaissance Faire: for rogues, wenches AND families", by Dawn Sagario, "Des Moines Register", August 30, 2007

See also

External links

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