Went to my first Renaissance Festival

[Arnwyn]

So, I was in Minneapolis as part of my vacation with my wife and some friends just a weekend ago (Aug 16), and one of my friends saw this brochure for the "2008 Minnesota Renaissance Festival". She had heard of these things before and believed them to be somewhat of a 'big deal' in the U.S. and was always interested in going. So she convinced us, and off we went on Saturday Aug 16.

Uh... wow. And this happens on an annual basis? Oh, you wacky Americans!


(And I now know what the heck that "Puke and Snot" thread actually means!)

 

[Ranger REG]

So, I was in Minneapolis as part of my vacation with my wife and some friends just a weekend ago (Aug 16), and one of my friends saw this brochure for the "2008 Minnesota Renaissance Festival". She had heard of these things before and believed them to be somewhat of a 'big deal' in the U.S. and was always interested in going. So she convinced us, and off we went on Saturday Aug 16.

Uh... wow. And this happens on an annual basis? Oh, you wacky Americans!

Not just in America.

http://www.sca.org/geography/welcome.html

 

[Dog Moon]

Heh. Well, that answers the question that one of my friends asked me: "You know when the Rens Fest starts?"

I couldn't remember if it started before the state fair or after, though apparently, it's before.

What confuses me is why you'd go to MINNEAPOLIS of all places! Gah!

 

[Chauzu]

Yeah, the Renaissance Fairs are pretty cool. I haven't been to one in a while though, but I think there might be one around here next month, I gotta look it up. My luck though I probably missed it already lol.

 

[Umbran]

Not just in America.

http://www.sca.org/geography/welcome.html

Um, the SCA and Renaissance Fairs are entirely different things. The SCA is about scholarly historical reconstruction and hitting armored people with sticks. Ren Faires are about theater, beer, facepainting, and women in push-up corsets.

 

[Ranger REG]

Um, the SCA and Renaissance Fairs are entirely different things. The SCA is about scholarly historical reconstruction and hitting armored people with sticks. Ren Faires are about theater, beer, facepainting, and women in push-up corsets.

Aren't most Renaissance Fairs usually organized by local chapters of the SCA?

 

[Arnwyn]

What confuses me is why you'd go to MINNEAPOLIS of all places! Gah!

Heh. It's only a (relatively) quick drive, and I've never been there!

 

[Umbran]

Aren't most Renaissance Fairs usually organized by local chapters of the SCA?

Nope. Ren Fairs are generally commercial ventures, owned and operated rather like a circus. While there's any number of SCA folks who attend or work at the ren fairs, they are not functions of the SCA.

You can go to a ren fair, pay your money, and expect that there will be people there to entertain you - you can walk around, shop, sit, and watch and have fun. If you go the following weekend, you'll find most of the entertainments are exactly the same - they're scripted theater.

SCA events are an entirely different beast. If you go to an SCA event, you may pay a small fee to help pay for the site or the feast, but your entertainment is generally going to be dependent on you engaging in the activities there - it isn't an event for spectators like a faire. If you don't yourself fight, dance, do crafts, or the like, you may not find a whole lot to do at an SCA event.