Storytime: I worked at a Renaissance Festival
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
- Good morrow to you! Dost thou wish me to regale you with the tales of my days singing with the maidens of Foxglove at the Colorado Renaissance Festival? Prithee, tell me yay or nay. Yay? Huzzah!
► FIND ME ONLINE:
ginnydi.com
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Thanks to everyone for their kind words about my singing!! ❤️ The song over the photo montage is Thomas Morley's "April is in my Mistress' Face," in this case with all four parts performed by me. If you want to hear more of my singing, check out my music video playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLsmjZYZs1ps0mMVCn6AO4yBobwCFqcFD5
You might enjoy the Georgia Renaissance Festival. I didn't know about it until college, but I alas never got the chance to go (school dictates you make sure your folks don't regret tuition for you).
Holy crap i love your hair. I never get blue to stay like that so i switched to purple.
The Bristol Faire in IL is the most magical by far. It makes Scarborough look trashy. I highly recommend you visit.
Huzzah, lil sista!!
* Say, I was just wondering, do you know if its ever been suggested to any of the Renaissance Festivals to hold "LARP("Live Action Role Playing") Battles", combined with cosplay? If the Renaissance Festival would like to add some major excitement(maybe even a sport) to the festival, they could have competitions, like battle competitions and cosplay contests.
* It could be fun. Although, I would recommend that anyone who participates in any of that, bring "a lot" of water, and I mean a lot of water, in an effort to stave off dehydration. A nice cold beer in a wooden beer mug just goes down so damn good on a hot summer day. By the way, I'll bet you would sound pretty good singing that one song called "Dream of the Archer" by that band called "Heart" ruclips.net/video/Jwc0zfEVXRc/видео.html
"so now it's full of alcohol".. I understand you. Like.
Right? It's a MOOD.
Yeah, I felt that too
I WAS THE 1m LIKE :))))
i love your pfp
Oh my god, yes!
"How do i react to a serenade?"
I've been serenaded once, and legit I just copied the Sims 2 reaction.
It seemed to work.
🤣
I love that. 😂
That Shiny Kitty Kat I tried to serenade my now girlfriend before we started dating but two of my guitar strings broke right when I started strumming and so that saved us both some embarrassment
David Beaulieu Lmao, hope you didn’t try responding in simlish😉🤣
I DIED OMG
I remember one day the choreographed sword fighters did their act and bowed to the audience then walked back into the staff tent still laughing and joking In-character then as soon as they closed the curtain one of the fighters grabbed the other one and almost collapsed.
No one had realized it, not even the guy he has been fighting, but he had missed a parry and shattered the bone in his leg.
The leg-armor was the only thing keeping him standing the entire second half of the show and he had just kept going because he was such a badass and didn't want to scare the kids.
HOLY SHIT that’s insane 🤭
@@Rizzalert69 No, it's adrenaline. You've got about sixty seconds before the crash.
Christ!
NOW imagine it was an actual medieval combat and he had to keep fighting...what an awful time to be alive.
Yikes. As a non-choreographed rapier fencer, that's as scary as it gets.
SO MANY MEMORIES! I miss Foxglove, and singing with you, with that group. I agree it was a formative experience, same. It changed my life, too. Faire is still fun nowadays, (I still perform every summer with Wakefire at the Michigan faire), but it's very different being a stage act, more like an actual job, and there was something special about those magical early years on the Larkspurshire lanes that I will always be grateful for!
Thank you for guiding & guarding baby Ginny through the world of Faire!! You made me feel very safe there!!
WHOA IT’S HER
My experience was pretty similar, even though it was only a week long event three summers in a row. The group of people I had become friends with were pretty dedicated, and I went and worked with them. They dressed me, and we camped for a week on site. The cool stuff was that as you said, often you felt like you were living in a real village. Most of what we ate was cooked over a fire. We slept in constructed "authentic" tents. We drank terrible mead someone there had made. We bartered goods. Thinking back, maybe because it was only a week long as opposed to an entire summer, but people were very likely to stay in character the whole time, with little fear of burning out. They looked forward to it all year, so the play-acting continued all day and night when out in the open.
It was definitely a tent-hopping partner swapfest though. I was younger and didn't partake in the "festivities", but I too was propositioned by "royalty"! The King was openly very flirty with me, which made everyone treat me like I had been plucked from obscurity. Other girls giggled and blushed and encouraged me to keep his eye. It was all fun and games and play-acting till he pulled me aside and asked me back to the "royal bedchamber". I cringe when I think about how goofy it suddenly was. It became very clear very fast that he was super sleezy, and probably only a "hit with the ladies" at the fair in this role. I didn't visit that bedchamber.
Thanks for the video, it really took me back!
If I ever run into you, stick with me. I usually get stuck being the friar or something. Or unconscious.
Edit: And bring a wheel barrow and say "bring out your dead!"
The casts of RenFair tend to attract and consists of a fair number of hopeless romantics...and then there are those who hope to take advantage of that.
@@EpochUnlocked your edit makes me want to be apart of this because that's just too hilarious
As a teenager I was propositioned by a fair lady vendor who I'd just bought a mask from, but sadly my courage failed me. A completely different scenario to what you experienced, however sadly my female Re-enactment friends have tales that mirror yours more than mine.
@@Ocker3 I'm probably gay. If I got propositioned by a woman I'd find an excuse to turn her down then hate myself for not taking her up on it. I really don't want to be gay. Like I get violent when I think someone's suggesting I'm gay
I asked myself the same question about the film industry once I aged above 25. How the hell do these 50-60 year old's party until 4am every night for 10 days, and still make it to the market for 9am?
And then I learned the answer...
Drugs...
The answer is drugs.
Indeed
As I understand it, cocaine helps. (Never did drugs myself).
🙄 No need for drugs when it's simply a lifestyle. That's not to say they AREN'T doing drugs. They certainly are! But if you saw the way these losers performed on Sunday, and the way they sleep their lives away the rest of the week, you'd know the drugs aren't helping them much.
@@nonnayerbiz4550 lol nope it's drugs they have a culture of drug use they'd be dead without them
Haha 😂
And now I’m so glad we now have the Costume is NOT consent, going around.
I've had men, my father's age, hit on me and even pull my hair after I tried to defuse the situation with a joke
@@dr.jackbright963 Hit on, oh well, no biggie; hair pull, *SCREECH IN FEAR*
@@dr.jackbright963 wtf, pull your hair? That's some weird 8 year old shit. In what context did that happen?
@Fabian Brown ? The hell you talking about white knighting?
Yes, costume is not consent. Flirting is not consent. Roleplaying is not consent. Drinking is not consent. This is something that people in acting and performing have to also deal with all the time.
10:00 best part trust me
dont get me wrong i liked the story but that singing was angelic
Would make a petition for a whole song 😍
Agreed. I'd only heard her sing in her Jester cosplay and this was awesome!
I have to say, I’m from the south of England so my accent is very much like the type of accent people attempt to recreate at Ren faires in America and it is so refreshing to see someone actually doing a good Hampshire English accent! Normally people do a blend of Mary Poppin’s cockney and crazy exaggerated posh but you’ve got it down perfectly 🤗
Our golden rule was, If its funny once, its funny a thousand times. You have a beautiful singing voice btw.
I've never been to a ren faire but I did have that EXACT same "coming of age in a sea of nerds and people are hitting on me for the first time" experience.... at 4chan scientology protests. that's.... a weird realization to have
4CHAN SCIENTOLOGY PROTESTS
@@GinnyDi .... I KNOW. I KNOWWWWW
Ok your an interesting little bugger how were they
One day we'll get a Critical Role Ren Faire. Mercer's dream of Critical Role Land will come true!
Talisin would almost certainly be 100% on board and working there! Most of them really... or all.
All us Critters can do is hope and Pray!😇🤓🤓🤓
Traveler Con!! 2021!!
I mean any Ren Faire can technically be a Crit Role Faire, or a D&D Ren Faire at least. Just add the racial features of your character & boom D&D Ren Faire.
Will there be fantasy football?
As someone who’s worked faire for a... while its good to see someone do a story time that’s honest about the experience. This is pretty much identical to my own. There’s definitely a hedonist atmosphere that can be really pushy and uncomfortable but it was also the first time I felt attractive and the first time I met people who turned me towards some of my favorite hobbies and things now.
I'm honestly so happy that a few people have responded to this video saying they relate to my experience!! There was a part of me while I was there that wondered if there was something wrong with me since everyone else seemed so cool with it! But at the same time, it was also such a positive experience for me and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
@@GinnyDi to my experience, most people who encounter such toxic elements in a larger positive context often choose to focus exclusively on the good parts as an instinctive coping mechanism, regardless if it's at a convention, a role playing group, at work or in a school.
@@GinnyDi As someone who's been to the Pennsylvania Ren Faire since 2004, I haven't encountered any toxic elements at Mt. Hope even once.
The only "negative experience" my family and I had happened one summer when it rained something FIERCE! It poured so hard, we briefly had to take shelter at a booth that only offered a small amount of cover from the rain.
But aside from that; the people (both performers and patrons alike) were friendly, the atmosphere was exhilarating, I adored the food (especially the turkey legs) and the entertainment was spectacular. My favorite part has been and always will be the Joust.
In closing, if I were able; I'd want nothing more than to have the chance to perform at the faire...even for a brief period
Just wait to one attends... Burning Man.... LOL.
@@daviddionne8296 lol you know what your getting if you go to burnnyman lol
I never worked at a fair but I come.from a theater background and love having fun and impress the cast there sometimes. I dress up, have a character just for fun. Once i was a princess. Just a big dress, corset, crown and cloak princess. A little boy, maybe 4 dressed like a knight ran up and said hello. I gave him a curtsey and admire his bravery protective his mother from dragons. The boy kissed my hand and bowed! I nearly cried and posed for a picture and talked with him till I had to "bid him farewell " because my "prince was coming to take me to the enchanted forest" my husband had food and drinks lol. It was adorable
dfkajfhdkjfadslf that's adorable
I loved working at Scarborough! The "faire persona" really helped me come out of my shell (at 25 lol) and interact with people confidently. Most of my interactions with patrons where really fun but the drunken creeps are definitely a thing. I was floater for the souvenir booths and this one man followed me the whole damn day. Security finally chased him off and I was so spooked I had my dad pick me up instead of driving myself home!
(Also the venn diagram of rennies and kinksters is definitely... a thing.)
Odd, the kinksters I know are not creeps - it's the people that try too hard to pass as normal that often hide the darkest shadows, in my experience.
First 10 minutes: That sounds really cool, I should encourage my daughter to do RenFair for a summer job!
Last 10 minutes: We aren't going to RenFair anymore...
And this is why we should watch videos all the way to the end! :)
Ironically 9:58 is also the moment that grabs the most attention, lets call it a segway from pros to cons
A bit of exaggeration there...
Kansas City Renaissance Festival really cleaned out the sexual predators and jerks. No one under 18 is allowed on cast without a parent with them (not just at fair but WITH THEM). It’s much safer now and some other related fairs are doing the same.
@@valley5617 Sincerely, I hope it's fair and honest "cleaning out", I was hunted more than once by the "fairer sex" at Ren Faire's back in the 90's.
That said, I found the vast majority of people I worked with to be genuinely good people. Sure there were a few grifters and cons, but I remember those times fondly.
Wait...wait...WHAT?! I've been to the Colorado Ren Fest many times including back in 2010 and believe I remember hearing the lovely ladies of Foxglove sing! I don't remember the songs, but I do remember you all had wonderful harmonies! I am honored to have crossed paths ever so briefly and gotten to hear your amazing musical talent live. Thank you for sharing your story and experience! HUZZAH!
As someone who lives in a country with no ren faires, I've always loved the idea of going to one and it's interesting to hear stories about them.
Also, itty bitty titty committee will never not be funny! I'm a proud member myself
If you get the chance to goto one try to hit the events. If you just walk around it is soso. Try to go see the jousting hit some singing or comedy shows. Take the kids to the birds of prey show and petting zoo
@@unholywarrior9007 sure, sounds like fun! If I ever get the chance to go to one I'll surely try as many things as possible
I for one LOVE the "Itty Bitty Titty Committee!" Just a guy giving his opinion to you proud members! Not everyone likes things HUGE!
Almost any re-enactment or living history event is worth going to!
Paul Esterline Are you sure? So many guys say “I like small boobs,” turns out he means a B/C cup.
Some of my best singing has been in a corset, the structure is *chef's kiss* for getting peak vocals. The misconception is real, I feel ya Ginny!
I've heard that Renaissance standards resulted in corsets being laced MUCH tighter than they are worn today. Could that be a factor in the misconception?
I’ve worn my corset singing as well, it’s not difficult and does make me feel good as a performer (unfortunately my favorite corset is now too big for me so I either need to Jerry-rig it to be smaller, or save my mom for a new one). I think people hear corset and think “a waist smaller than your wrist”.
@@LabGeckoVictorian corsets were WAY smaller on average from what I could tell. But I think it’s also the skirts that threw people, because Renaissance dresses had much larger hoop skirts, which made the hips look a lot bigger than the waist. Meanwhile, Victorian women had regular A-line type skirts that just draped to the floor.
About 18 years ago I asked a girl out at the Ren Fest. Her name was Twig. She played the pan flute.
She said no.
Was a double flute, not pan, if you mean Twig near the bridge at Scarborough that didn't speak
Twig is now married to her longtime beau and they have a child. I think she probably was dating him then. LOL
@@AislinSidhe ahh good for her! Friends and I always joked about my love for her everytime we went, last time I went I met my wife 😍
@@NokturnalMTG Aw, congrats on meeting your lady!
TWIG THE FAAAAAAAIIIIIRRYYYY
You know, this was a fun video. RIP the first version, but 20 mins just flew by.
Bruh, you really flexing with your voice bruh.
It's the most angelic sound my ears have beheld 🥺
Oh Ginny this was a great video! I also dated a rennie once... and he too, serenaded me.... and to this day it is still the most awkward human interaction I've ever had...
SOLIDARITY 😬
@@GinnyDi YES GIRL! And you're so right, not romantic!
SOLIDARITY!
Being serenaded was probably the second most embarrassing moment in my life...topped only by a drunk falling on their face and attempting the ancient egyptian head to floor thing at me...
Why are rennie boys always on bottom
Because they only know how to fuck up
@@richardsmith4500 I hate you so much. Take my like and thumbs up and get out.
Wow, your singing voice caught me totally off guard. You speak well, and were very casual and relaxed then suddenly started singing and it was a shock hearing the difference.
I've been to the Pa. Faire 3 times. The last time, I took my aged mother-in-law, who sat on benches and watched people, and we went from bench to restroom to bench around the grounds. Then she found "The Queen's Hounds", a greyhound rescue booth, which is the only kind of dog she wasn't afraid of. We spent quite awhile petting those dogs! I had wanted to give her an interesting, different experience for a change.
I know this is a year after the fact, but I am so glad your mother-in-law found joy with the greyhounds. My parents were a part of the "Royal Hounds" at the PA Ren Faire for many years and worked with the First State Greyhound Rescue that that created the booth there. Sadly, the group is no longer at Faire. Seeing this has given me a gigantic smile remembering the days the greys were on site!
I’m a huge fan of the greyhound booth as well, I spent at least an hour there my first visit
There was a Ren Faire near my grandparents place in upstate NY that I'd go to every summer as a kid. I loved it but I stopped when I was twelve because I started going to theatre camp. Honestly your description of some things just sounds like theatre camp but for adults. My favorite Ren Faire story is when one of the actresses referred to me as a princess and I said "Nobody calls me princess" (which was a blatant lie) and my cousin told her to excuse me because I was "a little twisted". She then proceeded to refer to me as "Little Twisted" the way children used to be called "Little Mary" or "Little Peter". Little Twisted was a family nickname for me for several years (which was fine, my family is weird and we embrace it)
Better to be twisted than stuck up ;)
Sterling Renaissance Festival? I live in upstate NY, I love it there :)
Sterling, NY on the shores of Lake Ontario. Love that place!
Good on you sticking to your boundaries. :) Don't let anyone tell you you weren't cool or something, alcohol is overrated.
Having the maturity to stick to boundaries at 18 should be applauded!!!
And those trying to push someone to break such self-set boundaries should be denounced and shunned.
@@SonsOfLorgar Agreed, though I think like she said they may not have been doing so with such malicious intent and rather just out of a misunderstanding of the reason why not
@@rksnj6797 Yea it's a definitely overrated to drink in a ditch or a field somewhere because you're too young. I didn't drink till I was 18, the legal age here. However, I must say it was/is great craic generally just going out and having a few drinks but ultimately the people you are with are what makes it
@@theformalmooshroom9147 at the same time, the reason why someone doesn't want to drink alcohol or get drunk is irrelevant as their choise deserve to be fully respected without motivation or persuasion attempts.
Every time I go to fair I’m an elf or a fae folk so I can play just weird and avoid flirting. As an asexual it’s a good way to avoid awkward things.
Hmmm... An asexual "lord" seems to be a bit awkward in and of itself. Perhaps it's a misnomer?
Stephen Pike the Title Lord just means I have influence/authority in the kingdom so why would that stop me from being asexual...?
@@Keltain I just thought that lord was a male exclusive name...but I'm not that familiar with stuff like that. Who knew that pansexual had nothing to do with an awkward attraction to Corningware®?
Stephen Pike that still has nothing to do with sexuality. That’s gender. A very different thing. Lord is in its self asexual, as it a title of position and not a sexual term.
@@Keltain Aren't Lords men and Ladies ladies? Sort of like Princes, Princesses, Kings, Queens, Dukes and Duchesses? If not, the Ren Faire lied to me.
I’m much too shy for Ren faires 😂 the moment a character comes up to me to talk or singles me out in an audience I have to dip
It pisses me off when a cast member taunts me. I'm not prepared with some bullshit reparte. It's my least favorite part of the scene.
This is so weirdly parallel to my own life, getting a job at Disney World as an innocent naive inexperienced non-drinking 19 year old and finding that the behind-the-scenes culture was ummm a lot more grown up than expected 😂 and yes having crushes on people because they played a prince, or drove the monorail, or whatever even though they were just some 20-something doing a summer job
This is the pinnacle of the "RUclipsr pretending to drink to get through a video" gag.
That's it everyone, Ginny wins.
maisie williams looks good with mint green hair.
She DOES look like her.
I thought it was teal
I knew she looked familiar!!!
😂😂😂
NO
High key obsessed with your hairstyle in this video. It's so pretty! 😍
This just popped up in my “recommended videos”. This was in a word enthralling. I totally enjoyed it. You have a gorgeous singing voice, and are a splendid storyteller. 👍
Wow!! You brought back some wild memories! I worked the "Carolina Renaissance Festival" back in 95 and 96. It was a WILD time!! I have some crazy stories also. Thanks for jogging the memory!!
I worked at one too, helping out my then-boyfriend. It's definitely a lot of fun but I was so TIRED by the end! We manned a mead sales point, and people love to drink like their hangovers are going to stay back in the medieval days as well... You don't get to sit, you don't get to eat much, you have to do so much mental math constantly... that being said, now that I attend merely as a spectator, I love going. Some people go all out with their costumes and it's amazing to see them!
As a Brit, living in the UK, it's so strange to hear about Ren Faires, because they really don't exist in Britain at all. We have some similar things, Larping, Fairy Balls etc, but those are very small, and only a particular group of people really attend them, and lots of people don't know about them at all, whereas I feel like even if you don't attend them in America, you still know about them, and what they are.
It would be cool to see you re-form a Madrigal group now, it would be lovely to see what songs you would sing, or if you wrote your own, or re-wrote lyrics to fit a certain fandom. You have such a beautiful voice, and that little clip was delightful!
Surprised that it’s not a big thing there, would probably be very successful.
In Europe reenactment festivals are common, like the York Viking festival or Visby medieval week in Gotland, Sweden
@@JoelK1991 indeed, almost every town in Sweden with any kind of medieval or renaisance fortification and some specific historical event tied to it has some kind of reenactment festival focused around that event.
In eastern and central Europe, Napoleonic reenactments are also fairly common.
And afaik, it's similiar with Roman reenactment in parts of central and southern Europe that was once inside those Imperial borders.
As a fellow Brit I think the reason we don't have US style ren faires is we have actual re-enactments at historic sites instead so the strange kitsch medieval England of an American Faire doesn't really catch on. I don't think a ren faire at the County showground would be able to compete with stuff like the medieval tournament at Leeds Castle for example.
...and now I'm trying to imagine how a RenFaire would work in England. Would genuine English people go around faking bad English accents?
This made me look up the next ren fair in my area... turns out it’s on my birthday!!! It’s fate I must go!
Reilley Farnsworth YOU MUST!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you get to attend and have an amazing birthday that day! 💖💖💖
As the Fates allow!
May you be filled with Joy and Singing with a dash of Whimsy for added color.
Aunt B
Have fun, stay hydrated, and if you start to feel not hydrated, ask about some pickle juice. Seriously though, don’t be afraid to ask a cast member for water, hydration is key at faire. Also, bring a hand fan!!
I started working at Renaissance Festivals when I was 7, and stopped in the Spring of 2017, after 27 years. Scarborough Faire was actually my home show.
I agree with almost everything that you said,though the culture is much more varied than you got to experience.
For a surface level analysis, this was spot on.
Going to Scarborough this weekend, so excited
Omg YES that's so crazy, I'm literally going to the Scarborough Renn Faire tomorrow
7?!
Oh hey Tricia! Miss you! And yeah, surface level, this was spot on. It's also a lot for someone so young!
Random dude picks up a woman Viking-Style: “MY WENCH!”
Me: “HELL NAH BRO, LEMME AT EM!”
What's scary is not knowing if it's part of an act or not when you're a visitor, you don't know if you should laugh or be concerned
@@GabrielleHayes1921 Ren Rule of Thumb: When in doubt, take pictures. They will either end up as treasured memories or evidence.
We found the white knight.
@@bitcoinconstitutionalist9252 that's genius
Love this relaxed storytelling structure!
Glad you're into it!! It's really fun to make!
So ive done medieval reenactment since i was a child and my brother formed a pirate crew in game who then went on to do ren fairs in washington. They do kid pike drills and march them around and show then pike formations. So i feel very at home in ren faire environments but i was also never pressured to drink or flirted with 1 cause i was a child for most of my participation and 2 because i was the 'captains' little sister so i was treated with far more respect and consideration. Ive been to all sorts of ren fairs from small local ones in idaho and washington to big professional ones in wisconsin and washington. The big ones have a more dedicated 'cast' while small ones are often volunteers who are larpers. I still love ren fairs and would love to make a small choir.
This comment was a bit surreal to read because I've been part of that pike group in Washington for years
The prince... I remember him!! He was interesting, from my memory.
I worked there for 2-3 summers in the 2010's (Games! Mostly darts and plate smash). I love your stories about it. I am having my own flashbacks to that time thanks to these stories. I still visit the Faire to this day. My friends still work there, and I know so many of the actors still.
I'm surprised there was no mention of the owner of the land. The man who barred fur from anyone who didn't work leather. And barred asking for tips. And loves fairies more than mermaids and (I believe) still doesn't allow them in faire. And... Well... He was interesting.
Still, these stories take me back. I had fun listening to all of this.
Jim Paradise is a MADMAN and I was lucky that I didn't really have to interact with him ever because the entertainment director was our go-between. But people who had been working there longer than me had some stories about him!!
@@GinnyDi you are very lucky. I watched him fire one of the game workers during the faire for having a fox tail hung off of his belt. Afterward, he sent a notice that they were banned. Even when I visit, I avoid him.
@@Mo-Fox-Art I'm interested now. Why did he ban him? Does he not like leather products? Seems harsh
My parents were rennies for years before they had my sister and me. I loved (and still love) hearing the stories of my mom, the madrigal singer, and my dad, the elven scoundrel/security guard. I’ve always wanted to work a Ren Faire, but I’ve been kind of nervous because as the child of rennies, I know what the scene is like.
Great video, very informative and entertaining. Everyone should attend a renaissance festival once just to experience all the awkward fun that it is. Side note, do not wear clothing with writing on it. I wore a Ministry tshirt and was referred to as Master Ministry the entire day. Immerrrrrrsion.
My friends and I go to the Kansas City Renfest every year, we love it. My costume gets more complex every year and I have slowly made each of my friends wear costumes as well
I've been to both the KC faire ( grew up going to it ) and the CO faire and I love them both so much. KC's definitely has my heart though because it's just so lovely down in the trees like it is.
Started working KCRF in 1990. I'd still be working it if not for my health problems.
SAME THO. I’ve already started sewing a full hunters party outfits for me and my friends and I’m ridiculously excited 🧵
Kristen Felan We’ve been meaning to check out KC ren faire for forever! We go to the Great Plains down in Wichita at least once a year. It takes me back to SCA medieval reenactment. It’s wonderful!
RenFest is my favorite part of living in KC, there's something so magical about the atmosphere... which is strange to say since I live less than 2 minutes from the faire grounds. Someday I'll get my social anxiety in check and go back. I wish my husband loved RenFest like I do, I feel like he's the only one that can drag me out of my house/comfort zone.
I think literally three different people said "Nice rack!" to me over the approximately four hours I was there as Keyleth, and by the, uh, second, I had my response prepared. (Which is "Thanks, they're natural!", which the horns are obviously not.)
Edit: I completely failed to mention that I'm in Colorado, which is why I didn't think to specify which one I was at. Whoops.
UGH, of course they did
Hi all in this thread including Ginny: I agree, people shouting "Nice Rack" at ladies is normally shitty, but as the cosplayer was Keyleth, and having a "rack" of Antlers, it's funny because of the forbidden phrase being relevant to the headdress, and the double meaning.
Yeah, I ran into her at Faire last summer when we were both dressed as Keyleth, I fully understand the point of the joke.
@@GinnyDi Lovely. Glad to hear it. Although _sharpened_ antlers would help the men who _weren't_ making the joke get the "point". Right in the eye :)
@@MrFlashpoint1978 ahh, the good old art of making an impression by means of a pointed argument to convince a scoundrel to repair their offence!
Went to Scarborough in Jr High for the first time and I was like DEEP in my goth phase and all I can really remember is a court jester heckling the SHIT out of me for being dressed in all black.
You say that as if you grew out of it, o' sammy of the black lips
Thanks for the memories. ☺️
I sang in a madrigal group that was formed for the 2nd annual Largo, FL Ren festival in the mid 1980s. We performed all 6 weekends the first year and the first weekend the next year. We were a stage act so we had cover for the 5 weekends it poured.
I was new to the whole scene but enjoyed it tremendously.
The bass of the group liked it so much he went on with the tour.
Last I heard he was Blacksmithing, and jousting in addition to singing.
“The beer is in the pickup truck”
Having work at Faire, these are great words to help remove any traces of medieval accent, although I had much more trouble not placing a wee bit of Scottish on my speech
Good god it's hard for me. It takes about two to three weeks for me to de-scottify my verbiage after faire goes down. Sometimes I ketch m'self typing in a gaelic brogue so thick ma autikerrect cannae understand it.
Oh wow, I'd forgotten about people saying that after cannon.
This only makes me want to run away with the ren faire more.
Dooooo ittttttt it's great
Remembering back when I was an awkward youngling. What she said about picking out a kid and running through a bit at 7:27 makes soooo much sense now. I was so embarrassed and my parents laughed.
I have a story from the Colorado Renaissance festival too! When I was twelve, my parents took me and when I bent over to tie my shoes, my mom smacked my butt so hard that I faceplanted and busted my nose. She felt pretty bad lol 😂
Best story XD
As someone who has always struggled with self confidence and overall self esteem issues, just being in the Ren Faire, and seeing so many cast members give me attention and act the way they did honestly made me feel much better about myself. Now, I just wish that feeling stayed, instead of getting stomped back into the ground at school/college, but it is what it is. I honestly wish I had some experiences like the ones you’ve described, because I think it would have likely had a similar effect on what I think of myself and how I choose to carry myself, wether in public or just with some friends.
I went to the faire in Wisconsin for the first time this summer with a group of friends. I didn't have a costume but I wore what I had that most resembled the style, one of the people I went with wore a full samurai suit and a few people asked to take photos with him. It was a lot of fun to me to buy into the idea of being in the past and a semi magical world, and it was a place id wanted to go for a while but was scared to go alone. I think the coolest part for me was having a knight sign my flag after the joust :^)
The Bristol fair is awesome! I love the acrobats!
@@gxtmfa Yes Barely Balanced at Bristol is phenomenal! My family and friends absolutely love the faire. We bring our children there yearly.
I love the Bristol faire. Trying the Minnesota one this year.
I saw your samurai friend, he was magnificent!
Honestly it wasn't until I heard CR members going to Ren Faires that I found out those were a thing. They don't really exist in my country, there is one sort of convention type thing that is a bit similar, but it is nowhere near as immersive as renfair sounds tbh.. I'd be interested in going at some point, and working there does sound like a fascinating experience
I guess it depends on where you go, the one I’m closest to is pretty reasonably priced (like 25 US dollars per person) and it’s wonderful there, paved streets, fun elaborate performances and costumes, good food, it’s a fun time!
When I was about 22 I had a similar experience to you. I didn't sing, but I started going to the local faire with people who had a booth selling pottery. Eventually, I would make friends with character actors. Ah the dream!
It was also where I learned I was 'sexy,' and although at times that was a weird... sometimes uncomfortable experience. I was kinda happy it happened there. I had a sense of confidence there so I learned more about my boundaries.
I still have a dream that one day I'll retire with a caravan that I sell stuff out of at faires. Just be the 'faire witch' and sit around drinking mead and enjoying the outdoors till my dying days.
The first and only renaissance fair I have been to is Scarborough actually. It has a special place with me because it is where I met my fiance's brother, sister, and nephew for the first time. That was in 2018 so I'm hoping we can go again.
You've been to Scarborough Fair? Simon and Garfunkel would be proud.
Dang! I haven’t you sing before and then you drop “I would enter your Garden” Blew me away!
I remember back in 91 or 92, my college summer (ugh, I just dated myself), my friends (5 of us) and I went in costume. They went as peasants and went in my old death robes from Halloween (I was to busy making everyone-else's costumes, I didn't have time for mine). My robes were REALLY long and flowy with a deep hood and red lining with all the hems shredded (I think I still have it around somewhere). I decided to be a "wandering mage". I had a rope belt and little satchel and crystals, it was pretty bad-ass for the Ren faire =)
Well, my friends and I sat down under a big tree in the middle of the square to eat lunch. I was just screwing around and grabbed some twigs and rocks threw them on the ground and pretended to read my friends fortunes. In about 5 minutes we had a crowd of people around us thinking we were part of the faire. So the rest of the day, people actually treated us AS we were part of the faire and we played it up. It was either Don Juan or Migel (some of you know who they are) complimented me on my costume, act and said I should join them next year. I loved going to the Ren, but that was the best time I've ever had!
Just thought I'd share =)
I've been to the Carolina Ren Faire multiple times, never worked there, but always went in costume. I've been a ranger, twice an elf, a gypsy, and a dragon lady. It was the first place I went where guys actually would wink and flirt with me. As my bff would say, I turned into a tomato and literally tried to hide behind her. Probably my favorite time, however, was getting to sword fight with a pirate. That was awesome!
Just went there for the first time on Saturday! It was amazing!
@@zebraroniancheez I’m going in the morning, and have never been to this faire, so seeing your comment from this season is encouraging!
I've watched many of your videos over the years. This one more than any other, really felt like we were just hanging out in your living room listening to you tell stories. Very real, very candid. Thank you for sharing your story and your voice.
First 30 seconds: Ginny you are nothing if not #relatable
Also please consider coming to visit the Bristol Renaissance faire on the border of Wisconsin and Illinois if you’re ever in the area in the summer! It’s also a permanent installation and is like a mini city!
@@angelan.7145 Literally read Bristol and thought you meant Bristol, UK and I was like ooh but then I read on :P :)
@@angelan.7145 i 2nd this one. I have only got to go the Bristol Renaissance Faire for 2 weekends a few years back.. but it was a blast! i really want to get back to this one
"all these moments will be lost, like tears in the rain"...or words in an unplugged microphone 😀
Watching this a year after the fact, but I just joined the Ren Faire circuit myself. I'm working for a leather vendor, and was at Louisiana Ren Faire this fall, and will be heading to Scarborough in a few weeks. It's a weird time to start this, with Covid messing everything up, but it's a lot of fun, if a bit stressful at times. Also, I'm in my 40's and I felt pressured to drink, so it's not just the kids who feel that.
if I had not already subbed, that open would have clenched it for sure.
The old saying, "If you can't get laid at Ren Fair, you can't get laid." Glad to know its not just the N Cal fair.
I’ve never heard that before but damn that’s true
When did you do N Cal?, Was it Blackpoint or Fairfield? It was a great faire until Disney and you are quite correct with your statement, I don't remember a single night without a tent warmer.
@@cyridath for me it was way back, Novato, and that was a great site. I think the last one I went to there was 95?? give or take
Thanks again, lots of fun, yes you definitely needed the drink!
I was the Brewmaster for my old Viking re-enactment society, & know what it's like when you get into character .. We'd authenticamp for the whole weekend, luckily I brought gallons of mead & ale to help people get throught it! ;)
Bro I get what you mean about the magic being dispelled once you've worked faire.
Like I still love the pageantry and community of faire, and seeing how different ones are set up and populated, but I've seen too much behind the curtain. I feel like I don't know how to be a patron at faire anymore 😅
I do a number of soft site faires (no permanent buildings, usually just single weekends) with multiple organizers. My group encourages going to other faires as a patron, just to remind ourselves what that magic feels like from the other side of the ropes. If we feel it, we cannot create it.
Favorite PA Faire memory: me and my friends were eating chocolate dipped frozen bananas on a stick (yea....) and the guy playing the character of the bishop screeches over all the other fair noise "LADIES!! Practice, practice, practice!" I was probably as red as his costume!
That sleazy incident is you’re “favorite” memory..?
My ex taught me where every woman should carry knives in costume. I taught her that guys should stand up for guys throwing people over their shoulders if they don’t want it. Carried that forward to my wife, who is a horse girl. She snorts in amusement.
“M’Laird, I handle a thousand pound beast... and our horse... I think I could toss HIM well enough!”
😆😂🤣
RenFaire lassies should carry bodice daggers. Huzzah!
9:57 for amazing vocals
Wow, the Rennies wanted to encourage a cute, little 18 year old woman to drink. Color not surprised.
Did Daniel Duke of Danger or Don Juan and Miguel ever get out to Colorado?
I went to the Sterling New York Ren Faire a few times. It's always nice even if it's in high summer. They have a lot of shade trees.
The Sterling Faire makes me so happy.
@@Thewenchspeaks Yeah, it's a nice way to spend the day even if it's a bit of a drive from were I live.
I live within reasonable driving distance of it but have never been! I'm even fairly certain that part of it is on land owned by some relatives of mine!
i need to get to sterling again this summer i miss that place
I’ve gone to the Sterling festival the last few years, one of the highlights of the summer, it’s a great little village for it. Also have gotten to know some people that have worked the festival circuit, it really is a crazy lifestyle, to say they party is kind of an understatement.
My mom worked our local Renfaire for most of my life, so I kinda grew up in the back of an alestand. I worked one year when I was 17 and yeah... very much an awakening and oh geez were there lots of totally inappropriate things. Like even though I was camping with my mom and after hours we had to stick together, my shift at my booth was only half the day so I had far too much time to run around on my own and get into trouble.
I worked the puzzle boxes booth, and my "oh you're so creative..." comment from patrons was "well I can open that with an axe heh heh heh" and my flirty hawking line was "come and see my most puzzling box in all the shire!"
I am in my 60s and grew up in Colorado as a nerd/geek/dork/dweeb with The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, the Adventures of Robin Hood (the Errol Flynn version), John Buscema Conan the Barbarian comics, Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, Chuck Mangione's epic quest like music (Hill where the Lord Hides), Frank Frazetta paintings and Lego castle sets helping me survive the 60s and 70s. We didn't have Ren Festivals back then, but I am happy to report that the Michigan Renaissance Festival allows me to visit the world I missed out on all those years ago. I love your video. Thanks for posting it.
You have such a lovely voice! I wish I could have heard you with the other ladies. I worked at Carolina Ren Faire in NC for 20 years. So much of what you say is so true. Thank you for talking about some of the positive things about working at Faires. I’ve performed at several other Faires and guest performed at a couple of others and there can definitely be some partying after hours. But there is also some that are more quiet family-friendly groups too. We used to have a potluck on Saturday nights (brought it with you on Friday and kept in someone’s trailer) and then off to bed. Definitely a family atmosphere- we watched over each other and “Faire Kids” always knew who were safe people. And yes - the other end of the campgrounds- completely different. I totally understand about the girl getting thrown off the guy’s shoulder - I got the very tight arm around the waist thing. Waaay to much beer! Good thing a Security Member saw it!
“So now it’s filled with alcohol” lmao 😂 that’s a great start
You're adorable. Thank you for the stories, they're magical!
I think this is the most I have ever related to another youtube creator. My grandfather took me to the Sterling Ren Faire in NY every year until I was a teenager and I have such awesome memories of that. I completely relate to your boundaries and stories from highschool too. Thank you for such warm, relatable content! Cheers!
Thank you for all the stories in this video. It really makes it hit home how much I missed going to Ren Fest during 2020 and possibly 2021. I haven’t ever worked there, but I’m so much a regular that the behind-the-scenes stories are really fun to hear because I understand them as a mundane would not.
Yup, sounds like RenFaire. Except the pressuring people to do things. That’s a big no-no in the community. My family has been involved in Rennisance Festivals since I was a Freshman in high school... in 1995. Ye gods, am I really that old now?
Yeah that's a no-no.
That surprised me as well.
I meannnn as a girl who started faire at 16 and is now 24. I agree with the girl in the video. As a young female, I totally got pressured to drink. I know other rennies say it's a no-no but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Just like the uderage rule, people still break that or push it's limits all the time.
@@hatelifelovelife yeah def get pressured as underage female as well
Any tips to become a Ren Princess?
I've been to exactly one Renaissance fair in my life and, while I enjoyed it and would do it again, I went for a specific purpose that ended up not happening there, so it could have been better. Ended up getting a sword though, so it was most definitely an absolute win.
Any day is better with a sword!
I have been performing at my local fair, and some other regional ones for over 20 years. It has been an amazing journey and I have met people who I will be friends with forever. There is a toxic kind of neck beardish element that I have taken pains to avoid, bur for the most part my experience has been amazing. I'm a musician who performs for a belly dance troupe. We have been there long enough that we have a gypsy camp where a friend cooks meals for everyone. It really is one of the coolest things I have ever had the pleasure to experience. Many of us in the group have kids now and we are teaching them to carry on the tradition. Thanks for your story! Your singing was fantastic!
It’s so cool to see people follow their passions. When I was younger I had to hide my nerdy interests. Your generation seems so much more artistic and accepting of creative expression over all.
Love the Minnesota Ren Fest!! It is so magical. I have been to the AZ Ren Fest, twice...but it just did not capture the same enchantment that the Minnesota Ren Festival does for me. I have now moved back to MN and look forward to going again. My cousins have worked the fair as extras, and I have thought about it so your insight and candid comments are much appreciated. You have a gorgeous voice.
The bristol ren fair in Wisconsin is by far the best faire I've been too!
I commend you for having your boundaries and sticking to them, though it's still baffling to me how backwards the regulations are in the US regarding drinking.
Pretty sure in most other countries everyone can drink at 18 and buy light alcohol (
It’s been many years ago, but the USA drinking age was dropped to 18 at one point. The logic was that if you could be drafted and sent to Viet Nam to get your a** shot off, you should be allowed to buy a beer. Traffic accidents due to alcohol went through the roof and states reverted back to 21 as a result..
It depends on the country. Germany you can start drinking at 16 but only beer and wine.hard liquor is I think 18 or 21 I can’t remember generally most kids can start at 18 even in Canada at least when I was there as a kid. But I was raised in Germany. But European kids grow up viewing alcohol differently and not a taboo. My parents gave me my first little tiny cup of watered down beer at 2. Also they did that with wine. No I don’t drink and am not an alcoholic or never was. Alcohol was never a big deal.
@@GeneStLouis-vc6gj That's interesting. In Canada, you can drink at 19 (18 in Quebec) and while most traffic accidents are young people, overall, most drunk driving incidents are older people, who learned to drive during a time when there wasn't such a stigma against drunk driving.
Thank you for making this video. Reminded me of my Ren Faire days back in the 90s. I grew up in NJ and worked at an incense and candle shop back then and we would work the Faire when it came to NY. Your description of Colorado's Ren Faire is so much like Sterling Forest, NY because they had permanent structures too and I remember some of my coworkers having to camp in the shop keep we sold from. Yes it's absolutely true what you said about the flirting and the sex and alcohol and some visitors can get pretty insulting to the point where you're like "Why did you pay to come here in the first place?" lol. My favorite was always when Trek LARPers would completely role play a time travel rp and neither they nor the Rennies ever broke character. There was always a Klingon that the Rennies would run screaming ICly "DEMONSS!!!!!" Good times.
I do live in Denver as well so I go to the Ren Faire every year because I enjoy the entertainment. Especially all the Irish/Celtic musicians. I have been an Irish dancer for 20+ years now so when I jump up & dance: the musical groups, the rest of the visitors, & even festival folk who wander (like your singing group) LOVE seeing that! There are a lot of craftsman I frequent every year so it's always fun to catch up with them too.
I do have a friend who works at the festival every summer & she LOVES it. Not always easy to find her, but I do make the attempt every time I go. I recently got into dressing up as my D&D characters & I always get tons of compliments, so for me it's just a good time.
And you do have a fabulous singing voice! I recently subscribed to your channel last year and I enjoy everything s you make. Especially the music 🎶, so keep that up!
Ah!! I remember these days! Whoa! Sadly, I’m still doing it, just not the partying aspect. Great video!
I miss Mustard Flats. Maybe see you in New York.
When my high school Choraliers went on tour, the version of Fair Phyllis we came up with was unabashedly X-rated 😂
TRF!! Texas Renaissance Festival is amazing!
YES. This is the first comment about Texas ren that I’ve found
TRF night life is like what she described all the cast doing at night, but instead of just the cast it’s literally everyone lol.
This is soo different from the week long anual medieval festival in my home town...
Maybe because it's an actual European medieval port city with 12th century city walls, churches, store houses and monastical ruins still standing and conservated or in continuous use since they were first built...
And the regional historical museum is a big part of the organisational comitte along with local theatre, acrobatics and reenactment communities.
It's also admission free.
At the same time, it's very authenticity focused, like, vendors and registered participants such as acrobats and actors are not allowed to have any kind of electronics or modern equipment openly visible on their persons or in their stalls unless absolutely nessesary. So payment card readers, cellphones etc has to be stowed or concealed between purchases or other unavoidable usage.
And they may not use visibly modern materials or colours in their clothing either, so no cotton or synthetic stretch fabrics, no plastic utensils or aluminium cooking vessels and no bright glossy colours or coloured metallic paints.
On the other hand, the horses in the tournaments wear actual riveted mail barding, while the knights wear riveted steel mail hose with plate reinforcements, gambeson and riveted mail shirts, sometimes under a coat of plates.
Very much the same - ren fairs and medieval festivals in Europe seem like they're much more historically based whereas the ones in the US (from videos I've seen) seem much more fantasy-inspired, which is really interesting.
@@madeleinefitz1508 yeah, the festival I mentioned is focused around the Danish assault on and occupation of Gotland in the mid 14th century.
Here's a promotion video in english for it:
ruclips.net/video/blTfJmC3QYQ/видео.html
Sounds more like a reenacting event than a ren faire
That is how i also know them, or most of them, there are a few that labeled as medieval and fantasy festivals or markets. Where you also see Elves, Mages and Dragons. The tournaments and camps are often as or more interesting as the markets it self and they are either in historical towns, castles, ruins or sometimes city parks.
I know this video is over a year old but come visit us at Scarborough again! I have been on cast since 2005 and we would love to see you again. :)
Thank you for this wonderful window into your experience. I am glad you have so many positive memories from your time working at a festival.
Thank you so much for sharing these experiences. I was only a Renn Faire patron (although I immediately became what they call a “play-tron”) for under ten years. When you make friends with the performers and merchants you become aware that there is a whole world happening “behind the curtain”, but you never get honest uncensored revelations like this.
I’ve been to the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Wisconsin a long time ago when I was a lil kid!!! That was fun shit :). 25 years old now and Would like to attend again
As someone who was desperate to fit in as a teenager, I gave into peer pressure and drank to excess all the time. Looking back I wish I had been confident and strong enough to say no to people.
I've always enjoyed, as a customer, renfairs. Never considered working at one, but my friend has. They're fun to visit for an afternoon, and I love seeing costumes and showing off my own.
This was awesome. I love your humor, singing was beautiful, and a great peak into RenFaire Life. Thank you!
I’m glad to hear the Colorado Renaissance Festival is still Kickin, I had the best time going to that when I was growing up