Well met, my Lords and Ladies! I had so much fun when I went to the opening weekend of the 34th Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace. The Renaissance Festival has a 16-stage theatre, a 50-acre circus, and an arts and crafts fair with over 200 artisans.
I went to watch the “Lady Tess, Fashion Advisor” show. Within the festival, Lady Tess, Countess Truehart, is the fashion advisor to The Queen. Lady Tess has been part of the festival for 23 years—this is her 20th year performing her show. She talked about how noblewomen would dress and care for their hair and bodies. It was really amazing seeing what women and girls wore in that time. They dressed in four to five layers, and if it got cold or chilly, they would wear seven to ten layers! It could take up to three hours for a lady to get dressed each day!
A lot of ways that noblewomen dressed and looked were to symbolize their education, power, and wealth. For example, noblewomen would pluck their hair to create a higher forehead, which symbolized a well-rounded education and high status. For Lady Tess, her favorite part of her outfit is the pearls that adorn her costume. She says that a good way to jazz up one’s outfit is to use the correct type of trim.
Lots of people love Lady Tess’s show. Lady Tess said that one person, in particular, took her handout and watched her show several times, which helped them earn a master’s degree in costuming of the Renaissance time from ASU. When asked what she wishes more people knewabout fashion, Lady Tess suggests people should do their research upfront, so that if they spend a lot of money on an outfit, the idea is correct.
I did lots of other interesting things such as jousting to the “death” at the Tournament Arena, archery, listening to live music, Vegetable Justice (a game where you throw tomatoes at someone’s face!), purchasing a ring from a fairy, going in an escape room, and seeing Living Mermaids!
The escape room was amazing. The challenge my family chose was “The Dark Forest.” With the help of a guide, we had to decode a lot of clues within 15 minutes in order to help the river in the forest flow again and save the realm.
Watching the jousting tournament was really fun. Two knights would ride past each other on horses, and they would try to get their lances (a long stick) to hit the other knight’s shield. After all the knights had jousted, they fought with swords until only one was left! I also went on lots of rides including a jousting- themed zip line, a hammer striking game, a spinning hammock carousel, a rope ladder balancing game, and a dragon-themed curly slide.
It was so much fun going to the Renaissance Festival, and I would love to go again! It’s so big, I don’t think we saw even half of the event, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead and go for the whole day. They encourage you to dress up to enjoy the atmosphere, but make sure your costume is comfortable and sun smart. Have some cash to go on rides, tip people, and purchase merchandise.
The Festival runs Saturdays and Sundays Feb. 5–April 3, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Plan your trip using the website arizona.renfestinfo.com . I bid thee farewell!
