Renaissance Pleasure Faire

	A Uniquely American Event?
	2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Renaissance Pleasure Faire which took place in California in the back yard of a Laurel Canyon school teacher. She wanted her students to experience the enlightenment which took place after the grim Middle Ages, the same way Europeans had experienced the resurgence of fine art and music. What emerged was the beginnings of sixties counterculture revolting against the bland mediocrity of post WWII America. It was a celebration of life, living art that gave new expression to old world ways. But the Faire is much more than a theatrical event. It reconnects faire goers to a time when people were attached to the earth. It binds us to our ancestors and educates us. Every potter who throws a vase, every stitcher who hand makes a costume, and every re-enactor who roams the dusty streets of the market town is infused with a sense of history. Designed around Britain’s Elizabeth I, whose reign is generally thought of as corresponding to the Renaissance Period in England, the Faire is filled with Shakespearian skits, hand-made objects, historical figures, and music from ancient instruments. It’s had an impact on fashion, crafts, performance arts, and pop culture for more than fifty years. But these historical reenactments are no longer exclusive to the United States. By the third decade they had begun to spread to Germany, Canada, and Australia. So What’s the Fascination? Americans have a tendency to want to have fun. They may be as interested in shopping, drinking, and eating as they are in learning about the history of a country against whom they revolted. Re-enactors of the American-style Renaissance actually create the illusion of a real village market faire, complete with weapons, jousting, costumes, Lords and Ladies, peasants, pirates, and an end-of-day ritual parade. What Should I Wear to the Faire? If you’re planning to purchase a costume, here are some common tips for an authentic looking outfit for the faire. Wear earth tones - browns, greens, rust, gold. Purple is reserved for the Queen and white is purely upper class Natural fabrics (no prints) are in keeping with the period - wool, woven cotton, raw silk, linen, and leather Brocades and embroidery are reserved for royalty and the wealthy Long sleeved, full bodied shirts, jerkins, doublets, breeches, chemises, bodices, and skirts Muffin caps, biggins, flat caps, felt, and straw hats Conceal modern haircuts under a hat Bear feet and legs are inappropriate so wear closed toed earth tone shoes, moccasins, or wallabees Don’t wear a watch or sunglasses and keep makeup to a minimum The Renaissance Faire is both exciting and enlightening for first timers. For those who love the faire, we can say it’s a life changing experience.