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Went to the Renaissance Faire yesterday. It was, as always, a great deal of fun. Trinity wore the royal purple dress that her grandmother made her. We added a purple plumed musketeer hat at Ren Boots, and a wonderful toy dragon from Bast’s Gifts made of felt and glitter and some kind of curving wire inside it so the dragon can perch on the wrist or shoulder. The shopping is always one of the highlights of any Renn Faire. You actually don’t have to give into the shopping bug to have fun, though. You can watch knights on horse back joust, or not on horse back hack at each other, all in good fun. There is a quest that the kids can do, so that at the end of the day they can be presented to the King and Queen and be made Princesses and Knights, respectively. Trinity loved that last year. This year, she was more interested in trying the boffer swords. Padded foam swords that they let the kids try out, with a referee, also a child. It was very cool. The little girl who was doing the instructing was very serious about her job. Trinity won her match, handily, using mostly the point, and good lunging skills. She was declared the winner. Handed her sword back, and came skipping up to me with a big smile, saying, “I killed her!” That’s my daughter.
There are shows galore from an ariel act, to fire eating, belly dancing, singing pirates, plays mostly farce and comedy. There was a demonstration by the World Bird Sanctuary demonstrating falconry. Pony and camel rides. There were lamas to pet, and an Irish Wolf Hound almost as big as the lama. The baby geese piping in their enclosure was a very cheerful sound. I’d forgotten how much I like the sound of goslings.
Darla and Jack came with us, along with their son Jason, and grandson Eric. Eric wasn’t all that impressed with the faire because he rubbed sun screen into his eyes within moments of getting to the faire. Not a happy toddler. They ended up having to call the day early because he just never got back to his usual happy self.
We saw one little baby under six months in a kilt fast asleep in his father’s arms, who was also wearing a kilt. Very cute.
Lots of costumes. Lots and lots of people in costumes, both the people who were part of the shows and the parade of characters and just visitors. You could buy (or rent) a full outfit for yourself and join the fun. As Trin did. Our friend Greg, in from Texas, dressed as a peasant, because nothing else would fit in his carry on bag. He does beautiful costumes. The black leather musketeer outfit he wore to the Kansas City Renn Faire was to die for.
None of the rest of us dressed up. I find most Renn outfits a little warm for St. Louis in the summer. Beautiful, but either too warm, or they remind me all over again why I am glad that women’s fashion has moved on a bit. Lovely outfits, quite beautiful some of them, but not practical. I guess, really, women’s formal wear hasn’t changed all that much. Beautiful, but it’s still not very practical.
Richard went with us, as did Andrew. Andrew is six feet five inches tall, not a small guy, but I swear, every time we took our eyes off of him, he vanished. I don’t know how he does it, but he can disappear in plain sight better than almost anyone I know. How does he do it? Charles’s theory is that every time Andrew stands still he just blends in with the trees. As good a theory as any.
If you were at the Romantic Times Convention you met our friend Charles. He was the brunette, the strawberry blond was my husband. Apparently there was some confusion about that.
Rett MacPhearson and her family were supposed to come with us but due to a family emergency they could not come. She and her immediate family are fine, but they did not get to go to the Renn Faire with us this year. Hopefully next year. Rett is one of my few friends that has children around Trinity’s age. Most of my friend’s children are teenagers or older. And once some of Jonathon’s friends marry, they’ll be starting at the other extreme with babies. I guess Trinity is just meant to be the only child when we go on trips. Just as our group outings seem heavily weighted to men. No matter how many people we try to invite, it always seems that more guys are able to go than ladies. One would think that the Universe is trying to tell me something… But what?
One of the things we missed was Aaron Williams of Nodwick and PS238 fame. He is going to be at one of the art booths next weekend. Jonathon was a bit bummed, because he really likes those two comics. I like them as well, especially PS238. Its a comic about superpowered kids going to an elementary school just for them, hidden under a normal school. Its as if the major superheroes have had super-children and this is the school for them. Its very fun.
Only one more weekend for the Faire, so if you want to go, go today or next weekend.