Photobook

Bristol Renaissance Faire 2014

My family and I are huge fans of the Ren Faire in Bristol, Wisconsin. We (okay, I) love to dress up, talk the talk, and walk the walk for a day in a beautiful setting. For the past couple years, it's been raining all day while we were there... Not so fun. But this year, it was a gorgeous day all around to watch jousting, hear Queen Elizabeth speak, and eat pickles on sticks.

I had a phenomenal time.

We got to the grounds around lunch time, so after watching a rousing joust by my favorite horseman Sir Maxmillian, we ventured to food street. Whilst munching on delicious tempura vegetables, we watched Moonie perform tricks and then stayed to see the Queen's speech!

Also, a note on costumes: they are not required, but I love to dress up. I usually wear a pink silk dress with lace detailing with a white billowy shirt underneath, topped off with my pink rose flower crown (wore completely seriously here, as opposed to a festival trend) and tightly curled hair. Some people go even more in depth than me, completely LARPing. I love seeing older couples (or younger ones, really) dressing up in costume together. Life goals for this girl. Someday, I'm going to have a real costume.

Possibly my favorite part of the whole day is seeing the fairies roam the grounds. If I ever need a job for the summer, I would love to do this. The boy with the branch crown was my preferred subject of the day--I saw him on the balconies of five different stores and took a picture every time. They came out wonderfully, actually. 

I'm not creepy, I swear! I'm just a photographer! 

We're never short of excitement at the Ren Faire. We saw not only jousting, but Adam Crack's whip show (a personal favorite), an impromptu pirate sword fight, and Dirk & Guido's swordfighting show. Seeing sports like these make me smile, because they are so underappreciated in modern times, even though they were the way of life back then. 

We ended the day with some shopping and eating. I got a garlic pickle on a stick, some cheesecake on a stick, and a cookie. I only get these things once a year! It's delicious. The artwork is also some of the best I've ever seen, year after year--the craftsmen here practice their arts in the most genuine way possible, and it shows. From weapons to glassware, soaps to jewelry, everything is made with care and incredible artistry.