any good Rennaissance faires in the pacific north west?

Try these two sites for Oregon.

http://www.shrewfaire.com/

http://faerieworlds.com/

What do you guys do at ren fests? I saw a joust once, but there were some people who were serious about getting dressed up and acting like barbarians, etc… Any of you guys all into it like that?

I like the atmosphere. Plus if you’re into fantasy and that sort of thing, you can find REALLY neat stuff at all the shops there. Most of the time renfaires aren’t necessarily accurate to the time period, but it’s neat anyhow. It’s almost as if you are in another time for the day, and you forget about all the stupid stuff that happens in real life. It’s just a lot of fun!!

http://www.shrewfaire.com/

http://faerieworlds.com/

Someday I will get to faerieworlds, but FaerieCon is closer to me 😀 I can see Brian & Wendy Froud!

Ren Faires: I mostly go and hang out with the other faire folk I know. I know some of the people who work the dungeon and torture chamber at one of the faires I frequent on the east coast (the best people to make friends with – well armed, and Mom totally rocks!). Too bad that particular faire is having political issues. It’s becoming slowly ‘Disney-fied’ and is too PC and chasing away a lot of good vendors who have been there for years *sadness*). I hope it doesn’t get sold off for condos (been talked about and feared for some time). The atmosphere, some of the food (the giant turkey legs, gurkens and gyros), just the ability to have fun and dress a little differently without getting criticized or odd looks for not looking ‘normal’ (It’s the normal people get picked on at the Ren faires :twisted:). I can buy shiny swords and good leathery things too. And yar… there be dragons there! The different crafts and vendors, the garb (yeah, the bodices do get annoying after 20 hours). Flirting with the mercenaries… good MEAD!!!!! Fun times! 😉

Hehe… bought my first blade (that isn’t a throwing knife) last year – forged katana with fireheart hilt and scabbard… it’s not wrapped – from the forge my friend, Meg, apprenticed at in Texas. So pretty! The master of the forge made a very convincing sale too (I fainted from combo of not eating/it was hotter than expected/didn’t realize I wasn’t hungry because someone had laced me up too tight – they took care of me and made sure I was ok until my friend came back to the booth). Adventures in sword buying! 8)

I’ve gone with friends for… sheesh, has it been five years now? and it’s just loads of fun. We all dress up and try to speak Shakespearean English for a day or two, oggle the jousters, and run around like mad-people. I’ll be going to the one in Irwindale, hopefully, as it runs through May… I think… but anyway, it’s coming up and I’m excited! Only bad thing about the fair is that it’s usually held during the hellish temperatures of early summer… but hopefully it won’t be too hot this year.