5 TIPS for a Better Ren Faire Experience

We have 5 tips to share with you that should make your visit to any renaissance faire or festival more enjoyable. If you are going to be attending a faire or festival for the first time, these tips will save you a lot of headaches and allow you to have the best experience possible!

We do recommend that if you have the chance to visit the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, that you do so! It is one of the largest, longest running, and highest production valued faires in the country.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE A LIMITED SUPPLY OF THE FELT PINS SO FIRST COME FIRST SERVE! WE WILL RESTOCK THE PINS AS SOON AS TOMBOY TOGS CAN MAKE MORE OF US.

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0:00 Intro
0:47 First Tip
3:07 Second Tip
5:21 Third Tip
7:57 A Missive for Thee!
8:57 Fourth Tip
11:01 Fifth Tip
13:50 Outro and Bloopers

[FromtheHobbitHole]

We sincerely hope that the tips we have shared with you do indeed give you a more enjoyable experience when visiting a Renaissance Faire or Festival!! If you have any tips that we did not cover that you think are important, share them below! That way everyone can benefit and have the best time possible. 😁

[idontevenknow]

Oh I got a tip: to the community please don’t gatekeep peoples outfits and costumes. I’m speaking as a cosplayer and costumer. I saw comments on other people’s outfits making really mean spirited comments on how fairs “should be” and they shouldn’t allow things like the mushroom dresses or dnd inspired stuff. I don’t know where people thing this is appropriate but people put a ton of effort into their costumes to have fun. I think as a tip from me, people shouldn’t gatekeep.

[JnJShiffler]

Tip #6: strategic zippers or elastic waistbands! If planning to imbibe and bladder communication is failing at middle age plan to make going to the loo expedient. Drinking coffee before leaving the house for an hour to hour and a half drive might put you in a bad spot in the parking lot also so might need to have containers in the car and a blanket or sun shields for privacy screens in the parking lot. Faire thee well!

[gagesmith-ingodwerock]

Regarding the third tip, there's a picture on the Internet of a guy who wanted to dress up as the Witch King, but he wanted his feet to be comfortable. So, he cleverly disguised his crocs with PLA foam as boots 😂

[HLRth]

I love rainy days at the faire…cuts down on crowds, dust, makes it moody, and I can wear my cloak with the hood up!

[gilanafaye]

Another reason for cash: most food vendors, stage performers, and street buskers rely on tips. Tipping is not required, but if you can afford the extra, I encourage you to plan for it. I usually bring an extra $20 in ones and fives specifically for performer tips, and add an extra dollar per food item because that's what I can afford. After years of attending Ren Faires, I prefer tipping over buying a souvenir and deliberately build that into my budget for the day.

[DimaRakesah]

My biggest tip as a pale princess: SUNSCREEN AND SHADE! Get a parasol, hat, etc. Unless you apply sunscreen 10 times a day it won't be enough (depending how much shade the faire has) so I suggest avoiding sun exposure all together where possible.

[downupworkshop]

Dressing for the weather can't can't be emphasized enough ... Me and my friends went to the PA Faire on opening day in August this year ... It was a so hot and humid I was pretty much down to my kilt and no shirt for the day ... And then we visited the NY Faire in Tuxedo Lake for their last day in October, And I total over estimated the weather and just wore my kilt and T-shirt. I froze the entire day.

[jezikerr]

I'm from Texas and frequent the Sherwood Forest Faire. These are things I've learned.

Stay on grounds if possible. Or stay close. Our faire has camp grounds and it is super fun and really immerses you in the spirit.

Make time to relax. Shows and events are great but make time for rest and breaks.

Don't be afraid to split from the group if you came with one. Its ok to go enjoy an activity alone. (Provided you're old enough and feel safe)

Be open to making friends. Whether actor, visitor, or staff, dont be afraid to reach out and be friendly. New friends make it a great experience and return trips extra special

[spiderbeam]

my favorite summer goth/faire garb tip is: bring a plant mister, plastic or aesthetic that you can hang on your belt, and mist your fishnet tights if you feel like you're getting too hot! it will cool you as it evaporates <3

no one can tell, you'll feel like a mermaid, and it feels FANTASTIC if the sun's beating down on you.

[chophouse]

I wish my local faire would have a "Coin of the Realm." That sounds really cool.

[nathanbrown]

One tip I would add, OK, a few, is get there early. Especially late in the season. All fairs work a little different, but PA does a soft opening, so you can get in and start the day early. I makes it easier to grab a bite to eat or check out some vendors before the heavy crowds hit. Along the same lines, get to shows early, particularly to big events like the joust.

[andrewensign]

If you have the time, I would recommend getting involved! My experience with character acting and stage combat in the local Medieval Faire are times that I will cherish forever!

[kalfive]

I always love having a roll of dollar coins. They are great to tip performers with, or pay for food, and are gold color so they totally keep with the theme. Can go to a bank in advance and ask for a roll of them. Nothing like dropping some "gold" for a good performance.

[rchlletters]

You can never have too many fans…they make a great “umbrella” too!

[Kanoog]

I've never been to one of these, but from my recent research this community looks incredible. I've defiantly played my fair share of DnD and role playing games in my life. Which makes this even more appealing to me.

Makes sense why most places there won't accept card. They probably see it as some sorta of dangerous witchcraft.
"Behold, It's a card! All of my money is held here in this flimsy rectangular device in a world of digital banking, I need you to use it to complete our business"

[elizabethsloan]

The MN Renaissance Festival has air conditioning at Safety Services, so if you are having heat issues you can go there.

[jpt]

For the Michigan Ren Fest, if you want to park close, come an hour or and hour and a half early. Also, pack some food in a cooler and keep it in your vehicle. I love the food BUT at peak times, the lines are My daughter is hypoglycemic and one year (after the pandemic shut down), we ended up in four lines that ran out of food before we got to the front. (There was also a labor shortage which caused issues in their kitchens.). The next year we ate some of the food before peak times, but ended up eating our main meals in our car. It was much more comfortable, and eased our minds, knowing that we could eat when necessary.

[harperdean]

I love the period "We're reaching out about your car's extended warranty" bit but I don't think they got it 😭

[AnnaDeCameron]

A tip I follow is to always have small bills in case the vendors don’t necessarily have a lot of change on hand. I usually look like a stripper or server paying with ones and fives.