Tucked away in the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Center in Irwindale, California lays a small port village that appears each year around this time. As you walk towards the front gates of the village, your senses are hit with a barrage of new and exciting! Scents and smells make your mouth water, sounds make year ears perk up, and your eyes have trouble finding just one single thing to focus on. You’ve stumbled upon, or most likely were always intending to attend, the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire!
Can you guess the inspiration for these dresses?
Photo by Robby Shuttleworth
While the Daily Crate has covered the faire in the past, there still may some new and fresh faces who know nothing about the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire. To those people who may be asking: “What exactly does someone do at a Renaissance Faire?”- never fear! The Daily Crate has you covered with some of the delights the faire has to offer.
There are plenty of interactive and exciting things to do throughout the faire grounds, otherwise known by its proper name, Deptford. You will find yourself getting to know the various personalities of the 1,600 costumed performers and artisans. You can get in tune with the local musicians and musical acts, see amazing acrobatics, watch knights on horseback, and even have tea with the Queen!
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire boasts thirteen stages of entertainment of all types, each Saturday and Sunday! Here are some of the different acts you will find:
- Witty Comedians
- Jugglers
- Dancers
- Storytellers
- Plus, Faire favorites such as MooNie! The Magnif’cent, Broon, The Poxy Boggards, The Merry Wives of Windsor and the Joust!
Whether you are looking for entertainment for the whole family or are looking for something more in line for the more adult crowd, you will find what you are looking for at the faire. There are performers for all ages, all type of talents and humor, and moments where you won’t believe your eyes and ears.
Photo by Robby Shuttleworth
Beyond the amazing entertainment that the faire offers every single day, visitors will find themselves reaching for their wallets and wanting at least one item that the over 125 artists have to offer. From fine-made clothing to household goods, from swords to jewelry, soaps, perfumes, and so much more, the Faire boasts a grand marketplace for all to enjoy. Plus, if you’re feeling like you want to make any of these items yourself, you can sign up for any of the arts and crafts workshops that the faire holds each weekend. Some of those workshops include Celtic drawing, beadwork, basket weaving and even candle making. If you’re looking to take home a souvenir, you can take home something that you made yourself!
Now, you’re going to be walking around in the hot sun all day and when that happens, it’s only normal that you’re going to be hungry. The food at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire will most likely have everything you need. If you come hungry or get hungry at any time of the day, you should be able to find that one dish that will delight your taste buds. The Faire’s expansive food court includes a menu that highlights “both local and internationally trained chefs, twenty-three food vendors offering an array of foods from fish and chips and sausages to salads and sorbets. “ Vegetarian or Vegan? Not a problem! There are options available for everyone! For the older Renaissance Faire patrons, there are a variety of drinks to enjoy. Looking to satisfy that sweet tooth? Keep an eye out for chocolates, delicious fruit ices, and make sure you go home with a few Welsh Cakes from The Welsh Baker. You won’t be disappointed.
Photo by Robby Shuttleworth
Besides its normal daily affairs, the Renaissance Faire also has themed weekends for the attendees to enjoy. Perhaps you wanted to attend with the crowds of pirates descend on the faire grounds? Well, you’ll want to attend Pirate Weekend on either April 14th or 15th! Looking to shop until you drop? That same weekend is Marketplace Weekend, where you can find amazing goods all around the fairgrounds and get tickets to come back to the faire (if you’ve spent enough, that is!). Here is a list of this year’s themed weekends!
- Pirate Weekend/Marketplace Bonus Ticket Weekend- April 14th and 15th
- RennCon™– April 21st and 22nd
- Military Appreciation, Scouts Weekend, and Marketplace Weekend- April 28th and 29th
- Time Traveler Weekend (A Fan Favorite!)- May 5th and 6th
- Heroes & Villains (NEW!)- May 12th and 13th
- Craft Brew Celebration and Closing Weekend- May 19th and 20th
The Renaissance Faire has been adding new themed weekends for the past couple faire seasons and new to this year’s weekend themes is the Heroes & Villains weekend. Here is what the Renaissance Faire had to say about the new event:
Wear your colors with pride, and help us celebrate this weekend with a brand new twist! Step out and join the Heroes – or the Villains – for a weekend filled with daring deeds and diabolical schemes. Expect fandom photo opportunities and larger than life personalities, and prepare to have a good, or wicked, or just a wicked good time!”
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire is open weekends, April 7th to May 20th, 2018 and located at the Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area in Irwindale, California. For more information, head to their website.
