Lessons from Life at the Faire: A Personal Perspective

The writer as Lady Blue, Bardess of the Lowlands. Her dragon, Queen Anne, sits upon her shoulder.Photo bySuzy Jacobson Cherry

Disclaimer: the writer is an Arizona local who has worked at the chocolate shop, an independent vendor, at the Arizona Renaissance Festival for the last three seasons, after being an annual patron for well over 20 years. These are her personal observations and are meant to be entertaining. This is in no way a solicitation for business. The writer does not work for the Renaissance Festival itself. The invitation at the end is simply informational.

Things I’ve Learned While Working at the Arizona Renaissance Festival

• The sunrise is never more beautiful than when you’re walking to the privy in your PJ’s
• It’s hard to drive the 5 mile per hour camp ground speed limit
• The plaintive howl and yip of coyotes at 3 am is somehow comforting
• The night is coldest just before dawn, whether you’re in a tent or a trailer
• Planning is everything – half an hour’s worth of make-up application can take an hour (or more, for me)
• You have to put enough water in the camp percolator for it to bubble over the coffee grounds or you’ve just got hot water
• Wardrobe malfunctions are not exclusive to Super Bowl Half-Time shows
• It’s easier to shift into a lower-class shop worker than into a member of the aristocracy or royalty
• Lipstick doesn’t stick to my lips no matter what I do
• For some people, opening canon at 10 am is apparently too early for chocolate, but not for beer
• There’s a big sign at the front of the festival gate and others throughout the faire, to remind everyone that food, drinks, games, and rides are still cash only
• There’s an ATM just down the lane – from almost everywhere you happen to be
• The Queen likes cheesecake frozen and dipped in chocolate
• A layer of ubiquitous dust never hurt anybody
• At night, the “village” takes on an eerie atmosphere
• Puck collects wives like I collect books and dolls
• There is powerful magic in a good pair of comfortable shoes
• Creative anachronism has taken on a whole new meaning, especially on Time Traveler weekend
• One weekend per year, the English Toffee is touched by the Fae, and becomes Irish Toffee
• Serious Patrons become Playtrons and their characters become part of the experience
• Garb created from random items from thrift stores and around the house is still fine, if done well
• As a Patron, I never did it well; I was never a Playtron
• There are season ticket holders who come almost every weekend
• There’s a whole community of little trinket traders that I didn’t know about
• Traveling faire workers (Rennies) are a community of good folk, hard workers, and artisans
• Local Rennies are just as committed to the experience as those who travel from faire to faire
• Being a working Rennie is far, far different from being a Patron
• It is possible to get lost between the “village” grounds and the camp
• Working at the Renaissance Festival is hard work
• Hard work has never been so fun
• The sunset is never so beautiful as when you’re walking to the privy in your PJs

Have you been to the faire yet?

There are three more weekends left to attend this year’s Arizona Renaissance Festival. The weekend themes coming up are:

• March 16 & 17 – Celtic Weekend (with Ann Chamberlin’s Book Shop (guest authors Tim Facciola (Saturday) and Brooke Brown (Sunday))
• March 23 & 24 – Viking Invasion (authors Jacob Devlin and Ronald Tobin both days)
• March 30 & 31 – Hop on Out to Final Weekend (author Sharon Skinner both days)

If you’re interested, you can check out the website for more information. The faire happens no matter the weather. Remember to bring more cash than you think you’ll need, since ALL food, drinks, games, and rides are CASH ONLY – even the chocolate!

If you come this weekend (March 16 and 17), look for me and wish me a happy birthday! I’m Lady Blue. If I’m not too busy selling chocolate dipped fruits, candies, and frozen bananas and cheesecake, maybe I’ll make up a mini-poem for you, if you ask nicely.