Are You Going to Scarborough Faire?

Well, we've finally made it to the "ember" months - September, October, November, and December. After a long, hot summer (with plenty of muggy, sticky days included), I'm looking forward to cooler days. And that means wearing sweaters and boots and scarves... Falling leaves in the breeze and changing colors everywhere you go... Scarecrows... Crisp mornings and evenings... Football... Apple cider and hot tea (I'm not a pumpkin spice fan. There, I've said it!)... And some fun activities to do when the weather is cooler! There's the corn mazes, trips to the apple orchard, heading to the pumpkin patch to pick out the best pumpkin for Halloween (or even try to find the Great Pumpkin), weekend trips to see all of the trees in their autumnal glory, flag football, the list goes on and on. But one of the things I look forward to this time of year is one I've only recently discovered in the past few years. It starts in late August, and runs through mid-October, at least if you're in Maryland. And you get the chance to walk around and be a part of history in a rather unique way... Like living history from over 500 years ago. If you're really interested in being a part of history, you can dress up in some of the finest dresses, doublets, robes, and outfits that you've only seen in fairy tales. You can hear some lovely music that doesn't involve heavy metal or beatboxing. It's much simpler, more melodic, even. You get to see some great plays and performances as if they were right out of the pages of your favorite comedy or tragedy. Or, you can try a gigantic turkey leg! Yup, it's the Renaissance Faire!

The Maryland Renaissance Festival is held in Crownsville, Maryland (about 10 minutes outside of Annapolis) from late August to mid-October, and it has been going on for over 40 years. The fact that there's an outdoor experience to be immersed in a historical setting as if it was actually the Renaissance is worthy of my time enough, but to also get the opportunity to dress up, engage with fellow revelers, see incredible performers and artists trained specifically for this art form, and see some amazing jousting, archery, and falconry... Where do I sign up?!?! I sometimes wonder why I didn't get into this sooner. But the truth is, I always believed that places like this were too far away from me to experience, even if it's for a weekend. Not to mention pretty expensive. The closest I ever got to seeing anything like this was a wonderful place called Medieval Times, where they have dinner and an actual jousting tournament. I went there several times with my Girl Scouts troop. But unfortunately, we weren't allowed do dress up or engage with other people outside of your group (which in my case, was the Girl Scouts). However, it was being there that really sparked my love of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and even history in general. It's been probably stated several times before, but it bears repeating: I'm one of the few black people who enjoys history, and not just black history, but all kinds of history from around the world. Fashion history. Film and television history. Theatre history (duh!). British history, including the history of the monarchy. U.S. history, with all of the parts of our nation's fabric that's often not included in history lessons. European history. Music history. Dance history. Art history. Literary history. It's virtually endless with how much I love history! But here's the thing that I love the most about the Renaissance Faire: It's the one opportunity for me to do what I enjoy and have fun doing it... Even if it's going alone for most of the time. You see, there aren't that many people in the black community who go out for this sort of thing. Some people might even look at me funny or even laugh at me for dressing up in Renaissance costumes. Or even bring up the old "you know that all the black people were all enslaved during the Renaissance, right?" It's hard to figure out how and why the black community these days doesn't seem to get that blackness is not a monolith, even in cases of enjoying things that are not necessarily within the black community scope of what should be enjoyed. But we'll get to that a little later. For now, let's do a little history lesson of Renaissance Faires, shall we? Hear ye, hear ye! Let the frolicking and traipsing in ye olden times... Begin!

So, how did the Renaissance Faires begin, exactly? After World War II, there was a resurgence in an interest in the medieval and Renaissance cultures, which may explain all of those films and television specials that took place during those time periods. And contrary to popular belief, the Renaissance Faire didn't start in Maryland, but actually in a far off place called... California. In 1963, a Los Angeles schoolteacher named Phyllis Patterson held a small Renaissance Faire as a class activity for her students in her backyward of her Laurel Canyon home in the Hollywood Hills. On 11-12 May of that same year, she and her husband, Ron Patterson, presented the very first "Renaissance Pleasure Faire" as a one-weekend fundraiser for the local radio station, KPFK, which drew a whopping 8,000 people. The original booths were free of charge reenactments of historical activies, including blacksmiths and printing presses. The first commercial vendors were food merchants and artisans, and they had to demonstrate their historical accuracy and plausibility for their wares. The volunteers were organized into specific "guilds" to focus on the certain roles, such as musicians, military, Celtic clans, peasants, etc., and they along with the actors were required to stay in character the entire time - which included speaking the period language, using accents, and adopting the appropriate mannerisms that befitted the Renaissance period. From there, the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Southern California (RPFS) was born in 1966, located at the Paramount Ranch in Agoura California, which focused on the practices of the old English springtime markets and "Maying" traditions that were held in England. The following year the Pattersons created a fall Renaissance fair with a fall harvest theme at what is now China Camp State Park in San Rafael, California. It was later moved to Black Point Forest in Novato, California, in 1971. From there, both of those faires developed into local traditions and became a movement that would soon spread across the U.S. As far as I know, there are Renaissance faires in Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia, Alabama, Delaware, New Jersey, North Carolina, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Minnesota, North Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and Florida. If I've forgotten a state or two, let me know! The first question many of you may be asking is probably this: What is people's fascination with Renaissance Faires? Well, maybe it could be summed up in one word: Nostalgia. Given how complicated life is in the 21st century, people have always longed for a simpler time, when we didn't have technology or social media or really bad clothing. People knew how to talk to each other without hiding behind cell phones. People knew how to dress well for any and every occasion without looking sloppy or unkempt, as it seems to be the norm these days. People enjoyed being outside in the fresh air. The food was much easier to make (and probably a little bit tastier, too). The music was a bit more melodic, without so much beatboxing or the repetitive party music. Even without indoor plumbing, air conditioning, heating systems, or even Spotify (heaven forbid!), living in the Renaissance seemed to be a much more beautiful time. Come to think of it, any time before the 21st century seemed to be a much more beautiful time, even with its flaws. But then again, there's another word that comes to mind when it comes to simpler times, and that's romanticism. We've been exposed to the Renaissance through art, music, film, and television, and we tend to base our ideas and thoughts of how beautiful and simpler life is off of those things, even though it's an interpretation and not necessarily the real thing. I'm guilty of this. Especially of the fashion and the music. Anything that involves men and women being well-dressed without rips in jeans, too much cleavage, panties showing (or no panties at all), or too dressed down or being just plain sloppy is perfectly fine by me. I can also live without the beatboxing and the constant party music that seems to be on radio stations too much these days. Give me ballads and love songs that actually come from the heart again! But between the nostalgia for simpler times with the romanticism of an era that was much more beautiful from what we've seen in films and television shows, not to mention some of the great works of art, that's where we get our love of the Renaissance. Plus, it's a great activity for families to come together and be immersed in a living museum, where you interact with people from their era, see how life was lived back then, and even partake in some of the food, games, and performances that took place in that era. What's not to like about that? Plus, it's outdoors, so you're out in the elements (preferably sunshine and pleasant weather), and you get to walk around and interact with others. I can see that as a win.

Here's another reason why Renaissance Faires are a lot of fun, and that's the clothes. This is the one place where it's okay to dress up in costumes! And boy, do people really get into dressing up as if they're from the Renaissance. Some of the most creative outfits and dresses and doublets and hats and suits of armor and more can be found here. They even have places where you can rent some of these costumes at the Faire! It's the one excuse, if you really want to look at it from this point of view, to dress up as a princess or a queen! Or a knight! Or a 15th century scholar! Or a magician! Or a king! I'm pretty sure there's no end what you can be at the Renaissance Faire because I'm sure it'll be magical. However, there seems to be a heated debate on this very topic. People who come to Renaissance Faires are generally very good at keeping within the tone and the era that these places are seen as, especially in terms of costumes, realistic or fantasy-inspired. However, on occasion, you may find people who don't necessarily dress up in Renaissance Faire clothing. Now, I'm not talking about people who show up in everyday clothing. That's okay if you just want to take it in and not worry yourself with the expenses and the hassle of it all. But I'm talking about people who dress up in costumes that are from anything BUT the Renaissance era, or even the medieval era. I've seen people who came to Renaissance Faires from the worlds of Doctor Who, the Disney Princesses, Sherlock Holmes, Minions, Super Mario Bros, Marvel comics, Moulin Rouge, Steampunk, Watchmen, Star Wars, you get the idea. The point is these people are not dressing up to the Renaissance theme as the occasion calls for them to do so, and unfortunately, some people are not happy about that. The argument they have is that everyone should dress up, or at least make an effort, in the theme of the Renaissance (and some of the worlds of fantasy that take place in that era is okay, too!). Anything that's not the least bit relevant to the Renaissance is a big no-no. Renaissance Faires are not Comic-Cons, as one person puts it. There's a time and place to dress up like your favorite characters from Doctor Who and Star Wars, but Renaissance Faires are not one of those places and times. So, here's the question I present to you: WHY do they do this, exactly? What is in their minds that possesses them to not dress up as if it's the Renaissance and instead dress up in a world that is not even remotely related to the Renaissance? Well, I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I've had discussions about this with my friends, acquaintances, and even my mother. And the best conclusion I have come up with is this: Maybe, for those people who choose not to dress up in the style of the Renaissance is a matter of both preference and their means. Allow me to explain.

For one thing, many families simply cannot afford to purchase the Renaissance costumes and garments to dress authentically for the style of the Faire. It's pretty expensive, and even if you buy from Amazon, things add up real quick. And here's something else to think about: many families have a tendency to mix up what is Renaissance and what is medieval. Or even fairy tale. If it's anything along the lines of what is considered Renaissance, or even remotely related to a fairy tale (which is when many of the fairy tales take place) in terms of princess dresses, knights, dragons, or even ogres, then that's good enough for them. I think a lot of businesses are catering "Renaissance," "medieval," and "fairy tale" as the same thing to people looking for costumes to wear to the Renaissance Faire without actually taking into account that those time periods are drastically different from one another in terms of style, clothing material, and how people held themselves in these clothes. Going off of that viewpoint, there's another reason why some people don't dress up in Renaissance garb as the occasion calls for it. And a big part of it involves interest and what they like to dress up in. While the Renaissance Faire is not a Comic Con, many families can't go out to the real conventions to dress up (even if they planned this months in advance), and so they figure that places like this would be a great place to wear that great Mandalorian getup or the latest Doctor Who fashion. And it's especially true for the kiddos. Why wait until Halloween or a Disney movie night to wear the Cinderella dress, or even be Mirabel from Encanto? Many of the little ones like to dress up altogether, so why should they wait until an appropriate time to be their favorite princess when the Renaissance Faire is the absolute perfect place to do it? Especially after the temper tantrums they have of not wanting to wear anything other than their favorite superhero or Disney princess costume? And that brings me to an important part of why some people don't dress up in Renaissance costumes... They're just not interested in it. They don't like the long, flowing skirts. Or the crowns. Or the suit of armor. Or the meticulously detailed makeup. Or the elf ears. Or the doublets. Or the corsets. And maybe they're not interested in the Renaissance period as a whole. Even as romantic as this time period is through the lenses of film and TV, many people just aren't drawn to the allure of a simpler time when elegance was in style. And that's probably because while it showcased the elegance, it also showcased the harsh realities of poverty, no rights for women or the LGBTQIA+ or blacks or people of color, a tyrannical monarchy (even if it seems more appealing than a democracy in the present sense), no indoor plumbing, no cars, no Spotify (heaven forbid!), no religious freedom, the list goes on and on. While there some good things that draw people to this simpler time, they just can't shake off the realities of the Renaissance and aren't drawn to the romanticism of it all. Even if some parts of it is fantasy. And that brings me to a particular reason why some people don't dress up in the Renaissance style... With race being a big factor.

You should probably know that many blacks and people of color don't get into the fantasy or anything along those lines as you'd think they would. Even if there are shows and films that feature them in the spotlight to bring a bit of positivity and creativity to the communities that have been so overlooked and stereotyped for many years. And that includes Renaissance Faires. Somehow, "blackness is not a monolith" falls on deaf ears in the black community, especially these days. Whenever you see black people dress up in the realm of the Renaissance, medieval, fantasy, or even sci-fi, they automatically get weirded out looks from other members of the black community, even the sniggering and flat out laughing from others. Or in most cases, criticism from members of the black community. Many of them are caught up in the harsh realities of what it means to be black in America, and everywhere else, which is much scorn, disrespect, and distrust among others simply because of the color of their skin. And that has applied to them for over 450 years. While some are caught up in the fantasy of being in a simpler time period and showing themselves as anything other than servants, gangsters, drug addicts, or prostitutes, and maybe in a time when there wasn't any slavery or injustice against the black community, many others are just too caught up in the present and how the system has seemingly worked against them in terms of succeeding, let alone being allowed to live. And when others in the community do something that's different from what they've experienced, like dressing up in Renaissance Faire outfits, or even simply enjoying fantasy and sci-fi shows, there's a bit of fear and distrust among the members of the black community. Even to the point of many blacks calling those blacks who are into Renaissance Faires, fantasy, and sci-fi "not black." "White," even. It's as if "blackness is not a monolith" doesn't apply the vast majority of people in the black community, and all because some blacks enjoy things like Renaissance Faires, the Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, X-Men, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, The Chronicles of Narnia, Doctor Who, and more. Somehow, being an individual in the black community has been more challenging than ever before because of others who are quick to judge and criticize them for not being black because they just want to be themselves. Yes, I like going to places like this every year, and I love dressing up in Renaissance and fantasy outfits, and I happen to be black. So why should I have to follow the unwritten code of being black when it comes at the cost of being an individual? Especially if being an individual means not always going along with the crowd? No one is the exact same person, no matter what race you are. And being considered weird or "not black" for liking things like Renaissance Faires is a shame when we've been taught to be proud of who we are, while also respecting that each person is different and we all shouldn't have to be the same person. We may not always like everything that culture or current events tells us we should like, but that's okay. Because being yourself should matter more than fitting into box that seems to want to demean you or make you feel inferior for liking things that are different from the rest of the crowd. It's sad that this is still going on to this day, no matter what race you are. We can share in the rage of what we've experienced across centures and move together towards change... But why is it so hard to be an individual, especially in terms of the color of our skin? (This week's blog post marks one of the times that I'm looking forward to something that brings me joy this time of year, and it may look different for everyone who is reading this post on what they look forward to when fall comes. These words are my observations and reflections on what I like to do and what my experience has been, and you are welcome to disagree with everything I say in this or any of my previous posts. But I will absolutely not tolerate any disrespect, offensive language, or hate speech from anyone who comments on this post or any of my blog posts. I will block you for that, and I may even summon King Henry VIII's ghost to come and chop off your head.)

One of the people I'd like to thank for getting me excited about Renaissance Faires is LeVar Burton, believe it or not. He did a Reading Rainbow episode where he got to experience the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Agoura Hills, CA, and it got me excited about seeing a real place that allows you to explore life as it was back in the Renaissance. Not to mention all of the great books I get to read about this fun and often romanticized time period! Between Reading Rainbow and going to Medieval Times, I found my happy place when I get to experience being in the pages of a fairy tale every fall, and to think that it was a lot closer than I imagined when I moved to Maryland over 14 years ago! But maybe that's the message I leave you to mull over: Find what brings you joy, outside of your passion. Sure, I can live and breathe acting every day of my life, but I would get burned out and discouraged if I'm not onstage all of the time or not getting all of the roles I audition for. So, that's why it's important to find things to do outside of your career that can bring a sense of joy and peace while maintaining your creative side (or logical side for all of the scientists and mathematicians). That's why going to places that have living history always brings me joy and peace, like art galleries, museums, monuments, and more. Renaissance Faires also bring me that joy because I get to be myself enjoying history while also tending to the little girl who missed out on things like this for a long time and making her smile by dressing up and exploring the roads of the Renaissance as if I'm living in a fairy tale, even if there's no magic involved. And may I also add, it's nice to dispel and escape from reality for the entire day while being at a Renaissance Faire. Sure, there were times where you have to bring in the harsh realities of the Renaissance, but maybe, just maybe, you can let that go and simply have fun for once? Pretend that you're living and breathing the Renaissance with countless others for just one day - Walking in the market square... Attending the royal jousting tournament... Eating a gigantic turkey leg... Dancing around the maypole... Interacting with the King, Queen, lords & ladies, dukes & duchesses, knights in shining armor, and princesses.... And listening to lovely music befitting the time? Okay, so maybe I'm a hopeless romantic here, but you get the idea, right? You know how at Christmas or at birthdays some of the best recommendations are not the material gifts... But the experiences? I think going to a Renaissance Faire is one the best gifts you can give yourself and your loved ones this year or during the faire season in your hometown. Doing something different and unique for yourself can be a good thing. Besides, you get to see living history before your own eyes! And even better, you get to support small businesses and artisans who enjoy creating the wonderful crafts, costumes, and gifts for guests and ye weary travelers year after year. I'll let you in a piece of advice:If you're not into dressing up like I am, that's okay! It's also okay to just explore and see what you like and what you don't like. And if you find that Renaissance Faires aren't your thing, that's okay. You allowed yourself to try something new, something out of your comfort zone. And that's better than not trying at all without knowing the possibilities a new experience may bring you. At the end of the day, you'll always hear "no" when you don't try, ask questions, or even simply go for it. Go for those experiences, because the memories will last a lifetime. The latest gadget and most popular toys won't. And the memories you make will lead you to make more memories to share with others and look back on when you're feeling sad or need to escape from reality for a while. Somehow, that's worth all of the trying new things and being adventurous. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and get my Renaissance Faire outfit ready! Maybe I'll see you around the Faire... 🎵 Are you going to Scarborough Faire...🎵