Talk the Talk

If you want to feel part of the crowd, you may want to start practicing how to talk and act in the proper way. Below I have attached a podcast of me explaining a little bit more about how people at the festival act around each other and others!

Remember the Weather

The weather has always been my biggest enemy when deciding when to attend. Luckily, I have different variations of my costumer depending on the temperature.

The main thing that I depend on for each day, is my cloak. My green cloak is surprisingly warm, and I would not be very comfortable in it during the warmer days compared the the cold ones. So before I leave, I make sure to check the weather and even step outside in my costumer to check if I am comfortable. Luckily my outfit isn't too hot without the cloak so I can enjoy the day without being bothered.

Photo Credit to Samantha Abendroth

Make sure to keep this in mind when deciding when you would like to attend. There are other things to think about other than just temperature, like the wind or rain. Don't make yourself miserable by being uncomfortable!

Below is my favorite place to check the weather:
Topeka Weather

Thriftshoppers Unite

If you don't mind clothing with a bit of wear and tear, then check out your local thrift shops. They have the widest variety of cheap and unusual clothing. Thanks to most of these shops accepting any donations, the clothing may vary from modern styles, to things your grandma may call old. Since most Renaissance costumes are put together with older looking pieces, this is a great place to look!

I have located a one of the stores that I like to frequent while searching for strange and unusual pieces, and put them on the map below.

          

Below I have added a link to several of my other favorite stores:
Goodwill
Salvation Army

The Options Are Numerous

There are many different events during a festival, and I tried to capture as many of these moments as I could. So I have created a slideshow of all of the pictures I wish to share with you. These show how people dress, how the atmosphere is, and the food as well.

Please feel free to look through some of these pictures that I have shared, and if you have any questions about any of the pictures, please feel free to ask!

Christmas is Coming

Who doesn't love Christmas? I definitely do! If you want some costly pieces for your costume, but don't want to spend on them, here is a helpful tip.

If you don't mind losing a gift or two, mention to your parents or friends that you would like something for your costume. Make sure to specify or you might get something that doesn't exactly go with it.

If you are worried that they may not get the right item, just ask for money for Christmas that will go towards it. You could even take them to the store to show exactly what you want, or send the link of them item.

Have fun searching for more items and prepping for next year!

Renaissance Halloween

Halloween was this weekend, and I thought it be a good time to give some tips on some costume pieces.

A great time to find most of your items are around Halloween. My favorite times to go searching are right afterwards when everything is on sale. This is the best time to find items that would normally be a lot more expensive. You can go beforehand and find more options, but just remember that the items will most likely get cheaper afterwards.

Photo Credit to Samantha Abendroth

Also, you can use your festival pieces as a costume as well! You don't have to go over the top with it, just simplify the costume, and you are now saving money you can use for other things! Below I will link a few items that Halloween stores have that would work great:
Corsets
Weapons
Makeup

How I Started

I feel as though I should share my first experience at the Renaissance Festival.

The first I went to the festival, I attended with my cousin. The only reason we actually went was because his job gave him two free tickets. While many people had attended the festival as children, I never did, so I had no clue what I would be in for.

Immediately we saw people dressed in crazy outfits, and all these different stores with things that I never knew I actually wanted. We went to so many different stores talking about how we were going to dress up and attend together again next year.

Sadly, my cousin joined the army and moved out to California, so I ended up not buying anything for the next year. I kept telling my mom how much I wished he was still home so we could go together. She ended up surprising me by taking me and buying me my first costume.

Photo Credit to Michelle Abendroth

Since then, she has always come with me when she can, and it has become a chance for me and her to bond over something we both share a passion for.

Photo Credit to Samantha Abendroth