Nicole's Notes

It’s been years since I’ve attended a Renaissance (“Ren”) Faire. Thinking back to my childhood, I remember my middle school hosting a Ren Faire where we went all out – costumes, banquets, the whole shebang. It’s one of my fondest childhood memories. But I had never been to THE Ren Faire, aka the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, hosted every year in Irwindale, CA. So when a friend invited me to go this year my response was “Absolutely!”

An important note on transportation: expect to spend at least 30 minutes waiting in a line of cars to enter the fairgrounds. It just so happened that the weekend we went was cosplay weekend, so we ended up waiting in line for over an hour. I almost got a ticket too 😬 I didn’t see a “No U-Turn” sign and made an illegal u-turn into the long line of cars. A cop happened to be passing by at that exact moment and reprimanded me, but fortunately he let me off with a warning. Thankfully Lady Luck was on my side! After waiting at the back of the line for about 20 minutes we had another stroke of good fortune: a traffic officer approached us and told us there was a second entrance with a much shorter line. Parking was quite reasonable and cost only $12 for the day.

Entering the faire I tried to have as few expectations as possible. I generally find that experiences are so much better when your expectations are low or non-existent. Immediately upon arriving at the entrance I knew I was in for a treat. Employees were dressed in period-appropriate attire “peddling” their wares to guests, and because it was cosplay weekend most of the attendees were decked out in all sorts of cool costumes. It was a people watching extravaganza.

Upon entering you receive a map of the fairgrounds which also contains a schedule of all the shows and events. I did not realize they’d have so many different show and event options which was cool. The immediate entrance is lined with stalls of Renaissance era merchants demonstrating weaving, pottery, etc. These are just for show and contribute to the atmosphere, and it was fun walking through and observing them. It also just so happened that our timing was perfect. Soon after we entered the Queen also made her entrance. Employees dressed in character parted the guests, announcing “Make way for the Queen!” Trumpets sounded and the Queen paraded through the grounds followed by her entourage chanting “God save the Queen!” It was really entertaining to watch and felt as if I’d gone back in time.

The layout of the faire was interesting. It’s essentially a long path that winds around with the most popular event, the joust, at the very end of the fairgrounds. This is clearly done to ensure guests walk through all the vendors and activities along the way. The first half of the faire feels very commercial. It’s essentially a bunch of stalls filled with various vendors selling all sorts of items: honey, bows, jewelry, art, clothing, etc. I wasn’t interested in buying anything, but they do have some very cool and unique items. Some of my personal favorites were the glass-blown hanging spiders and the beautifully carved bows. The vendors continued throughout, but I’d say the second half of the fairgrounds could be classified as the activities section. This was where you had all the fun stuff like archery, crossbows, axe throwing, javelin throwing, knife throwing, turtle racing, a petting zoo, you name it. Archery was the most reasonably priced activity starting at $5 for a certain number of arrows. The remaining activities all started at around $10 a pop. Be prepared to wait in long lines for the activities as well.

About midway through the fairgrounds is a large grassy clearing where all the food stalls are located. For the most part it’s fair food: burgers, turkey legs, etc. but they also had some healthier options like Greek food and poke bowls. For lunch I went for a savory crepe and my friend had the poke, both of which were quite good. I was pleasantly surprised. Drink stands are scattered throughout, with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. However, expect some sticker shock. A water starts at $6 and alcoholic drinks start at $16. I had wanted to try the mead…in my head I was envisioning being served in an old-fashioned stein but instead I was presented with an aluminum can that cost $17. I didn’t want to try it THAT much so I passed. That’s a general note for the fair overall: expect theme park prices and come prepared to spend money. And bring plenty of cash. Although some vendors accept credit cards, a majority of them only accept cash. But if you’re caught without cash don’t fret, there are plenty of ATMs throughout the fairgrounds.

Interspersed among the vendors and activities were several stages hosting various shows. The first show we came across was a splendid acrobatic act. That same stage also hosted a very impressive variety show by the world famous whip master Aaron Bonk, which you won’t want to miss. My friend is a big Shakespeare fan so we also attended the Dungeons and Shakespeare show. We were a bit lost at times because we aren’t familiar with Dungeons and Dragons but still enjoyed it. Last but not least was my favorite: the Joust.

The joust begins with the horses and their knights parading around the arena, and I was immediately struck by how impressive the horses were. They were enormous! Incredibly majestic and beautiful. The added flair of their riders in full armor and colors was quite a sight. The show was a combination of jousting and comedic showmanship. Yes it was cheesy, but it’s supposed to be, there’s children there. But the jousting itself was very real and incredibly impressive. To see two knights in full armor and horses charging at each other, shields clashing, was a real sight to behold. It made me think of how frightening it must have been to see a wall of cavalry riding toward you in battle. The joust is something you absolutely won’t want to miss, so make sure to get there early if you want a good seat. We got there 30 minutes before and still got seats, but were seated all the way at the end. If you want the best seats in the middle you might have to get there an hour before.

The entire day flew by pretty quickly and before I knew it, it was time to depart. Reflecting on the experience, it’s certainly something I would recommend doing at least once. As my friend put it, “It’s like Coachella for nerds.” But whether you’re a nerd or not, it’s still a fun and unique experience. It’s not without its cons. At times it can feel like a money grab. The whole thing felt very commercialized and we were surprised by all the performers requesting tips after their shows. Tip fatigue is real. It seems you can’t go anywhere these days without being hit with tip requests. That said, life as a performer is hard and I understand where they’re coming from. Overall, I felt that the included shows and experiences were well worth the price of admission. There are plenty of options for both children and adults and the ambiance is one-of-a-kind. I mean, where else can you travel back in time? Unfortunately the fair only runs for a short period, this year it’s open from April 6 – May 19. So if you want to go act fast, there’s only two weekends left!

Head to the official fair website: https://renfair.com for tickets and more information.