The Renaissance Faire
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The Renaissance Faire
website: http://www.norcalrenfaire.com/
June 2011
After reading several kid-mysteries set at
Medieval/Shakespeare/Renaissance faires, my 9 year old is
eager to see one. I grew up attending the SoCal Ren faire
in Agoura and know its NoCal counterpart used to be held in
Novato, but that faire seems to be currently unoperational.
So...where do people go, especially with kids? Hip, hip,
huzzah!
This website has a good directory:
http://www.renfaire.com/Sites/
Northern CA Renaissance Faire moved from Novato to
Vacaville by the Nut Tree. Then that shut down, it was
revived in Marin for another year or two, and it seems to
have found a relatively permanent home in Casa de Fruita
near Hollister. September 17 thru October 16, 2011, 10 am -
6 pm
More locally, and less likely to be hot and miserable:
Northern CA Pirate Faire, Vallejo, Father's Day Weekend
This is wild, fun, windy, and has cannons. If you go, be
sure your son takes a fencing lesson from the Cardiff Rose
Fencing Academy, and tell them Alana sent you.
Fair Oaks Tudor Faire in June is a nice, relatively small
fair under actual fair oaks.
... once a pirate, always a pirate
The faire that used to be in Novato is now in Hollister at
Casa de Fruta. It runs in September and October. This
year, kids 12 and under will be free. Here's their website:
www.norcalrenfaire.com Lucy
The Northern CA Renaissance Faire is now held in Hollister
at Casa de Fruta. It's going to run on the weekends from
Sept 17th to Oct 16th this year. You can check out their
website at www.norcalrenfaire.org. If you purchase tickets
in advance of the start of the Faire or join their mailing
list, I believe you can get a discount. You can check out
their website for further details. Faire lover
It is still going strong. We go every year with our kids
and other assorted friends & relatives - it's always in
Sept-Oct. Just google it - you'll find it. For the past 6-8
years it's been at Casa de Fruita near Gilroy, which is a
longer drive from here than when it was in Marin, takes
maybe 1.5 hours to get there? Last year, we drove down a
day early with another family and stayed in a hotel with a
pool near Gilroy, as a sort of two-day mini vacation. That
way we could get up the next morning and have only a short
drive to the fair. It was fun and we'll probably do that
again this year. It can get hot in the afternoon, so I
recommend getting there when it opens, when it's cooler. On
the other hand, I wouldn't say it is significantly hotter
than Novato - that place was a scorcher, even with the
trees! Last year the weather was very pleasant, and a
couple years ago it actually rained, so you never can tell.
There are a lot of pumpkin farms nearby too. I wouldn't say
it is exactly historical, since costumes and props seems to
span the centuries from the Middle Ages through the
Renaissance with a sprinkling of Victorian, if you count Steam
Punk as Victorian. OTOH it might be fun
with a history buff to identify which aspects actually are
from the Renaissance period! By the way if you end up going
year after year like we do, and you want to invest in a
costume, and you are a woman who wants to be something other
than the omnipresent 'barmaid/wench' or 'slutty gypsy',
check out this website:
http://www.pearsonsrenaissanceshoppe.com There, you can buy
wench and gypsy, yes, but
they also have a variety of attractive machine-washable
gowns and things. They have a good selection of kids'
costumes too. Have fun! RenFaire Habitue
We love the Renaissance Fairs. Its true that the Novato one
has shut down, but new ones have opened up in their place.
The biggest Northern California Ren Fair is the one close to
Gilroy now- www.norcalrenfaire.org at Casa de Fruta. They
open in the fall this year around September and run for 2
months. There are other fun weekend only Renaissance Fairs
all around that happen throughout the year. A few that we
have been to that are fun are the following:
- Northern California Pirate Festival - June 18th/19th in
Vallejo (father's day weekend!) Love this one!
- Valhalla Renaissance Faire - in South Lake Tahoe (this
weekend is the last- June 11/12) Beautiful location.
- Ardenwood Shakespeare Festival and Ren Faire- September,
Fremont. Local and small.
I've never been to the San Jose Ren Faire one, but that runs
in a weekend in August. Also, not sure if you are
interested, but there is a Dicken's Fair every year in San
Francisco Cow Palace during December- not Renaissance but
the same type fun with costumes and lots of activities. We
love that its indoors and has 'real' restrooms. Not as big
or crazy as the Ren fairs, but that has its positive aspects
too! rebecca
May 2001
Anyone been to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire with kids since it moved
to Vacaville? Our daugher is almost 8, and very much into castles,
knights, pages and horses these days. We were thinking of taking her to
the faire when it opens Aug. 25, and would like advice from parents who
have gone in recent years. Did you find it worth the drive, money and
heat?
Janet
I absolutely loved the Rennaisance Faire as a child, so when my kids
starting showing an interest in knights, etc. we went. As an adult,
it seemed so much more silly and affected than I had remembered it,
but my kids LOVED it. My son dressed as a knight and his friend
as a princess, both in cheesy costuming. All the elaborately clad
folks at the faire, acknowledged them with perfect seriousness,
bowing to them and calling them "Sir Knight" and "My Lady". They
were swooning with pleasure (and a bit of heatstroke). So by all
means, go! But bring lots and lots of water, and consider going
later in the season. (We went in late September or early October.)
Elizabeth
1997
This is a cool day outing for families with older kids. I'm not sure how
under-fives would do, since it gets crowded and there is a lot of
walking, looking, & watching. My kids, 11 and 13, went with friends last
year and couldn't wait to go back this year. It is a huge fair where all the
performers, shop keepers, and food sellers dress up in Renaissance-ish
clothes. They all talk in Olde English accents, such as "Aye, and wood ye
like ketchep on that, laddie?" Most of the fair-goers arrive in costume
as well. I never saw so many bosoms bursting out of laced bodices in my
life. (I admit it, I bought myself one for next year.) You will probably
want to at least get a dried flower garland with ribbons or a cloth muffin
hat (about $15). We saw Queen Elizabeth, and folk dancing, and knights
on horseback jousting, and criminals in stocks. Puritans jeered at our
"naked legs" and we lost a few dollars in the sideshow games. It was fun.
The Renaissance Fair is a 45-min drive from the East Bay. It's in Novato in
Marin County. It's open weekends only during September and October from
about 10am till 6 or so. It's pricey - $17 for adults and $14 for kids,
but we got two-for-one coupons in the pink pages of the Sunday paper.
It was definitely worth it, though be warned that part of the attraction
is all the shops, so make sure your kid has some savings or agree on a
ceiling ahead of time. My 11-yr-old spent birthday money on a cotton
pirate shirt and knickers, $40 total, and both boys bought wooden swords
for $6. There are many other things for sale like full suits of armor
and velvet hats with ostrich plumes. The food is in the $5-$10 range
and tasty. We ate huge turkey drumsticks and beef ribs for $5-6. Cold milk
is a popular drink and there is beer, wine, and mead for grownups.
Ginger
this page was last updated: Sep 13, 2011
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