If you’re in Tampa this spring or planning a visit don’t forget your doublet or bodice. Between February and early April is the Tampa Bay Renaissance festival .
Renaissance Faires are made up of many things. Festivals of this nature combine historical reenactment with craft fairs and performance art. It’s often hard to tell the individuals working the faire from the guests but it’s usually a safe bet that the more expensive and historically accurate the costume a person has on the more likely they can help you or at least point you in the right direction. If you’ve never been to one before it’s hard to make sense of at first there are near limitless eye catching things to see and do. Jugglers, musicians, magicians, and other entertainers perform throughout the day. There are tons of period foods and specialty brewed drinks to taste and sample not to mention the crafts many of the vendors hand make. The Renaissance festival is a blast though not necessarily period. Not sure when you want to go? The Tampa Bay Renaissance festival has themed weekends so check their website before leaving your hotel room so you can plan your day around the events. Also, don’t forget the sunblock, bodice burn is a lesson you need only learn once.
Finding “Renn Faires” a little over the top and looking for something more historically accurate? The Society of Creative Anachronism is probably more your speed. While the periods at a festival mix liberally often times the SCA has a defined time period participants immerse themselves in the sciences, traditions, culture, arts, crafts, and lifestyles of. Unlike Renaissance Faires, the SCA is a participatory organization you’re also the audience and the performer because you’re expected to participate and immerse yourself into the culture. Also unlike the faires events are continuously being held in all regions, or kingdoms, all over the United States not just select weekends. Florida is split between two kingdoms Meridies which holds events ranging from Kentucky to just north of Orlando, FL and the kingdom of Trimaris in southern Florida