October 11, 2023
When it comes to the myriad of musicians at renaissance festivals, the talent displayed is overwhelming. You have people who have dedicated their lives to the romanticized notion of a wandering bard bringing their music from town to town and spreading joy like a guitar strumming Johnny Appleseed. With all this skill, it’s strange to […]
Read Shiver Me Timbers: An Interview with Pirate’s Creed
September 27, 2023
A (Very) Brief History of the Laundress In the annals of history, the work of the average individual is overlooked in favor of the life-world-altering events that so often define our knowledge of the past. This is especially true of tasks that were considered ‘women’s work’. The drudgery of maintaining a household cannot possibly be […]
Read Wet, Wild and Wonderful: An Interview with the Washer Well Wenches
December 7, 2021
It may surprise you to know that there is a long-standing tradition of Christmas as a rather frightful time of year. For many places, the long dark of winter was just that, a time of snow, ice, and darkness that permeated the world. One only has to take a look at the folklore of Frau […]
Read A Scary Little Christmas & Interview with Krampus
July 30, 2019
There is an undeniable sense of pageantry that comes along with the Ohio Renaissance Festival. Hours before the gates open – and in some cases, before the sun comes up – cast members and guests alike spend time crafting a look to present during the season. Much of this has been in the process for […]
Read The Art of the Ren Faire Garb with Johnna Brough
July 16, 2019
One Hand on the Throne The history of Queen Elizabeth I is as fascinating as it is complex. The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, her storied life was one of grandeur and political intrigue. Elizabeth went from princess to bastard, orphan to prisoner, and eventually to Queen. Her reign has since been heralded […]
Read Long May She Reign – With Connie Pfeiffer, ORF’s Queen Elizabeth I
July 9, 2019
The Tudor Home The Tudor style of architecture is so iconic that you would recognize it even if you didn’t know where it came from or what it was called. Easily identified from its rectangular shape, timber frame, and jettied second floor, a traditional Tudor house stands out even among modern architecture as having a […]
Read Building History – Constructing a Booth With Chip Brown
July 2, 2019
The thundering of hooves across the jousting list prompts the roar of the crowd as the lance splits into a dozen pieces. A knight falls from her steed, her armor shining in the sunlight as she clatters to the ground. A cloud of dust rises and the crowd holds its breath to see if she […]
Read The First Years of ORF – With Rebecca Kostrach
June 21, 2019
Imagine you’re sitting in a tavern. The room is dimly lit by the warm tones of the hearth. The cheap beer clings to the sides of your mug in much the same fashion as it does your throat. Rain beats at the thatched roof and you aren’t looking forward to the long walk home. Tomorrow […]
Read Music Culture at Faire – With Jennifer Brough