Preparing for a Ren Faire

What kind of footwear should I wear to a Ren faire?

What you wear on your feet may be more important than what you wear on the rest of your body. After all, faires and festivals usually involve a lot of walking. So, you have a few options when preparing for a Ren faire. You could choose to wear sneakers, which could be more comfortable but will probably not match the look of the faire.

Another option could be more modern dress shoes, especially in black, which would look less out of place but may be less comfortable than sneakers. Of course, the last option would be medieval-style leather shoes. They are the ones that would fit in the best with a medieval aesthetic. We offer a variety of medieval-styled shoes for men and medieval footwear for women. Some have a rubber sole. They can be just as comfortable as a modern shoe. Other shoes have a leather sole, which is more historically accurate than rubber-soled shoes. If you choose leather-soled, you could add insoles to the shoes to possibly make them more comfortable.

Can I take a sword or dagger to a Ren faire?

The rules on weapons will vary from event to event. Many Ren faires and festivals will not allow weapons at all. Those that do will often require that weapons of any kind must be sheathed and peace-tied. Peace-tied is a term that means the weapon is tied or otherwise secured into its sheath so that it cannot be taken out of its sheath. The premise behind this is that organizers don’t want attendees to harm one another, even by accident. Even with LARP-style foam weapons, it is possible to accidently hurt someone if care is not taken, especially when it comes to small children. Again, check with the organizers of the particular faire or festival you plan on attending.

What kind of food or drink is there at a Ren faire?

Nearly all faires will offer food and drink options. This is usually in the form of booths and stands. Do keep in mind that many faires will not allow outside food and drink. They may choose to allow water bottles only. If you can bring in your own water, you can make it look more medieval with the right item. Similarly, festivals may either offer alcohol or ban it completely. Alcohol from outside the event is usually prohibited. The particular site of a faire will often affect whether alcohol is offered or not.