Renaissance Faire

A Renaissance Faire, also called a renaissance festival or medieval fair, is an outdoor event, and the hobby scene built around attending and performing in it, that recreates a historical setting, most often the English Renaissance, as a form of living history in which costumed participants and performers simulate everyday life from a past era. A typical faire brings together costumed entertainers, musical and theatrical acts, handicrafts and art for sale, and festival food, and ranges from small short-term events to a few permanent theme parks, some of which offer campgrounds for visitors staying more than a single day. Many faires are set in the reign of England's Elizabeth I, though others reach back to Henry VIII's reign or move the setting to a different country such as France, and some step outside the Renaissance altogether into the Viking Age or the Golden Age of Piracy, or deliberately mix costume eras and add fantasy elements such as wizards and elves; renting a costume, rather than owning one, is a common way for a visitor to join in the world of the faire.