The RenFaire is in town and I think my son would really like it (plus, I’m from Maryland and always enjoy a good joust). Do you have to dress up for these things? Or, could I go in normal clothes and not feel stupid?
Where’s “in town”? Because I scored some free tickets and I’m wondering the same thing.
Edit: SCA people party hard. I’ve never been to a Ren Faire, LARP or anything of the sort, but I’ve been to SCA parties and heard Ren Faire stories.
No, you don’t need to dress up at all. I’d reccomend going, and if you’d like to return or make it a yearly thing, you’ll probubly find a booth selling costume bits or you can make your own.
One can find many resources and those selling items online.
A big puffy-sleeved shirt, some slops and pirate boots are fine, or, if you are ambitious, you can make a full on Elizabethean court outfit.
Have fun!
I’m in Raleigh…probably not the one your tickets are for unless the person who gave them to you is really mean.
Not that mean, but a little (the event is in Orange County).
FWIW, what does being from Maryland have to do with jousting? I grew up in Maryland and I don’t believe I’ve ever jousted.
Going in garb is fun, but not worth the investment unless you plan to make a regular thing out of going to faire.
IIRC, jousting is the state sport of Maryland.
I heard this somewhere, then several years later Dave Barry observed it to be true in his Travel Book (“I swear this is true, and invite you to look it up if you don’t believe me.”)
Nah, you’re absolutely not required to dress up. In the ones I’ve been to, most visitors are in normal clothes; most of the people dressed up were part of the entertainment. Visitors often assume that anybody in costume is part of the crew in some fashion.
My RenFaire group included some people who couldn’t come to regular training, so they couldn’t be part of a show: they’d work as extra ushers, general “move this here” crew, etc.
Yes, it’s true; however, IIRC, someone was trying to get it changed to lacrosse a few years ago. I hope that never happens.
Gah! Reading that link further, they made lacrosse the official team sport! Way to weasel, fellow Marylanders!
I actually prefer Ren Faires. One thing that’s seriously turning me off of SCA is the need to dress up in garb at every event. So you have to plan for every event and never drop by. Thus, I’ve not been to an event yet. Some SCA people told me they don’t like Ren Faires because they’re not accurate enough…true and no doubt a good reason but I don’t go for accuracy. I go for fun.
I love Ren Faires…they cheer any effort you make to dress up. Even a pleated skirt. Now you make me wanna go!
Festies I know make fun of “patrons” who show up dressed up. If you are at all sensitive to looking like a huge dweeb, don’t. If you don’t care, go ahead. I’m not sure which is worse - the patron wearing something close to a costume with cowboy boots or the one who has gone all out and has the $800 handmade boots bought a few years ago at Fest (at that point, just join up).
Also, IME, festies and SCAdians (I’ve been both years and years ago) are two distinct populations that don’t respect one another. Festies are primilarly “theatre” types with an interest in entertaining (and hanging out and drinking). SCAdians are primarily history reenactment geeks whose primary interest is…well hanging and drinking - but in a manner that approaches historical accuracy (in a gym - with duct tape swords).
Well, if they’re going to snipe about lack of accuracy, let’s hope that these SCAdians are using bone needles to make their clothes. It’s not period to use a sewing machine or steel needles to make your clothes! 
I vastly prefer renfaire. The performers are fun, the costumes can be either period accurate or outlandish (the one in south Florida has theme weeks-- the one weekened I went it was “Irish weekend” and there were several leprechauns), there’s lots of delicious but disturbingly greasy faire food (huzzah for Scotch Eggs!), and one can watch silly shows with lots of bawdy lyrics that may go over the kiddos’ heads.
The only festies/rennies I know that made fun of “dress up” patrons were the ones who made fun of the “not related at all to the time period” dress up patrons. Some examples: Star Trek (I’m not kidding!), “Stalker Texas Ranger” (don’t ask), furries in a Robin Hood themed outfit, the fantasy version of the renaissance (complete with purple lame’ fabric and glitter!). Somehow the Xena impersonators didn’t get too much ribbing; I guess looking really hot in your leather outfit counts for something.
YMMV, as all faires vary. I was a volunteer rennie in high school, so my experience would be different from those who did the circuit or were close with those who did the circuit. Dress up if you want, but just make sure you’re comfortable. Being too hot or too cold is never the way to enjoy a day at faire.
Heck, last time I went to the AZ Ren faire - the big one in Apache Junction - I saw this guy dressed up as a tree. Looked really cool, almost like Treebeard. I googled “tree costume” hoping to find one like the guy I saw in AZ. As it happens on page two I found the actual dude I saw. Unless there are two guys with this exact costume.
I love renfaires, they appeal to my kind of people. Down to earthy types, mead drinking, turkey leg eating, swash buckling types. Plus my wife loves faeries and anything faery like.
Somewhat approaches historical accuracy, they are pretty loose with what you can get away with costume wise, which makes it easy to start cheap and work your way to whatever your comfort level is.
Oh, and beating the crap out of each other! Don’t forget that. 
Brian D’Baskerville SCA member for 15 years, inactive.
I’m not that into dressing up (this isn’t something that is likely to become a hobby…just something to do this weekend). But, my husband reeaaaaaallllllly wouldn’t be into dressing up. He’s whatever the opposite of a theater person is. He wants to go, but I wouldn’t be able to drag him kicking and screaming if he had to wear a pirate shirt. He won’t even wear the sage green button-down oxford shirt I got him because it’s “too loud.”
im indoors used to be like that. We belong to an activity group that has lots of parties, most of which are themed and/or fancy dress so he’s kind of got used to the idea that there are costumes to be made.
I have to confess there were bets being taken about whether I’d actually get him to wear the white tights when we did the Greek Soldier outfits…
Persistence is the key. Since he’s been with me I’ve had him dressed up in all manner of things and these days he just accepts the fact that my friend and I are “making something special, dear”.
Why, thank you! That’s the one I was in for three years!
Many of the songs are about as period as pumpkin pie on a Roman reenactment, but dang that group was FUN! Some of them I don’t think I’ll ever be able to remember whole without taking a peek at the lyrics, but there’s a couple I still do remember by heart.
And see, I enjoy myself a lot more at the SCA events. You do have to dress up, but you don’t have to spend huge amounts of money to do it. It is being a big money-sink right now for me, though, because I like to look pretty and it takes a lot of fabric for me.
The main reason I prefer their events over Renfaire is that Renfaire is rather joyless in comparison. Everyone working a Renfaire is doing it for the money. They enjoy dressing up in silly clothes and all, but they’re in competition for your cash. They’re not there to have fun; they’re there to make a living. In contrast, most of the people at an SCA event are there to have fun and get lost in the moment.
That being said, the people in the SCA are going to be rather pickier than the Renfesties (and THAT is an understatement along the lines of ‘it is rather wet in the sea’). Some people really will raise their own sheep, shear them, wash and card the wool and spin it and weave it before they even start making their clothes. Some people will make their harem pants out of broadcloth, too.
Short form: if you’re interested in hanging out with wizards and princesses and King Henry for a few hours on a weekend and going back home with a ceramic dragon, a Renfaire is what you really want. If you want to learn 15th century embroidery and assemble an outfit in many ways indistinguishable from its ancient counterpart, if you want to hang out with blacksmiths and seamstresses and people who take a vague interest in period handicrafts to a level bordering on obsession, if you are entertained by a father who scolds his son for eating with a fork, the SCA is more your thing.
The Renfaire is PROBABLY going to be desirable for most sane people. 
What can I say, I wanted to learn how to spin… and yes, certainly you do not need to go dressed up. You are not expected to. People will screw with you more if you’re dressed modern – by that, I mean the cast is going to have more fun with you.