The Connecticut Renaissance Faire is always such a great show! Our big day at the fair was the second-to-last weekend during the Halloween-themed programming. After dark the faire was transformed into a spooky wonderland with extra macabre and fiery entertainment.
We made a big to-do of coordinating with many friends so that we could spend the day with so many of our favorite people. We arrived early for prime parking, and even packed the car for tailgating, picnic lunches, water refills, and costume-changes as the temperature dropped. It’s a good thing that we did too, because the faire saw record-breaking attendance that day, and lines to get in or obtain food from a vendor became impossible during the afternoon hours.
I finished my fancy embroidered collar in time for the faire thanks to inspiration from a coworker to pick the project back up again. Made specifically to go with the large cinnamon gown that I made earlier this year. Underneath my simple medieval chemise kept me cool and comfortable all day. The mustard color leather bodice is brand new courtesy of Crimson Chains Leather. I had a specific color combination in mind and they were kind enough to custom build me a bodice that I could pick up at the faire. I think the combination here looks fantastic! Now I just have to get brown laces for it.
Jake also wore his Crimson Chains jerkin over new pants! I’m glad that his blue hat and blue shirt go together so well because I don’t remember planning them that way. Later in the evening when the weather got colder, we layered up with furs and shawls. Most of the day was spent camping out at stages or spectator fields to watch the entertainment. We snacked and watched the children we know play while watching acrobatics and live combat. The crowds were too dense to do much shopping but we did stock up on spices from Auntie Arwen.
While we had intended to stay for the fire joust, we slipped out early when we realized we still had 40 minutes of time to burn in the dark before the start time, and we were getting tired. There was a thrilling fire poi and dragon staff performance earlier in the evening that met the fire-entertainment-requirement. Considering the record-breaking attendance and the full parking-lot, it was nice to slip out before the traffic started. I still got to use my hurricane lantern to light the way back to the car, and that’s all I really wanted anyway.
