Here ye, here ye revelers... dost thou wish to enter a world of delight, mischief, and merriment? If so, adventure to the Village of Willingtown, where medieval fantasies come alive. Feast on turkey legs, watch the Royal Joust, throw down axes and pints, watch some fun & raunchy performances, and so much more at The Northern California Renaissance Faire.
The faire is located in the quaint valley of Casa de Fruta about 45 minutes south of the Bay Area. It holds a very special place in my heart, from attending with my family as a wee tot in some of its previous locations, going in middle and high school with friends, to driving back down to the Bay Area from LA just to attend in recent years. Entry tickets and parking won't break the bank, at $28 for tickets this year and $10 for self-parking ($20 for preferred). Large golden fields serve as vast parking lots, so parking is easy and plentiful. You can buy tickets at the box office up front and begin to take in everyone's incredible costumes.
The faire spans about 6 weeks each year, running September - October. Each weekend after opening is themed, which typically goes as follows: Opening Weekend, Pirate Invasion, Heroes & Villains, Oktoberfest, Masquerade, and Halloween Fantasy. The themes are really just recommendations and help to create a unique atmosphere each weekend, but medieval/peasant/ren garb is welcomed and worn during all weekends.
I have previously worn long skirts, a blouse, and bought a flower crown at the faire, dressed up as a viking, pirate, worn my Oktoberfest dirndl, and this year went for fantasy weekend as a "Renaissance Faire-y." I have seen extremely creative outfits from mythical creatures to incredible Cosplays (Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, you name it). Yes, some people come in normal clothes and you won't be denied entry, but it's so much more fun to get creative with your costume and fully immerse yourself into the experience! Costumes are even available for rent near the entrance from The Belrose.
Once you enter the village, you can make a right turn (towards all the shoppes, activities, and jousting arena) or a left turn (towards more shoppes, the food court, & the big swing). I typically always start by going to the right, selecting a flower crown at one of the corner booths, and admiring all of the different art stalls. Once you reach the corner by the jousting arena, there is also one of the first stages where someone is bound to be singing, dancing, or otherwise performing, and there is also my favorite bar to grab a pint of cider or a cup of mead. Without spoiling the fun, there is quite a lot of theatrics involved in getting a drink at the Ren Faire, so brace yourself... what I will say though, is that I admire that they will fill whatever tankard, cauldron, cornucopia etc you bring with you! Minimizing waste is the mood.
There really is so much to explore around every bend. Some notable activities I think are fun to take part in are tarot reading, fairy-house making, fencing, axe-throwing, henna designs, the carnival rides, and most importantly, the shows! I grew up watching Moonie & Broon's hilarious comedic acts, filled with fire, whips, and tons of offbeat, satirical humour. Whilie Moonie no longer performs the faire, my sister and I did get to sit down on the haybales to catch Broon's show this year at the Romany Camp stage. My last couple trips to the faire have also involved taking advantage of the 21+ stage. Last year, I fell in love with the girls of the Mermaid Tavern, while this year I was pulled in as a volunteer for a new show, Dr. Faustus and his Potent Potions. I was made to take a sip of Dr. Faustus' "Miracle Elixir", strapped into a guillotine, and then had the guillotine fall on me. As you can see, I remain unharmed.
Autumn time is synonymous with the NorCal Ren Faire, and when the leaves start turning orange I just want to pour a pint of cider & frolick. I would love to potentially be a performer in future years, but we'll just have to see about that! Last year, my friend and I actually spoke with Scotland's Knight & Squire after the show. The knight was actually a stuntsman from Los Angeles, who comes up to NorCal to participate in the joust, which I thought was really fascinating. This leads me to my hot tip on the joust in general: Get there an HOUR early, or you will not get a good seat, or no seat at all. The stands fill up fast.
The above photo tells the story of my final recommendation: come on a Saturday and stay after the faire closes to enjoy the rock concert series! I have only attended the last couple years but both performances were both so much fun. This year, my sister and I fell in love with "The Wicked Tinkers" - a Celtic rock band that performs with kilts, bagpipes, drums, and didgeridoos to create hypnotizing sounds. Curious? I was delighted to find that their music is also available on Spotify.
If you have any questions at all about the faire, feel free to comment below. I am so passionate about this place and will try to answer any questions you may have.
Huzzah!!!
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