Mike and Sharon Cleary of Bella Vista enjoy going to Renaissance fairs several times a year at locations around the country.
Sharon said she can remember going to Renaissance fairs more than 30 years ago, but she did not attend as faithfully until she met Mike. They have been going together regularly for about nine years now.
"We've been to five this year, and we're going to five more," she said. She added they like to incorporate at least one festival whenever they travel.
Most fairs have a facade of a castle or some sort of entry way, she said. Mike said the fairs have a royal family, and everyone has to bow when they walk by. The long-running fairs have themed weekends, such as pirates or Celtic, for example. If the queen of the fair is entertaining the king of France that weekend, the theme might be romance, Mike said.
The couple enjoys dressing up for the fairs. They dabbled in dress up at first, trying out pirate costumes. Other fair-goers liked their costumes and asked to have their photos made together. Then they created a witch and wizard costume, and those were also a hit. After that, they decided to get costumes for every occasion.
Sharon makes almost all of their costumes in her sewing studio at their home.
"I'm a thrift store queen," she said, adding she can purchase jewelry, material and draperies at thrift stores that can be turned into costumes. She said Renaissance costumes purchased online can cost from $100 to $1,200 or more, so she prefers to make theirs. They have individual plastic tubs for each costume that contain everything from the shoes to the hat, she said. When they travel, they look at the fair's website to learn which themes will be going on so they can decide which costumes to bring.
"You can immerse yourself more in the experience if you're dressed up," Mike said. However, the couple said no one is required to dress up and they have never seen anyone treated with disrespect for what they were wearing.
Dressing the part enhances the experience of the fair, according to the couple. Sharon said costumes do not have to be elaborate. A festival-goer could dress simply as a peasant, for example, she said.
"We're not just going to see something, we want to participate," Mike said. "The more people that dress up, the more you feel you're in that time frame."
He said they always meet other people who are dressed up, and it opens an avenue of conversation. People often ask to have their photos made together.
The entertainment at the fairs is excellent, they report, and includes belly dancers, bands, jousters, bagpipes, drummers, sword jugglers, pirate singers and more. People watching is fun as well, Sharon said. Once they saw a group of acrobats who asked for their vote on America's Got Talent, Mike said. The food is also incredible, Mike said, with offerings like turkey legs, corn on the cob, loaded baked potatoes and funnel cakes. Also available are activities such as hatchet throwing and archery, he said.
For information and links on the closest Renaissance fairs and those around the country, go to therenlist.com.
Courtesy photo Sharon and Mike Cleary, of Bella Vista, are pictured wearing their pirate costumes at the Gasparilla Pirate Fest in Tampa, Fla.