Movies •Books •Music •Food •Tv Shows •Technology •Politics •Video Games •Parenting •Fashion •Green Living •more >

Lunch » People » kfontenot » Lists » RenFest Roadtrip!

RenFest Roadtrip!

Sep 22, 2011

by kfontenot
posted in RenTastic!

Exactly one month from today, September 22, myself and a good friend will begin a four hour trek to the Texas Renaissance Festival. This will be my third year in a row to attend this amazing event, and it will be his first time. We will be staying for the entire weekend (which I've never done) and will return home late on Sunday evening.

While I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore RenRat (I've yet to dress in costume to attend, nor do I talk with an English accent), I do believe that I'm seasoned enough to create a list of items that are a necessity for attending such events. Some of the items are needed for the trip, while others can be acquired at the festival itself.

Once my visit to the Texas Renaissance Festival is over, I'll be sure to write up a review of it, the campground we are staying at, and anything we happen to encounter along the way.

Take a look at this list and let me know if I'm missing anything. I'm sure a few Lunchers out there get there Ren on just as much or more than I do!

Chaucer's Mead

No visit to a Renaissance festival is complete without mead. This wonderfully sweet honey-based wine is the perfect drink (hot or cold) for the fall season when the Texas Renaissance Festival takes place.

Each time I've visited the festival, I've purchased one bottle of Chaucer's Mead and consumed the entire thing as I passed the day on the grounds. Chaucer's Mead has an excellent sweet taste to it and isn't bitter at all. It is sold on the festival grounds in its spiced hot form or cold with the spices attached for later use if desired.

Like all wines that I drink, Chaucer's Mead goes down almost too easy. Before you know it, you'll be slurring Olde English shanties with the best of'em!

See the full review, "Fill Your Need For Mead".

Cash

I know that I listed mead before cash, but it is the only thing more important than the green stuff at the Texas Renaissance Festival. On the festival grounds, cash is often the only accepted payment. You can purchase admission tickets with a credit or debit card, and most of the shops accept them as well, but if you plan on eating anything, you'll definitely need some billage. None of the food vendors accept credit or debit cards. Also, I'm sure you'd rather tip the performers with dollar bills instead of your credit card numer. There are ATMs located throughout the park, but unless you feel like paying the usage fee (it was around five bucks last year), your best best is to stash some cash money in your pocket before you enter the festival.

Walking shoes

The Texas Renaissance Festival is huge. The grounds cover an area that is roughly fifty-five acres, so you better have something comfortable on your toes if you plan to see it all. While the walking paths are well-trodden, you do have to look out for the occasional stray tree root or mudpuddle (although with the drought this year, mud is the least of the festival's worries) to avoid, and if you don't manage to miss them, you'll need a good pair of shoes to keep you from falling on your face.

Light jacket

I suggest bringing at minimum a light jacket with you if you plan to visit the Texas Renaissance Festival. The weather in this part of Texas during this time of the year varies from day to day. While you might spend a nice, sunny Saturday at the festival with temperatures reaching into the lower 80's, a quick cold front could blow through that evening or afternoon and you'll wake up to a cold and wet Sunday with temperatures in the 50's.

Of course, if you get too cold on the festival grounds, you can always warm up with some mead!

Wide-brimmed hat

Keeping the sun out of your eyes or perhaps fighting back the rain that might fall on your noggin necessitates a hat, preferably one with a wide brim. You can bring a hat from home, or buy one at the festival. All sorts of hats are sold on the festival grounds, and I'm sure you'll find one that suits your taste.

Camping tent

While there are plenty of hotel and park options for spending the night in the area surrounding Plantersville, TX, a lot of festivalgoers prefer to rough it at the festival's own campground. As of this writing, a spot in the campground costs $20. No reservations are allowed and there are no specific spots laid out. In other words, you set up your tent or camper trailer in any old spot you want. The grounds can get crowded and from what I've been told, very little sleep actually occurs overnight. Many of the festival employees will put on "after hours" performance for campers and according to a few people I know, these performances can be rather adult in nature. While a good tent won't drown out the noise and merriment, it is easy to set up for the night and just as easy to pack away for the trip home.

While I am staying in a tent for the festival, I will be doing so at the KOA Kampground near Lake Conroe. It will be a lot tamer there during the evening, and they have plenty of creature comforts to boot.

The festival campground offers no utility hook-ups, restrooms, or showers, so keep that in mind before you decide on where you want to stay!

Camera

You'll definitely need a camera when you attend the festival. You'll need it for taking photos of the performances, costumes, and natural beauty of the grounds. It will also come in handy for getting incriminating shots of your friends doing stupid things that you can post on Facebook later!

Costumes

While they aren't a necessity, costumes do add to your experience at the Texas Renaissance Festival. There is actually an area outside of the festival where you can rent a costume for the day. You'll see people in all sorts of costumes on the festival grounds. People dress as Vikings, warlords, fairies, witches, Star Wars characters (really, they do), and just about any type of historical or fanciful being you can dream up. The costumes also range in the amount of body coverage they provide. Many festivalgoers wear costumes that fall into the "barely there" category, so be forewarned if you get offended by such things.

With that said, however, the bulk of the festival is family friendly.

Smoked Turkey Leg

Almost as important as mead is the consumption of a smoked turkey leg on the festival grounds. The turkey legs are sold throughout the festival, and you can smell them and numerous other smoked foods being cooked at the festival all day long. I must warn you that these particular turkey legs are extremely juicy, and it is a good idea to eat the leg with your head extended beyond the range of your feet and/or belly (whichever sticks out the farthest) because there will definitely be some drippage going on!

Cellphone

While experiencing all of the revelry and fun of the Texas Renaissance Festival, there's a good chance that you and your friends might get separated. I was surprised at how good the cell coverage was on the festival grounds, and it won't hurt one bit to have ye olde cellphone handy in case your friend wanders off with a gypsy!

Friends

Bringing a small group of friends is an excellent way to experience the Texas Renaissance Festival. Stick together for performances or split up into smaller groups and check out everything the festival has to offer. Also, have one or more friends agree to be designated drivers if you plan on driving home or back to a hotel or campground!

An open mind

I will be quite blunt on this topic. When attending the Texas Renaissance Festival, you are likely to come into contact with very bawdy humor, double entendres, scantily clad men and women, and more than a few drunks. You might also get kisses from random strangers or even grabbed on the bum no matter how you dress, act, or look.

Keep in mind that all of this is done in pure fun. Granted, some people can go too far with their idea of "fun" (usually not the employees, but other festivalgoers), but most of the people you encounter will be very friendly, inoffensive, and quite safe to be around.

All of the shows are clearly listed in the program as family-friendly or adult-oriented. You'll know what you are getting into before you actually get into it. Some weekends tend to be a bit rowdier than others, but I would say that 90% of the time, the festival is perfect fun for the whole family.

What did you think of this list?

Helpful

Thought-Provoking

Fun to Read

Well-Organized

Post a Comment

or create a list from this list

About the list creator

Kendall Fontenot (kfontenot)
Ranked #19

Despite looking extremely cool, I have to admit that I'm a dork. I grew up on the outskirts of the small town of Oberlin, LA. I have since relocated to the Lake Charles, LA area.I love my home state … more

Recent reviews by kfontenot