Renaissance Faire Opening Day April 6th
Welcome to the Original Renaissance Faire at the Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale, California! It’s April 6th, 2019 and it is Opening Day at the Faire - Huzzah!
The Tinker
As soon as you get to the entrance there are incredibly welcoming costumed characters everywhere you turn and me and my camera know it! [Click-click!]
On Opening Day, Saturday 4/6 everyone was looking their best in their period piece ensembles of the Elizabethan Age and their individual knowledge of the Renaissance Period is simply unsurpassed.
Skilled artisans in front show off their classic talents, be it throwing pottery, weaving, calligraphy, blacksmithing, glass blowing, cooking, painting, or book binding. I asked each artist questions about their trade and what it would have been like back in the day to make what they were creating including how many processes it would have had to undergone until a finished product was produced.
As you continue through the dusty roads of Deptford be sure to stop for a photo and a chat with some painted up women, who are especially happy to see male visitors to the Faire…
Besides these painted ladies, there are Faire Faeries who silently roam the grounds with grace, whimsy and magical interactions (since they say only children, or those who are childishly young at heart) can even see them! The makeup up and costumes are breathtaking and these dancers/actors are so good at what they do creating fantasy and fun everywhere they go!
Just around the corner you can stop for some coffee or a passion tea with my friend Daniel! Everyday he sports a new design by the talented artist Chelsea Keene. He also plays multiple stringed instruments so when he’s not serving up a delicious beverage, he is playing a magical tune!
As we were chatting, we were surprised by the presence of Queen Elizabeth and her royal entourage making their debut appearance as they snaked through the crowd to make their way over to the Royal Court. What a beautiful sight to behold! Not only does her grace and elegance transcend, but her costume, jewelry and accessories are quite a spectacle to photograph and personally witness. God Save the Queen!
Guests get to dress up however they like, so be prepared for floral hair wreaths, painted faces, fancy corsets, Venetian masks, and the occasional Pirate - Arghhh!
These Pirates are selling big hats and nautical decor and accessories so if Pirating is your thing, check this booth out!!! Awesome stuff and truly awesome people!
The Entertainment here doesn’t disappoint either! From the hilarious Broon and Moonie, to Bellydancing, playing music and singing dirty limericks, the silk aerialist and the Joust - this place is packed with talent and entertainment. (Grab the schedule in the front for showtimes.)
There is even a petting zoo with baby goats, mini ponies, llamas and jackasses. I love this guys smile!
There is so much to see and do here, that 10am-7pm doesn’t seem like enough time to fit it all in, so I will be coming back a few more times this season! The Faire runs weekends from April 6 - May 19, so be sure to check it out!
Thanks for reading my article and looking through the photos! I am forever grateful to the costumed folks I get a chance to meet and photograph here. They are all so beautiful both inside and out!
Huzzah for the 2019 Ren Faire year!
Thanks,
Photography by Crystal Olguin
April, 2019
