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When and Where
For quick
reference, it's hard to beat the faire listings on
www.RenFaire.com. If you're in a hurry and want to
find a faire near you, click here to go to the faire index pages, where you can find
information sorted by state and by date.
One of the
best sites and most frequently updated sites on the web is maintained by
the print periodic
Renaissance
Magazine. Clicking the link will take you directly to
the faire directory, which is alphabetical by state.
Here's a
handy site map.
Click on your state to get a list of faires.
One very good
site seems to be having web problems, but I'm listing it here because it's
worth checking in from time to time to see if matters have been resolved:
www.faires.com/choices.php
General Information
Renaissance Faire
at www.renfaire.com
Quoted
from the site:
The
goal of the Renaissance Faire Homepage is to contain a wealth of
material for renfaire workers and customers alike. Covering the topics
of BFA (basic faire accent) and pronunciation, costuming, acting, and
basic history from the Tudor period through the end of the
Elizabethan, this site provides a touch of everything for the
reenactor or renaissance fair
enthusiast.
The Scribe
A site
described as "The Renaissance Faire Information Clearinghouse.
Kalani's Renaissance Faire Links Page
This is a wonderful resource for just about
everything associated with a RenFaire. If you're looking for a
website for costuming or mead-making, this is a good place to start.
Renaissance Garb and
Accessories
Renaissance
Magazine marketplace
This is a great place to start. An
excellent collection of links, conveniently separated into such categories
as armories, costumes, footwear, and gifts.
From head . . .
Grinning Griffin
Several very nice styles of
Renaissance hats, as well as jesters' caps and wizard hats.
This is the first site I've seen that offers a version of the
"Elizabethan tall hat."
The Palace Gallery
Nice
hats. This site also has some of the best reproduction jewelry
I've seen on the web, so it's cited below, as well.
Crown and
Feather
Specializing in Renaissance
hats and feathered hair ornaments, this site also offers custom made
Renaissance ruffs.
Renaissance Hats
by Sofi
Sofi makes
wonderful clothing, so you might want to browse the site after you'll
checked out the hats.
Lamplight Feathers
Looking for
an extravagant plume for your hat? This site has ostrich, peacock,
pheasant, and other decorative feathers.
. . . to foot . . .
SCA Boots
If you're looking for tall black
boots for a Renaissance or pirate costume, these are reasonably
priced.
Armlann Boots
Hand-made shoes and boots. If
historical authenticity matters to you, check out this site.
Medieval
Moccasins
Not
only are they historically accurate, but they will make your feet very
happy. I own several pair of these, and consider them everyday
wear. If you plan to get a lot of wear out of them, go for the
shoes with an added rubber sole. Not quite as period-authentic,
but they'll last a lot longer and give you a bit more traction. They're
not cheap, but compared to most custom Renaissance footwear, which can
run into several hundred dollars, these are a good way to
go. This site is listed in the Renaissance Magazine marketplace, but I'm
also including it in my links because it's a personal favorite.
Medieval Weapon Art
This whole
site is worth browsing, but I'm including a link to the footwear page
because it offers something that's difficult to find: authentic lady's
footwear, including an elegant divit-toed shoe and a gorgeous and
versatile beaded satin slipper called "Black Magic."
And everything in between
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Adornmynts
NEW
LINK It isn't easy to find
period-authentic jewelry. This online store offers a nice
variety of Renaissance jewelry, including chains of office
such as the one shown here. Very attractive necklaces, brooches,
and bodice jewelry, at reasonable prices.
They also have pieces for Civil War and
Victorian eras, as well as a couple of nifty pirate-themed
pieces. |
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The Palace Gallery
This
online store is worth checking out. Very nice reproduction jewelry,
clothing, and hats. If you do your own costuming, check out the
sewing notions for cloak clasp and the ornate lacers. There
are also some unusual items, such as a "flea fur"--a strip of fur
worn over the shoulder because it was believed it attracted fleas,
thus ridding the rest of the body of the biting little nuisances.
Interesting site.
Majestic Velvets
Costume-made clothing in velvets and brocade for men and women.
Pendragon
Costumes
A nice variety of leather
doublets and bodices. As the name suggestions, Celtic designs
enhance most of these pieces of wearable art.
GreyCat
Designs
This
costuming site offers very nice ready-made and made-to-order
designs, but what makes it such a great find are the Celtic and
Renaissance trims, the perfect finishing touch for those of us
who do our own costuming, yet don't have the time or inclination
for extensive embroidery. If you've visited this site in the
past but haven't stopped by for a while, it's worth revisiting. The line
of clothing has been expanded considerably.
House of
Anoria
Lovely
site, beautiful clothing. If you like leather and you've got a
hefty budget, this is a great place to shop.
Keltic Nations
Very nice Celtic
jewelry. This site is also listed in the music
section.
Visabella
If you're in the market for
some "mythic clothing," this site is worth a look. Offerings
include a cape of black velvet with silver spider web design, a gold
cape, several styles of stretch velvet dresses that would work for
medieval or fantasy gowns, and floating little fairy or angel gowns that
could form the cornerstone for the "Stevie Nicks Lingerie
Collection." Some interesting items, quite different from the
usual offerings.
Age of Chivalry
Weapons, armor, clothing, and accessories. Check out the
website, or order their new printed catalog
Center
Stage Costumes
Historic and fantasy costumes for men. Ready made or custom
designed. Pirates, noblemen, warriors can find garments, hats and
footwear to suit their needs and stations.
Fallen Angel
Fashions
If
you're not shy and you absolutely must wear a corset, here's a good
place to find one. Both fantasy and historic
corsets.
Lady and the
Fool
An
attractive site, well worth a look.
Simplicity
Costume Catalog
If you
intend to make your own costume, check out the patterns available
through Simplicity.
McCalls Patterns
Another source for Renaissance patterns.
Faire Pair
Tights
Ready-made tights for Renaissance costumes. Specializing in
crushed velvet, liquid velvet, and cotton. Two- and three-color
tights available.
Renaissance Market Place
A
listing of web sites, by category. Topics include calligraphy,
costumes, swords, and footwear. Not a terribly extensive list, but
worth a look.
Starr
Fayrie
Do you
need wings for your costume? Try this site. If they don't
already have it, they'll custom design it for you. Here we're
crossing the line between "historic" and "fantasy" RenFaires, the
respective merits of which are oft debated by RenFaire lovers. But if
you lean toward fantasy, wings will definitely set you apart from the
crowd. One of the most striking fantasy costumes I ever saw at a
RenFaire was worn by a lovely young woman dressed entirely in black --
including elaborate black-feathered wings. Scary, but
impressive.
Weapons and accessories
Some of
these sites also sell clothing, but I'm including them here if I
consider weaponry and armor to be their forte.
Museum Replicas
Limited
Period
clothing, swords, shields, axes, helmets, jewelry, and lots more. I got
the printed catalog for years, just for the sheer joy of looking through
it.
Swords &
Armor
Medieval and Renaissance armor and weapons. If you plan to
wear a sword, however, you should check with your intended RenFaire
regarding weapons policy. Some allow weapons as long as they're
sheathed and peace-bound, but at other Faires, no weapons are
permitted.
Bows of the Risen Son
It
isn't easy to find historically accurate archery equipment. Here's
a good site for period weaponry. Again, check RenFaire policy
before you show up carrying a weapon.
Silvermane
LTD
An
online catalog with costume items ranging from armor to
weapons.
Valentine
Armouries
Choose
from over 200 suits of armor or over 700 helmets. Nice visual
reference for historical armor, worth a look even if you're not in the
market for plate armor.
Renaissance Music
Keltic Nations
This site includes
handmade harps, dulcimers, fiddles and mandolins. I haven't seen or
played any of these instruments myself, but the site is beautiful
and the instruments well worth a look. What really caught my eye
was a 22-string lap harp with an unusually low range -- starting with a
C below middle C. (Most lap harps start at or around middle
C.) If anyone has played one of these instruments, I'd love to
hear from you!
Lark in
the Morning
Looking for a musical instrument for RenFaires? Already have an
instrument, but your significant other accidentally dropped all the
reeds for your highland bagpipes into the garbage disposal, and then
accidentally ground them up for, oh, about seven or eight minutes? Tired
of not being able to find any good zither music at your local guitar
shop? Been thinking about adding the hurdy-gurdy as your third
instrument? Just heard someone playing real music on a real
recorder, and thinking about upgrading that plastic Yamaha soprano you
bought back in fourth grade? Check out this site. They probably
can't help you find a more open-minded and/or tone deaf significant
other, but they do offer hard-to-find folk, ethnic, medieval and
renaissance instruments and music.
Sylvia Woods Harp Center
The place to find anything to do with harps. Nice selection
of books and sheet music, too.
Harpsicles
If you want to learn the harp and you've got a limited budget, please, I
implore you, DO NOT buy one of the "harp-shaped objects" sold on Ebay.
If it's imported from Pakistan, made of rosewood, and carved with a
cheesy Celtic knot pattern, chances are you'll be very, very unhappy with it.
Instead, take a look at these little harps. They're well built, they
hold a tune, and they're priced right for the beginner. AND they have a
range down to C below middle C, which gives more versatility than most
lap harps.
Looking for
a Renaissance Lute?
Lutes are wonderful -- more elegant and subtle than the guitar,
with a more delicate tone. They're absolutely beautiful to look
at. They are also hard to find, difficult to play, and usually
very expensive. This beautiful site shows a number of hand-made
lutes, and also includes some good lute-related web links. Herein lies
the substance of dreams.
Hurdy Gurdy
If you're looking for a Renaissance instrument with a bit of pizzazz
(not to mention one that makes a hell of a lot of noise) the vielle a
roue, or "wheel fiddle," might be for you. Stop by Olympia
Musical Instruments to check out this wonderful instrument. This
is THE gurdy page, and links found here will take you everywhere you
need to go.
The Bard's Rest
An
attractive site dedicated to the medieval musician. If you don't have clue
about early music and would like to learn a bit, here's a good place to
start. One caveat: The site doesn't appear to have been updated
since 2003, so you'll find quite a few dead links.
Amazon.com
If you
want some music to get in the appropriate frame of mind, there's lots of
medieval and Renaissance music available through Amazon.com. A
good introduction is "Elizabeth's Music," by Dorian Recordings. If
you like lute, buy anything recorded by Paul
O'Dette.
and
finally....
Renaissance Forum
Still
haven't found what you're looking for? Try this site, where you
can post your question directly to RenFaire
aficionados.
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