I am a fan of the Michigan Renaissance Festival. I love the vibes and the sensory immersion. For years now, the opening weekend theme has been Pirates and Pups. People roll out in some amazing costumes with their amazing pups. Let’s check it out! Scroll down for pictures or read on for a brief history of the Michigan Renaissance Festival.
Michigan Renaissance Festival History
The OG of Michigan Renaissance Festivals happened in 1979. The festival took place in Clarkston near the I-75 Dixie Highway crossing. In 1985, the festival moved to the Shire of Holly and has remained on this 100-acre property ever since.
I first attended the Michigan Renaissance Festival in 1990. My college friend said they needed people to work, and I had never been. I pictured dudes leaping around in tights. When I arrived, my jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe how big the festival was (and is). I sold children’s hats and fell in love with the festival.
OG Messing With The Crowd
Back in the early days of RenFest, life was different. If you asked someone in costume where the bathrooms were, they made a spectacle out of question. They would shout, “Excuse me! This way! Coming through! This person needs to use the privy!” By the way, bathrooms (outhouses) were called privies because only the rich got to use them. Everyone else had to go… well, I don’t know where the rest of the people went, but I’m sure it was horrible.
The old-school, Vegetable Vengeance would not have flown in today’s society. A man dressed as a jester sat in a stockade and threw insults at the crowd. People (some clearly ticked off) would pay money to throw tomatoes at the insulter. He was very good with insults and he was not a bit politically correct. Today it’s Tomato Torment. Now the jester, The OG Tomato Guy on YouTube reads the crowd and decides if they need a compliment or an insult… sometimes he even insults himself.
I hope you get a chance to head out this year! I love the festival. Something new-to-me this year was the statue lady. Check this out:
Michigan Renaissance Festival Photos
