Transcript for Flightless Bird: Renaissance Faire

I'm David Farrier in New Zealand to accidentally marooned in America, and I want to figure out what makes this country tick. Now, ever since we started this show about 80 episodes ago, I've had emails and DMs requesting one thing and one thing alone. I needed to go to a Renaissance Fair. So to cut to the chase, in this episode, I go to a Renaissance Fair. So get ready for a lot of this.

Every year, about 200 rain fares take place in the United States. Millions of visitors transporting themselves through space and time, usually to the rain of Queen Elizabeth during the 1500s. My history is so bad, I really hope that's the right time frame, I think it is. The whole idea of the Renaissance Fair started back in 1963 when English teacher Phyllis Patterson held an event for her students and her backyard. She wanted to bring history to life, to inspire them, to recreate and Elizabethan Fair. A few months later, her and her husband Ron put on a bigger one, hosting about 8,000 people, and a keep growing, and in 1966 the official Renaissance Pleasure Fair of Southern California was launched. And while looking into this, I was delighted to find out that that very same rain fair was still going today. And so there was obviously only one place I needed to go. So, grab a turkey leg and get ready to travel back in time. Because this is the Renaissance Fair episode.

Oh, God, Renee Sons Renaissance Renaissance is how I would say it. Actually, as I was listening back, I was thinking, is this right? Which is so often in these episodes with these words? I bet it's technically right. I'm just going to stick with Renaissance Fair, and we'll see what happens.

I am, you know? Monika is having a true nightmare day, and I didn't really want to sit here talking to myself, because that would be weird. It would be a monologue, wouldn't it? Are the monologue podcasts? Do they ever have those? There are.

It'll be weird, right? Yeah. So welcome on, how are you? I'm great. Do you have any thoughts on Rain Fair's? Have you been to one before?

You're right. So sort of medieval reenactors.

Yeah. And did you feel sort of any sort of magnetic pole to thinking, wow, I want to go and check that out, or you and your theater with your popcorn, just kind of looking on.

I'm just thinking when we did the Lord of the Rings episode, you were very quick to dress up as a hobbit. There was no team meetings. You just turned up as a hobbit. And so that made me think is there a side to you that is at every Renaissance fair you can possibly go to around America.

Yeah, so I mean, I feel like you should go to one of these at some point. I feel like Calvin would like it a lot. He'd like the atmosphere there. Yeah, he would probably enjoy it. Actually, there's a side note. When Calvin gave his review of Lord of the Rings, fellowship with the ring in the pies episode, people enjoyed it. What was the context? We're going to watch this thing. We're going to watch Lord of the Rings and then just tell me what you think. It was that simple.

Yeah, so that's just having a podcast producing father. He's just sort of like, seeped into him. The like and subscribe thing that he said at the end. Destroyed. Yeah. Right. Point being, I think both of you would love the idea of a ring fear. So obviously, I went along. So I'm just going to take you into my journey into the Renaissance fair. and just see if you feel your heart opening up.

Yeah, this is a slight problem I have. I was so confused about Reinfirs in general, which is apparently how you shorten it, you say Reinfirs. Is that one word or two? I don't even know. But anyway, when I heard about Renevis, I didn't know whether they were American, whether they were British, I had no clue. I just haven't taken notice of them, because I've got no interest in that era. I just, my brain has no interest in Game of Thrones. Oh, you don't even like those, I was like that. Just the aesthetic for whatever reason, all power to people that like it. But it just holds no appeal. So when I see an event where people seem to be dressed up, like they're in sort of the 1500s, or when was Game of Thrones? I mean, it's not real, it's a game of sex. It's a basic history story. I just have no interest in people in big fluffy collars and swords. I like sci-fi. I'm a sci-fi nerd and I just really struggle with that era. It doesn't grab me.

You don't want to be like swishing in layers of cloaks, nuts and everything. So what is it about the aesthetic that you like? Because I feel you don't like sci-fi. You love ancient history.

The more you're saying, the more I think Rhinfe is quite possibly the thing, Vela. Everything you're saying, I think you're in some state of denial. Yeah, it's possible. So I went to my first rain fair. This was a couple of weekends ago. I don't know if you'll notice in the documentary, but I feel I should say I was the most hangover are being in a really long time. Not because of Xia Sardering. I'm just old. I had five beers the night before. I woke up feeling like I wanted to die. And then when I took out of my car and drove an hour into like a really hot part of California where this rainforest held, and I just the entire time just so you know, I wanted to vomit and die. But I think I did really well. We'll see. It's about 1pm, and I'm about an hour out of Central LA, and I'm about to enter my first Renaissance fair. It's hard to describe how hot today is, and I'm already sweating, and I'm glad to be wearing sunscreen. Yeah, yeah, good, good. It's the first time I've been to something like that.

This particular homey was standing in line, surrounded by people who are all very excited.

I should point out that the people in front of me addressed as Toad Stools.

Phyllis, the teacher responsible for the existence of the rain fair, would be happy that I'm already learning.

After passing through a short security line, me and the mushroom and the fire ferry enter the fair. Stippings through the gates, I enter what I guess is a smaller Elizabethan village, complete with villages and stores, a spot of blacksmiths, some weavers and glass blowers, and a kitchen that claims to be cooking authentic Elizabethan recipes.

My guy this afternoon is Kristen, the senior managing producer or an a-son's entertainment productions, who runs the Renaissance Fair. After Phyllis Patterson came up with his whole concept over six decades ago, it's growing and growing, purchased by various other entities, until it ended up with Kristen and her company. Now it's bigger than it's ever been, held at the Santa Fe Dam, and while Coachella has two weekends, this thing has seven weekends.

And everyone here feels that everyone except me is completely in character and dressed up.

Is that a threat?

So I'm not dressed up. I mean, I've got clothes on my body, but they're just my normal clothes, not whatever it is that everyone else is wearing here. I'm in shorts, my t-shirt, and some purple crocs. I've got a few excuses for this, none of them that if you love Renaissance fairs that will stack up. Firstly, this is all new to me. I'm here to see what it's all about. If I love it next year, I'll come back, dressed up as a nice or bad or whatever. Also, this is a podcast. You can't see me. I could have edited all this out and you wouldn't know any better. Look, I'm just being honest, don't sue me.

Let's seem like a weird thing to say. Don't be afraid to talk to people. We'll come back to this. It seems like a very well-behaved crowd so far, to people come in here and get sort of boozed up or is it a very sober event?

Looking around, I can see she's right. Most people here are part from a few dickheads like me, are engaged in one of the biggest cosplays I've ever seen.

Apparently the theme of this weekend is Cottage Corps, something I hadn't heard of until now. According to Wikipedia, it's an aesthetic and design style that encourages adopting a simpler lifestyle. Its design characteristics include vintage and handcrafted items such as clothing, candles, furniture, and needlework. We pass through an area that's full of people gathered around tables, furiously working away on what seems to be armour,

I'm not a history buff, so I don't really know or honestly care that match about Elizabethan times, but I'd basically explain it by saying it's like I've stumbled into an interactive Shakespeare play that's going on all around me.

Okay, what is a may queen?

Suddenly I'm confronted by this woman in this giant colourful explosion of a dress. She's wearing a ton of makeup and has a very loud voice.

Okay, so this is what Kristen was looting to earlier.

She said that because most of the people dressed up here are in character and they're committed to the bed. Really committed.

Listening back to this audio, it's a lot. And I feel like you'll either be on board or you won't. You're cynical or you embrace it. All I'll add is that when you're there, surrounded by thousands of people and dress up, all taking part in the same narrative, it's this really unique immersive experience. And it's all feeding to the storyline that's going on today, which involves Queen Elizabeth going to watch a jousting match.

To be honest, I found it really hard to interact with people when they're all acting.

I think it's because I wasn't acting. I was just being me. And suddenly, being me, I felt really out of place. I was in the wrong century.

A lot of my day was just this, talking to people from 400 years ago. By the time I was introduced to Queen Elizabeth, I was a bit of a weird hot mess. It's like my brain couldn't figure out the context of how I was meant to conduct these interviews. So I knew I had the Queen in front of me, but I'd forgotten that we were meant to be in England. We are in the United States of America at the moment, and this is a podcast about America. What are you doing here in America at the moment? What brings you here?

But we are in England, so are we not? Indeed. But we are sending some of our finest sailors out to the new world. That perhaps they may form a colony in our name. I have been told they are to name it Virginia in our honor.

We talk for a while, me here in 2024 and her and the mid-1500s. And when I leave all the other royals who have been gathering around us, start yelling.

As I walk away, the queen gets up and is taken to a carriage, drawn by horses that are actually people posing as horses.

and we all hid to the joust.

Hip hip hip his are indeed. Now, Rob, can you just imagine being surrounded by people screaming and yelling hip hip his are as you want to vomit and your brain is just an utter agony from drinking too much alcohol tonight before?

Absolutely. We are introverted by default.

You get it. It was there. And once I realized what was happening, I didn't realize how committed. I kind of assumed that once I walked out to people and said, I'm doing this podcast. They'd sort of slip out of character and kind of tell me about the actual reality of the situation. But everyone was just so fun for it. And then I'm like, I don't really want to talk to someone pertaining to be the queen for 400 years ago. For the show, but then you can't help but sort of marvel at the fact everyone is committed to the bed. Right. Ben, it's like, how do I navigate that world as I walk around like an idiot in my purple crox? I mean, I was the idiot in this situation. Like, everyone else was doing the right thing except me.

But they're exactly it. So I'm nodding along to them, sort of going great, sweating a lot, and then just trying to think of questions that let them bounce off and do the acting thing.

I am self-conscious and I weirdly doing what I do. I don't like putting myself in front of a lot of people. But I think in this situation being dressed up would have been like a disguise and it would have made it fine. And I think you could see people there that weren't into it just going around slowly being kind of one over by the whole thing. You know?

There were thousands of people there. Were you the only one not in a costume? No, the great thing was there were a few people that weren't. It's not like to enter the doors of the rain fair you must be in costume. It was super relaxed. And this was pretty loose. I think some rain fairs go a bit harder and having to stick to Elizabethan times. Literally, yet mushrooms walking around. I saw it some Star Wars figures and stuff. It was just a big cosplay. So people just win as everything. And I went as myself. Is there anything in there that made you think, hey, this could be for me. This is me.

Yeah, and there's a whole storyline that plays out over the day. The other thing I didn't understand until I went there, these are actors that are into this. They're theater people. It's not random people. They've got people they employ to drag that audience in. And so you'll walk around and have these interactions with these people. I guess the closest I compare it to in America is when you go to universal Disney or something and you're walking around in Star Wars land and the stormtroopers lie in character. It's that.

Did you dress up with a little?

You just went along ahead some dough and something like that.

Yeah, I feel like churches are really good in America at Easter to putting on these interactive nativity displays or Christmas, I guess.

I want to do the one of the drive through ones. We just sit in the car and drive through as all the stuff happens around you. And I think they've got some drive through ones as well. God America just loves a show. Stay tuned for more Flightless Bird. We'll be right back after a word from Mal sponsors. Flightless Bird is brought to you by Helix Sleep. I've had my Helix mattress for about two years now and as someone who has an annoying back, this has been a real godsend.

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I like rules and boundaries, so I'd want to be told what to do. I'm like, you are this person, just say some of these lines. Your job is to go around filling in this part of the story. I'm not an improv guy. Like for me, the idea of going and character in improving is a true nightmare to me. People have nightmares about being buried alive, my nightmares being on stage at an improv show, having to improvise with actors. I'd want to die.

Yeah, that's the way to do it. Yeah. And that was my other mistake. I was there on my own, which is, I mean, any social interaction on your own can be quite rough. If I was there with 10 friends and we were all on board, then this would have been a whole different situation. And I still enjoyed it. It was just the hang of it was hard and the awkwardness was high. Yeah. And saying that, I did like the just. As I wanted towards the jast, I clocked how big this ren fair is. About 30 acres, my crocks are getting dusty. On my little trip I meet a bunch of people, all in character. A man dresses some kind of farmer, calls me over, bickening to the letters on my shirt.

Now yes, everyone is in character. And I guess this one is learning to read.

I also talked to the mayor, Lord Barnabas Bliss, the one yelling all those hip, hip his eyes earlier. I've seen a little bit of you today and you've always been yelling. You've got such a loud voice. And I'm just wondering how your voice, how you keep your voice throughout this whole weekend, a multiple weekend.

Eventually, we get to the joust. I managed to slip into the front row for a good view. It's my first joust, and I don't want to miss anything. At the end of the dusty jousting area, I see the queen and her royal court. The crowds divided in two on either side of the jousting fields. Fields, I don't know what you call the jousting area. We'll go with field. Anyway, we're introduced to the jousters. Max Million and Don Vinciento. each side of the crowd roots for a different night. My side's rooting for Maximilian, who the other side booze. Something in this tap sent to the competitive nature of the American psyche, and everyone is just incredibly on board. I find myself incredibly on board.

I turned to the person behind me. She's tiny and really excited. I'm not sure how to make conversation to the joust, but I do my best. They're big horses.

They are. I think you've got to be handsome to be a knight, right?

The girl's name's Jordan. She loves rain fears and hits her first time at this rain fair. She's made a big trip to be here with her boyfriend.

And for half an hour, Jordan and I enjoy some Renaissance culture. The night's joust, and the crowd gets loud. Unfortunately for our side, now, Justin McSmillian loses quite badly. I see him up towards where he's still in character, of course, and flirting with the audience, who, like Jordan, noticed how handsome he was.

While we talked, Maximilian mentioned his daughter was also out there involved in the jailst. I wasn't sure if this was in character or out of character, so I raised it with Kristen.

My day here is coming to an end. As I'm leaving the joust, I've bump into a couple of my friends, Karen and Brian. It's not really a surprise they hear as they love this kind of thing. I wonder what they made of the joust compared to other rain fears around the United States.

Oh my god, I can only imagine.

What's the best thing you've seen so far today?

I leave Brian and Karen to go and eat a turkey leg, which for the record I didn't get as I'm attempting to be a vegetarian at the moment. All in all, I'm just so impressed by the scale of this thing. People make a big song and dance about Coachella being two weekends. You're more than two weekends. How many weekends? We're seven weekends here. How do you maintain that? Because I would assume people would come on one weekend and they'd be done. The so many weekends, how is that possible?

It is fresh, but I'm dirty. My crops are full of dirt and dust and sweat, and I've got sunscreen in my eyes. Oh my God, how do I get out of here? I can't find the exit. The last person I talked to as I leave actually looks like they're going to go challa, maybe Coachella 30 or 40 years ago. I'm not sure if they're in cosplay or this is just them, but they're clearly rock fans. These are my people.

As they in the sea talk about Joe Travers, the man who had my mouth, I slipped away, got to my car and drove back to the big city. Earlier that day, I'd posted a photo on my Instagram, me with Queen Elizabeth. I looked at their applies in the shock to see Mara Wilson had replied. Mara is American royalty. She paid Matilda in the rolled-out movie, Matilda. And I read her comment about me being at my first rain fair. To David. Is this not a thing in New Zealand or just not your thing? Anyway, it's very fun to have a thousand years of history condensed into cosplay, turkey legs, getting day drank, and probably also heat exhaustion. I think I got at least one of those things. See if that was my journey into a hangover in fear. I got some questions. And that, please, hit me. The jousting. They had real horses. Yeah, they did. They were real horses. So I really, as I listen back to my documentary, I really don't think I set the scene as well as I needed to. Real horses, big horses.

Absolutely. Were they getting each other or were like, they were, yeah, they had targets. So they weren't knocking each other off the horses, but they had targets on their armor that the jails to head to head off. He's like wooden jails, so wasn't like they were going to murder each other. That would have been amazing. But the jusses are incredible at jousting. Their aim is amazing. They're like, got these big jussings six and they're literally hitting these tiny targets. And also, I would say the whole thing has scripted out. So I think they know what side is going to win, what's going to lose. Because they riled the two sides of the audience up so much and you're so on board. And it was kind of remarkable to see. It's just that purely from the announcer and then the night's playing to the crowd on either side. You know about medieval times, right? I'm glad you bought this up because this is clearly somewhere I need to go.

I know about medieval times. I need to go to medieval times.

This is from I know the green table guy table guy. I made a big and is this a chain or is it one place?

The sounds amazing. This is obviously an episode we need to do. So it's basically the joust, but just the joust from the rain fair and this food.

Yeah. Yeah. It's been a while, but yes.

So America loves jousting. It's the National Sport of Maryland, Maryland. We're at the right state that they said Brian is a bit of a funny man. So he might have been polymeric, but America does seem to love jousting. I mean, you just see it medieval times as a whole thing. Yeah, every rain fair has jousting as like a central thing. It seemed attaining to watch.

The other thing that's so unusual, you know, this is a show we're making about America. The Reinfir is so American. It's not based in America. It's all based on the founders of America, which I just find so weird that America is like, this is our thing and we're all in. Because I feel so much of the time, and I might be wrong on this, but America is not thinking of its roots at all. It's like, we're American. This is what we do. And where is the Reinfir? It's just that polar opposite. It's like, no, this is a throw out. That's what I'm doing for an England, you know?

Okay, so back in New Zealand, I went to journalism school and then I graduated and I started working part-time in a TV newsroom. And the very first story I ever put to air, which should be so long as I am minute and a half story, it was a tiny, sort of thing, to me so long to make. I did it about live action role players or lapis. My whole thing back then, you know, I wanted to bring subcoaches to mainstream New Zealand TV. So I wasn't a laper, but I knew about this world. And I am just fascinated by that culture. The idea that you just want to fully commit to escaping the real world, you all on board with whatever the rules are of that lap. I could very easily, I think, if I made a few different life decisions, be a lapper. If I had enough friends doing it, I think I could get into it.

Do you want to come to the castle? The horse has got out.

I don't want to do that.

Oh, that's so funny. Because you'd think that night's the thing that everyone's desperately wanting to do.

The nights that I watched were clearly love the attention. They were soaking it up. And I guess that's the whole thing. And his daughter's in there, his sons are in there. It is this family affair. So this guy, and he wouldn't drop characters. I couldn't really find out that much from him. So annoying. But he just travels round green fears being a night. And that says job. I mean, it's the unique thing to do. I mean, that's a cool job to have. kind of amazing. I mean, very accurate. I didn't want to see them knocking each other off.

So it's sparks like I need to do this. I did actually bring up medieval times during my interview with the organisers and she did bristle a little bit. I think that's to them lower tier. They're putting on this interactive environment over seven weekends.

I think in general, I think they like to be. This one is definitely a bit loose. But this is literally the biggest one in America and it's the longest running one because it was literally founded from the first one. Do you think you'll go back? If I could find a group of friends to go back with and you're more than welcome to be included in that group, I would go. I think that's key. I think my advice, where sunscreen dress up, go with friends and just be prepared to lose yourself in it. If you go in with any kind of cynicism, it's going to just be a miserable time. So just get in and then you'll have a good time. Well, let's call up Mara Wilson and she would be a great person to go with. That would be incredible. I guess that's me. You Calvin, Mara Wilson, maybe your friend from Medieval Times.

John, John can come in from Chicago. I'm very into this. And I figured just get out the little hobbit out that you had, little Frodo. I mean, it's still in the corner here. Oh, shite, jonesing to get it on. Yeah. The one thing I would mention, there is a, I think it's a three-part series called Renthier. And it's made by this incredible director who's made this other film called Spuram World about sperm donors. And he has, I believe it's based on a Renthier in New York. And it's something to with maybe one of the nights retiring. Mm-hmm. and his documentaries are so surreal and so incredible. I think if you want a deep dive into Renfeers, literally watch Renfeer, I think it's a three-parter, might be on Hulu or maybe HBO, just Google it. I'll try to come out.

I wondered, I mean, she didn't mention there's an adult's area as part of the rain fair, but it's not like they've got some porn zone or anything. It's just, I think it's just some like bands and stuff play that lie on, good for kids.

Oh, I love this comparison because you're right. There are two hyperchage environments where you're all there for the same reason and you're all dressed up and you're all in character.

No, I don't. This one that I went to is definitely, it was so funny. There was no hoinness in the air.

Or can be I guess? The costumes are all amazing. Yeah. They are amazing. That may Queen, she was just a absolute maniac who you could not stare at because her outfit was so amazing. But I think for me, zero-horroriness, I mean, jugglers is kind of tied up though with just drinking and drugs in a certain lifestyle. I think it's a very great comparison. Right! I think I would probably prefer to go to a gathering of the jugglers, just because you wouldn't have to be in character. Just wouldn't be sort of talking to people pretending they were 400 years old.

I just think I just want to go something much hornea, basically. I want to go and do a horny gathering. Yeah, I would recommend the Renfe out, give it a 7 out of 10. If you go with friends and in character, it's a strong, I'd give it a 10 out of 10.

We can, uh... This is a wonderful, more weeks. And as I have friends that go, and it is the highlight of the, uh, they absolutely love it. They just hand themselves over to it with zero cynicism, and they have a great time. Yeah, and they were an amazing, I mean, they were very fun to work with. They sort of made me at the gate and took me through and sort of guided me through this world. They didn't give me shit for not being dressed up. And weirdly, being surrounded by Elizabethan people, I found more American, which is super weird. Oh, that's the goal. That's the goal. See you next year. You and me. Let's do it.

All right. Bye.