How to Become Part of a Renaissance Faire

If you've always dreamed of joining a traveling band of Renaissance merchants, minstrels and performers, then become part of a Renaissance faire! You can travel the Renaissance faire circuit or simply be a part of your local faire.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Renaissance Outfits
• Fabrics
• Internet Access
• Computers

1. Invest some time and money in putting together one or two Renaissance-style outfits (see "Dress for a Renaissance Faire," under Related eHows). Many Web sites offer suitable costumes, and if you sew, you can look for Renaissance costume patterns on the Internet and at your local fabric store.
2. Attend a local Renaissance faire or two. Talk with the merchants, performers and other employees of the faire about their experiences. Get a realistic impression of what being part of a Renaissance faire is all about.
3. Search the Internet for Renaissance faire organizers. There are several throughout the United States. Here you will find a calendar of faire dates and employment information. Many organizers sponsor online bulletin boards that contain employment advice and help wanted ads from merchants and performance groups.
4. Contact large faire organizers well in advance of the local faire date. Potential performers may be expected to attend training sessions for the three or four weekends preceding the opening of the faire. After the training sessions, faire organizers will let you know whether you have been selected as a performer.
5. Be prepared to work for very little compensation ' or none at all! The competition for jobs at any Renaissance faire, especially those involving performance, is immense. For most if not all of the faire performers, compensation comes in the form of freebies and discounts.
6. Be prepared to give up weekends for at least two months to work at a large faire. The faire organizers depend on the reliability of their performers and employees. Remember that there are many others willing to take your place.
7. Look for paid employment as a faire employee. Jobs involving custodial, maintenance and gate work are available. Paid employment can also be found with one of the vendors or merchants attending the faire.
8. Know that permanent faire employment is difficult to obtain. Most faire employees and performers are drawn from the local population. If you want to travel the Renaissance circuit, join a performance group that travels with the faire or obtain permanent employment with a faire merchant.
9. Consider the seasonal nature of Renaissance faires. Although faires are held in the sunbelt during the fall and winter, most occur in the spring and summer months only, so year-round employment is not guaranteed.

Tips & Warnings

• Search the Internet under "Renaissance clothing," "Renaissance merchants" and "renaissance patterns" to find both instructional and retail information about costumes.
• Check with your faire's organizer about costume restrictions. Many faires reserve the more elaborate styles of costume for certain performers.
• Show up during the setup of your local Renaissance faire and ask about any available positions. Look for job postings at the gate.
• Check out Internet newsgroups such as www.deja.com/usenet/alt.fairs.renaissance and www.deja.com/usenet/alt.ren-faire for information on faire life and employment.