Tomorrow we're off to the Silverleaf Renaissance Faire, which is a really great fest, and my favorite outside of Bristol Faire in Kenosha/Racine. I ran out to the thrift store last night and got a bunch of fun little accoutrements for my outfit: leather belt, wooden cup, paper fan, and a new basket which I've already packed with Sarkozy bread and cheese and apples for our lunch. Overnight, my amazing neighbor Katya whipped me up a magnificent long blue skirt out of scrap fabric, and she and her husband Stephen are going to be joining us in full pirate regalia. Tish and Thew are also coming out, and it promises to be a whole lot of fun. I'm looking forward to getting another year's worth of incense from my favorite incense-seller, and seeing the Raptor show, Ric Rock (a street performer who's actually good) and the amazing Bellydance troupe again -- maybe this time we'll get to see them do live fire...
Yes, renfaires are hokey. They're goofy and silly and we all look like dopes when we go. But dang, they're fun, especially when the performers are really good, and you don't have to wait in line for food because you were smart enough to bring your own, there's no advertising (no commercial food or drink of any kind, for that matter: no Pepsi or Budweiser, only homebrew rootbeer and mead!) and you have a pack of good friends around you -- friends who aren't embarrassed to get into the spirit of things. Plus, this weekend's the big jousting tourney, which should be a great chance to photograph.
Yay, Fest!