A Time Travel Weekend: Steampunk and Medieval Faire

We dressed up in our steampunk attire and headed off early Saturday morning on a four-hour trip South to Mount Dora for the Renniger's Steampunk Industrial Show. Renniger's Antique Center and Flee Market is a fun place to explore any day, but it was especially fun when there were costumed steampunk people from all over the state (and even some from Tennessee) selling things and shopping.

The evening ended with a concert by Clockwork Knotwork and The Cog is Dead, followed by the steampunk invasion of the local Chili's restaurant.

We overwhelmed the the Chili's staff, as about 25 hungry steampunks invaded their restaurant without warning. We broke up into groups of 6 to make seating easier, but many people still had to wait awhile for an available table. It is amazing how much a single person's thoughtfulness can do for moral in a situation like this. R.J. Foster, of  Step in Tyme Designs, took it upon himself to play host and made the time go by much more quickly. He passed chips and salsa around the waiting room and told jokes, until we were called to our tables.

We spent the night in Tavares and returned to Renniger's briefly in the morning, then began our Northward journey. This was, also, the first weekend of the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, so we were able to break up our drive by stopping there after two hours on the road.

This was the first act we saw when we entered the faire:







This next trick was preceded by joke:
"Happiness is like wetting your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth."





Blaze's favorite part of the faire every year, is the living chessboard. What could be better than fish and chips while watching people beat each other up?



Two of my former students from Trilogy School were part of the living chessboard this year.










We also ran into some friends we hadn't seen in a long time.

The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire 2013

Yesterday, we drove down to Gainesville for the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire. The parking situation was much better this year, but there were long lines for tickets. Once inside the Faire, I think it was the most crowded I've ever seen it.



DH and I had both arranged to meet up with friends there, plus we ran into other people we knew. Blaze was especially excited about getting to see one of his best friends from Trilogy School again.



The boys' favorite thing was the Living Chessboard:











We also watched a mock battle preformed by armored knights.



I always enjoy watching the artisans at work and the various characters wandering around the faire.





























One of my biggest motivations to go to the faire every year, though, is the shopping.
Blaze came home with a bow and 3 arrows this year.



He really wanted this, but we couldn't afford it on this trip:



I came home with my annual bag of leather scraps, a fan box that fits on a belt, a leather box that fits on a belt (to hold my cellphone), and an octopus pin.

Hoggetowne Medieval Faire

It has been a very long day! It wasn't quite noon when we left the house this morning to go to the Hoggetown Medieval Faire, but getting in the year was a nightmare. It only takes about 20 minutes to drive to the fair grounds, where the faire is held, but then we had to sit in a long, barely moving, line of traffic for over an hour, just to park. After we parked, we had to stand in a long line to get on a shuttle bus that would take us to the main gate of the faire. There ended up being standing room only in the bus when we got on, so even somewhat poorly balanced Blaze had to stand up for the ride. It was almost 2 p.m. when we entered the main gate.

The line for the bus:


People heading for the back of the line:


Once we got inside we had fun.































Then, tired and footsore, we had to stand in another line, to get on a shuttle that would take us back to our car. The trip did go faster on the way back to the car and we did get to sit down, but the bus stalled three times before we made it to the parking lot.



I enjoy going to the Medieval Faire, mostly for the shopping opportunities, but if this parking problem isn't fixed before next year, we won't be going again. If we have to spend more than an hour in a car, we might as well wait until The Tampa Bay Ren. Festival, later this month, which is a bigger faire anyway.