Kathryn Sears
From mushroom fairies to friendly sorcerers giving guests of the event their fortunes, the first-ever Renaissance Faire hosted by the Tabletop Role-playing Gaming Club brought all the incredible elements from the Renaissance period.
The faire took place in Riverside City College’s quad on Dec. 3 and attracted visitors from all fandoms.
The history of the tradition called the Renaissance Faire goes all the way back to the 1960s and it started because of a high school English teacher named Phyllis Patterson who strove to promote theater and art to his local community.
Renaissance Faire offers guests an immersive experience through costumes, performances, and music from that time period from the 1300s to the 1500s. The practice has evolved from a simple backyard interactive event for the community to learn and appreciate the arts of the time period to a large festival that is now celebrated nationwide.
Guests could enjoy the local tavern’s freshly made lemonade. A tavern was a common staple for the medieval period in America, serving as a social hub where wine and other alcoholic beverages could be served to the public. This was just one of many themes from the time period that took place at the Renaissance Faire.
Leelou MacGregor, a student and attendee of the event expressed her appreciation for the event.
“The Renaissance Faire is highlighting a time in distant history when things were simpler but harder at the same time,” MacGregor said.
Many guests and vendors played into the mystical world that the faire invites participants by cosplaying classic folklore creatures. Dressing up in any attire that fits the Frosted Renaissance Faires theme was welcomed here, some varied from villagers to medieval elves.
“I am a mushroom fairy and a trickster and I make all my items by hand from the gummy bear earrings to the various chokers. Everything is handmade,” MacGregor said.
Erick Quinones, an attendee and member of the club commented on his cosplay.
“The event highlights the aspects of the club from fantasy parts to showing some community as well as some of the fantastical parts.”
As the festival was occurring, there were plenty of activities for the attendees of the event to enjoy, some being the classical tunes played by RCC’s music majors or the ability to purchase some handmade items such as plushies, art pieces, and stickers.
Savannah Woodruff, a vendor and student, highlighted her art business and overall appreciation for the work that the club put into hosting this event.
“I really like how the TTRPIG has gone out of their way to create all of this and put effort into finding the right people and vendors for the event,” said Woodruff, who expressed appreciation for the support of local small businesses.
“I really love how they are open to helping out new vendors like myself and I also loved that we didn’t have to pay for an entrance fee,” Woodruff added. “This overall helped save us money which gave us the ability to put more into our booths.”
The club members shared that they hope to create a tradition at RCC of hosting a Renaissance Faire on campus each year.
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