From sword swallowing to glass blowing, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival, or “Ren Fest,” is home to all things ye olde.
Located in Hammond and running through several weekends in November and December, Ren Fest forgoes historical accuracy to offer a sense of fantastical realism, characterized by a new theme every weekend like Romance & Masquerade and Pirates.
Each weekend, event goers dress up in historical outfits to fit that weekend’s theme. The theme Nov. 11-12 was vikings, so participants adorned giant axes, kilts, face paint and fake pelts.
“My great grandma is actually from Iceland, so it is more of a traditional thing for me,” said festival goer Jules Dautel when asked about their outfit.
READ MORE: Upcoming annual White Light Night Art Hop and market to brighten all of midtown this Friday
Once an attendee enters Ren Fest, set in the fictional village of “Albright,” they are immersed in a different world lined with wooden shops housing a variety of handmade items and food set alongside stages where performers will put on theatrical shows or demonstrate historical skills.
“Why do I work here? Oh my gosh, it’s the best crowds, the most enthusiastic, most interactive crowds, and it’s a great place to showcase my dogs,” said performer Carolyn Rice.
Rice hosts the “Puppies of Penzance,” a comedy-themed dog show put on by her and her dogs with the added goal of inspiring dog owners to train their own dogs.
“They love to practice everyday, for them that’s the fun. It’s work for us, but fun for them,” Rice said. “Dogs make the world great!”
“Puppies of Penzance” is one of the many shows at Ren Fest, occupying one of the 12 main stages that rotate performances throughout the day in quick succession.
Performances include Jack Ze Whipper, a bullwhip comedian, Cy the sword swallower, who is a professional sword swallower, and Haller Glassblowing, where Mark Haller walks his viewers through the art of glassblowing.
“I love to watch the joust. It’s one of my favorites. I grew up on King Arthur so I love it,” said festival goer Karen Williams on her favorite performance.
Away from the stages, Ren Fest is home to a multitude of merchants selling to more than 65,000 people annually that “offer our patrons uncommon products and services that complement our theme,” according to the festival’s website.
To become a merchant at Ren Fest, a prospective artisan must fill out an application that explains what the artist makes, how much of it is their own product and if they are reselling another artisan’s items. Then a jury reviews the application and can approve specific items to sell at Ren Fest. New merchants can rent out a space in the guest artist pavilion and in the future purchase or build their own structures at Ren Fest. Pop-up shops are not allowed because they don’t fit into the Renaissance theme.
The result of the unique application process is an extremely unique showcase of different styles of architecture all tied into the Renaissance theme selling wizard wands, ocarinas, gaming dice, swords, plant hangers, puppets and gothic voodoo dolls, all handmade. Clothing is also popular; if someone isn’t already wearing a costume then there’s no better way to get into the Renaissance mood than to make an outfit from the array of clothing items available at the festival.
Another reason people come to Ren Fest is the food, which offers era-appropriate items like turkey legs or regional staples like jambalaya. One merchant even carries a wooden cart selling cheesecake on a stick dipped in chocolate.
Some dedicated participants choose to purchase camping tickets and spend their weekends outside of the festival in tents, camper vans or their own vehicles, allowing festival goers to further immerse themselves in the festival. It also allows people to drink alcohol during the event.
Over the years, Ren Fest has fostered a dedicated community.
Bobby Wadzeck, a retired Navy veteran and LSU Alexandria alumnus, creates his own leather armor for Ren Fest with Celtic artwork.
“Every leatherworker that I met there today was super nice and shared tips and ideas and let me look at all their stuff knowing I wasn’t going to buy it and that I was going to make it,” Wadzeck said.
Festival goers enjoy the welcoming atmosphere.
“I love getting to dress up and wear crazy makeup. It’s just a nice experience. Everyone’s accepted and there’s a lot of stuff that they do,” said painting and drawing senior Audrey McLellan.
The festival concludes on Dec. 10, with the remaining themes being Celtic, Myths & Magic, Pirate and Fireworks Finale.
Two knights joust Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival in Hammond, La.
