Renaissance faires undergo their own Hollywood-inspired rebirth

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 15 September 2013 | 23.16

The horse manure cart and the Olde Englishspeaking pickle vendor sure make this look like a time warp back to ancient Europe. Stylish urban families in cool T-shirts might once have seemed out of place, but not these days.

"It's not a typical amusement park. You don't have to worry about the rides and the technology," says Steve Love, 37.

"Everything is oldfashioned. Swords, the little things we take for granted."

New York Renn Faire worker Jena Andres was perhaps the fairest maiden of the day in period costume.Rahav Segev

The Love family, upstate from The Bronx for the day, are recent converts to the Renaissance faire scene. They got into it about two years ago after Love's wife, Thynn, 33, became obsessed with the fantasy medieval role-playing game World of Warcraft, and then latched onto popular shows such as HBO's "Game of Thrones" and Starz channel's "The White Queen."

The Loves are not the hard-core fantasy nerds that have been associated with Renn faires over the years; they're part of the new breed of casual fans who have flocked to the 65-acre New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo Park, just an hour's drive outside the city, to take in ye olde games and entertainment, visit the local artisan shops hawking leather goods and ornaments, drink some mead and munch on the fan-favorite treat, the giant turkey leg.

"I could so see myself living in this time," says Love, an NYPD officer. "The only thing I wouldn't live without is toilet bowls. I couldn't treat poison ivy where the sun don't shine."

The faire is in its 36th year now, but has seen an uptick in attendance lately as fantasy and cosplay culture has jumped from insular Dungeons & Dragons circles to blockbuster movies like "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and shows like Syfy's new "Heroes of Cosplay."

As a sign of how things are changing, the perfume booth Luvume, which has been at the faire for four years, started selling a Daenerys Targaryen oil, named after the dragon queen from "Game of Thrones." It was an instant hit.

"People just see it out there and they're like, 'Oh, I want to smell like her,' " shop coowner Laura Chizzali says.

The event also attracted pirates like "Manhattan Anna" (from left), Chaney and Jane. Welcome aboard, mateys!Rahav Segev

The faire itself has broadened its appeal, too, offering special events such as time traveler day and steampunk day. The costume offerings have expanded from your usual maiden gowns and squire tunics to allaround geek culture, which included some Doctor Who costumes.

"Cosplay is huge," says Bobby Mazzeo, 33, of Suffolk County, LI, who chose time traveler day to dress as the pirate Jack Sparrow. "Comic Con and Renn Faire and things like that are getting bigger with all the different movies that are out, definitely."

Even longtime faire-goers have noticed the change, such as Bonnie Gauvin of Carmel, NY, who runs a costume rental shop with her son. Once Hollywood started embracing the culture, their shop went from a starter spot to full-on Renaissance conversion facility.

"How many places are there where an adult can come and dress up and go out and make a fool of themselves?" she says. "Adults need to play."

The New York Renaissance Faire runs Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; tickets are $22 for adults, $11 for kids under 12, and free for kids under 4. renfair.com/ny.

tdonnelly2@nypost.com


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