Grant Clement On Renaissance Festivals

We are excited to introduce a new series that showcases who we are beyond our roles at the School. "Off the Clock" takes a quick peek into the distinct hobbies, favorite local spots, and daily rituals of our faculty and staff. Grab a coffee, dive into our very first feature, and look out for a new profile in each issue this summer!

Origin Story: How did you get involved in Renaissance festivals?

I grew up reading books on medieval history, and one year, my mother gifted me a decorative wooden shield and a wooden sword she had gotten at a local festival. I was enamored with them and demanded to know what “magical” place she had gotten them from! Once I finally made it to the festival, it lived up to all the wonder that had been inspired in me. I’ve been going every year since around 2014, and it’s always a highlight!

The Hook: What makes your side quest so great?

Renaissance Festivals offer the chance to indulge in a few of my different interests: engaging with history, craftmaking, photography, wearing cool clothing, and being amongst other people passionate about these interests. It's great fun to design a “character” for myself to play over the years and to use various craft skills and historical research to make it happen!

Highlight: What is your best memory or a specific favorite moment?

A recent favorite moment came from last year’s festival, where I was finally able to acquire a specific style of sword (called a Rapier) I had been looking to get for many years. Michigan-based blacksmith Sabersmith created the sword as a custom showpiece for that year’s festival, and it was perfect. It was as if it had been pulled directly from my mind as far as what I wanted out of its design. I bought it and spent the next year designing a completely new pirate-themed outfit (a first for me) to match its style, and I am super excited to show them off together at this year’s festival!

The Payoff: How do these festivals enrich your life?

Renaissance festivals offer a regular summer activity to look forward to and plan things around during the rest of the year. My wife and I go together, so it’s a great shared bonding activity for the two of us. We do a lot of our outfit planning during the fall and winter months, and then we do any major crafting or preparation when things warm up in spring, so we can be ready for the summer. It also acts as a major social connection point, as we often attend multiple times during a season with various combinations of family and friends.

How to Start: If someone wanted to start today, what would you recommend their first step be?

The first and easiest step is to just attend a festival! We always go to the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly, Michigan; it’s a large and highly rated festival, so it’s a great place to try things out.

For those looking to dress up, I always recommend getting a basic piece of clothing to start an outfit, such as a ren-fest style shirt, or finding an accessory to use in their final costume, such as a crown (though you can never go wrong with a sword!). Be creative; many of the things my wife and I have used at the festival come from “normal” origins, such as reworking old clothes to give them a new purpose. My wife made her own shoulder armor out of inexpensive crafting supplies and got her leather carrying pouch at a hardware store.

Common Myth: What is one thing people usually get wrong about Renaissance festivals?

The most common thing I hear from people interested in going to a festival but haven’t yet, is that they feel pressured to dress in costume for the event. While that is certainly an enjoyable aspect, I encourage those with even the slightest interest at all to just find a festival and go! Don’t worry about dressing up, just have a good time and see if it’s something you want to make a habit out of. I didn’t dress up for the first several years of attendance. If you do want to dress up in the future, people watching at a ren fest is a great way to get outfit ideas!

Pro Tip: What is your best piece of advice?

Just keep an open mind and have fun with it! It can feel a little silly the first time you dress up, but the community is very supportive, so it’s very easy to relax and settle into the whimsy of it all.

Hope to see you this summer!