The tradition of Renaissance festivals started in the 60s, by a hippie teacher named Phillis Patterson. According to an interview, her purpose was to “not just give people another diversion and another place to spend their money, but to give them a chance to broaden their perspective about other times and places.”
The first time I went to the Renaissance Festival, I was absolutely amazed. It was like being transported to a different world, or at the very least, a very elaborate movie set. As a teenager who hadn’t traveled outside of my two home countries, this can perhaps count as one of my first “international travel” experiences. After all, why do people travel? It’s exactly as Phillis said, to broaden their perspective about other times and places. No one goes to a foreign country without learning a little bit of history, visiting a museum, taking a selfie in front of a monument. Even when you visit a place for its natural beauty, people will tell you what this place used to look like, and let you imagine how beautiful it must have been then.
So as silly it may be, I really like Renaissance festivals, or any other kind of local festivals that showcase something new, something different. Not everyone has the privilege to go somewhere else, so for those who can’t or won’t go too far beyond their borders, hopefully these events can still broaden their perspectives, and let them understand that different can be fun and interesting too.
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