Do you have Renn Faires in your country?

4 comments

1. We call them _Middelaldermarkeder_, literally translated to something like “Medieval Markets” or “Markets of the Middle Ages,” and they are fairly common, with many towns and cities hosting their own. The largest being the market in Horsens, which has around 60.000 visitors, but other markets also attract audiences numbering in the thousands. Not only cities and towns host markets, many castles and open-air museums also host markets. Medieval markets in medieval castles, how middle aged can it be?

   Contrary to my impression of US Renaissance Fairs, fantasy elements here are usually frowned upon, and the costumes are meant to be highly accurate, many groups having academic historians and archaeologists among them, to ensure a certain level of accuracy. Renaissance Fairs in the US also seem way more commercial than living-history oriented, as is the norm in Denmark.

   I think they’re fun; I’m a historian and I like seeing people who really _dig_ history (is this what the youth says nowadays?) And sometimes they have impressive shows of tournaments and such.

2. We have reenactment groups, generally in areas were important battles took place or where their regiments were from. And a few historical villages with actors working there that school trips will visit.
   But I can’t think of anything like the american style renn faires.

3. We have Medieval week in [Visby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visby) on the island of Gotland each summer. Visby is a World Heritage site mainly due to the medieval wall around Oldtown. The theme is Fantasy so you can dress up as a Tolkien elf if you want. Link to their [Website](https://medeltidsveckan.se/en/medieval-week-2022-fantasy-theme/)

4. Yes and no. I think they are called Middle Age Fairs here but I don’t think (not 100% sure, though) if people attending them dress up as much as I have seen in US media. I think it’s more like the organizers and people presenting stuff might be in medieval attire but not so much the visiting crowd.

   Apart from that, Austria also has ‘Keltenfeste’ (Celtic fairs) but I think the same applies as above. Some people might dress up and have stands and present stuff like Celtic crafts but the majority of visitors would be in modern clothes.