00:00Welcome to Holly Grove. I'm Donnell Flynn for Rock and Road Trips at the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly.
00:05This Michigan tradition started back in 1979 in the village of Clarkston.
00:09About 11,000 people showed up over five weekends.
00:12A few years later, the RenFest got its permanent home on Dixie Highway in Holly.
00:16The Michigan Renaissance Festival has grown into a massive annual tradition
00:20with a 16th century village filled with performers, food, shops, and some seriously committed costumes.
00:27There are more than 150 artisans, musicians, magicians, comedy shows, and of course, the full-contact armored joust.
00:34Every weekend gets its own theme, from pirates and pups to Viking invasion to sweet endings.
00:39The festival runs for seven weekends plus Labor Day.
00:42Grab a turkey leg, raise a glass, and don't worry if you don't own a corset or chain mail.
00:47Costumes are encouraged, but certainly not required.
00:50Side note, the bathroom facilities in 16th century England were referred to as the privy
00:55because only the privileged people had access to any kind of bathroom.
01:00Everyone else had to figure it out.
01:01The first festival happened nearly 50 years ago.
01:05The festival has grown exponentially in size and numbers.
01:08Today, roughly a quarter of a million people make the trip every year.
01:13I've been attending the Michigan Renaissance Festival since the early 90s,
01:16and I love that they have awesome entertainment for the kids.
01:19The kids' realm is huge and magical, and every year it gets even better.
01:23There are fair gores with those little knights and princesses in tow.
01:26You're going to find plenty designed just for the kids.
01:29The kids' realm has puppet shows, fairy tales and tea, children's costumes,
01:34a pie-eating contest, a night ceremony,
01:36and kids can make their own magic wands in the Wizard Wand Workshop.
01:41Outside the kids' realm, the kids can also catch live shows,
01:44watch armored knights joust, try Renaissance games,
01:47or get a face painting or a henna tattoo.
01:50Fun fact, kids four and under get into the festival for free.
01:52One of my favorite things about the Renaissance Festival
01:55is the potential to get messed with.
01:57You can arrest your friends and family members
01:59or get insulted by a jester,
02:00and you can pay to throw tomatoes at them
02:02if it's your first time at the Renaissance Festival.
02:05Don't let Mother Superior know.
02:07Then you've got sword-fighting, comedy, belly dancers,
02:09the washing well wenches,
02:11who have been washing your dirty laundry since the early 90s.
02:14I love these ladies.
02:15La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
02:17You sing la-la because the lyrics are naughty.
02:19Right?
02:19Use your imagination.
02:21I'll tell you when you're over.
02:22All right.
02:23Dirty laundry show.
02:24Twelve, two, and four.
02:25Uh-huh.
02:26Whatever's convenient for you, we're going to be there.
02:28We're always at the tub or the pub.
02:30The joust, always a good time.
02:32The joust is the real deal, too.
02:33Full contact as you cheer on your favorite knight,
02:35or maybe you cheer on his horse, Gilbert.
02:39Live music is everywhere.
02:40Everywhere, Celtic, Irish, traditional,
02:42and some things that are considerably harder to describe.
02:45Feeling thirsty?
02:46There's a pub crawl.
02:47King's Happy Hour.
02:48And new this year, Hydrant's Hall,
02:50a Viking-inspired hall built around mead tasting.
02:53Or go all in with the Feast of Fantasy,
02:55where dinner comes with entertainment.
02:58You can see why I love it.
02:59For Rockin' Road Trips,
03:00we're live at the Michigan Renaissance Festival
03:02with 94.7 WCSX.
03:05The weird, the wild, the wonderful.
03:07Rockin' Road Trips with 94.7 WCSX.
03:12This Rockin' Road Trips is brought to you by Faygo.
03:14This summer, when you're looking for zero sugar,
03:16go with the flavor.
03:16Go with Faygo Zero Sugar.
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