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Shade...
Lots of shade! Think of an open grove of tall, healthy, mature trees covering several acres, with a gentle and cooling breeze wandering about.
That might seem a mundane and trivial detail, but on the hot Sunday in August when Ryleh visited the Michigan Renaissance Festival, temperatures were in the high 90's, the humidity was near 100%--and the cooling shade was a blessed relief from the scorching sun! True, there were broad, open areas--the Commons, the Tournament grounds and Vendors' Lane along North King's Boulevard, for instance--but the overall effect was of an Elfwood, an enchanted forest where the strange, the wonderful and the marvelous could happen 
(The not-so-wicked witch, left, was one of many fantastical characters encountered while strolling the grounds that day).
Considering MRF's "enchanted" setting, it was somehow appropriate that the Sunday of my visit should fall during the "Child's Fairy Tale Weekend"! Not only were there excellent costumes (The Dragon and his Maiden, below right, were photographed just inside the main gate immediately upon entering the Faire), but a large area immediately around the Petting Zoo between the Mystical Causeway and the Middle March was set aside as the Children's Dell. The sheer variety of activities offered therein was impressive. There were a multitude of games, activities and "Knighting Cermonies" to entertain, amuse and delight Fairegoing youngsters,
which also helped balance the more "adult-orientated" performances--such as the bellydancers, bawdy balladeers and (slightly) naughty comedy acts--with general "Family-centered" fare.
Altho a year has passed since Ryleh's visit, several memories remain bright and true...
Primus: there were the Body Puppets. True, Ryleh has seen numerous pictures and videos of Mardi Gras, for example, whereat the mummers dress in larger-than-life, full-body costumes for their parade through the streets. However, he had never seen one up close and personal in real life--much less a dozen at Faire! The Dragon was by far the most impressive, but there was also a "Duke" and "Duchess--perhaps of "Alice in Wonderland" fame--that were also excellent.
Secundus: there were the bagpipers--the "King's Mercenary Highlanders", I believe. After touring all the arts and crafts shops, it was high time to take a break--and Ryleh was both hungry and thirsty by that time. What better way to enjoy a brief repast than listening to pipers play some rousing Scottish airs???!? Both pipers were big, burly men who needed the lungpower to drive their pipes it seems, for after their set, a patron from the audience asked if she could try out the pipes.
She took a deep breath, blew into the bag until her face reddened while she squeezed the bag mightily--but produced only a single thin, wailing "Squeak!"...
Which suggests both that the Highland pipes are a considerably more formidable instrument to play--and that pipers are far more talented than they appear when they make it look so easy!
Tierce: there was a drum merchant hard by the Main Gate, on the left, who was both an outstanding salesman and showman. To demonstrate his wares, he would invite a patron into his booth, sit them down before a drum and have them beat out a simple rhythym. As they pounded away, he'd bring in a second, third and fourth patron, give them a drum and start them on an accompanying beat. Then he'd join this impromptu band himself, but improvise runs and flourishes to the ongoing drumming--sometimes straying wildly from the original rhythym but always somehow managing to come back to it in the end.
At one point in the afternoon, he had six other drummers in his booth, pounding away while he and two others improvised for almost ten minutes. It was, quite frankly, an awesome experience to hear! And it was great for his business: both times I watched them play, he sold a drum after each session--either to one of his "comandeered" patron-drummers or to a member of the crowd that gathered to listen to them!
Unfortunately, I had not even a full day but only hours to visit the Michigan Renaissance Festival that Sunday. If going to Faire for a full weekend gives you a mere "taste" of the character of that Faire, then spending a few hours at Faire might be likened to standing outside a bake shop as the ovens are opened, smelling all the delicious aromas--but never going inside!
Believe me, it was with considerable regret that I had to leave...
But, mayhap, Ryleh may return one day. MRF, so I'm told, is considered the "sister" Faire to the Bristol Renaissance Festival in some quarters. And indeed, for the shade, costumes and characters it does seem a fair match to BRF. If this be so, then, I shall return to give the Michigan Renaissance Festival all the time it truly deserves!
THE ROYAL PROGRESS at MRF, featuring nine views of the Noon parade--including photos of the Scottish pipers, the Indulgence vendor and the body puppets.
COSTUMES of MRF, offering six views of the more outstanding costumes at the Faire: knights, Vykings and "The Mudman" among others.
VIGNETTES of MRF: eight scenes of the jousting, vendors, Maypole Dance and other Faire entertainments held that day in Michigan.
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