Bristol Renaissance Faire Braced for Steampunk Invasion This Weekend

Polish your goggles and grab your gears.   It's time for the annual Steampunk weekend at Ren Faire July 21 & 22!   Check out ChiIL Mama's coverage from last year's Steampunk Invasion by clicking the link right here.
Steampunk Weekend 2011-Photo Filled Recap

Steampunk Invasion - July 21 and 22, 2012. 
Where do steam, gears and inventions ahead of their time fit in to the
Renaissance? Just ask any apprentice of Leonardo DaVinci and you’ll see
how the consummate Renaissance man paved the way for this
outside-the-box invasion.

Absinthe Cocktail Bar (July 21 & 22)

Explore the delicious art of sublimation with six exclusive Absinthe cocktails
this weekend only. The bar will be moving to shadier grounds this
year. Stay tuned for the final location!

Steampunk Promenade Contest - Saturday July 21, 2012 - Globe Stage - 5:30pm

All the aetherometers point to a glorious stroll this Saturday. Polish
your combobulator pistol and tighten your high-altitude airship
goggles. Whether you're the legionnaire, the engineer or the clockwork
servant, we're looking for the best man, woman and couple to win prizes
in gold coin.  Cheerio!

The "Fantasy Facial Hair" Contest - Sunday July 22, 2012 - Globe Stage - 5:30pm

You are not too lazy to shave. You are preparing for Bristol's manliest
competition to date. Bristol invites men (and ladies!) everywhere to
join us for our fantasy facial hair competition to win prizes, the
adoration of the women and the envy of the men.

How to Enter:

It is FREE to enter the competition. Come to the Globe Stage
at 5:30pm. Entrants will be invited on stage by category. Each entrant will
have a brief moment to take center stage and showcase their "hair". A
winner will be chosen from each category by our panel of judges. All 6
champions will receive a prize worthy of their dedication to the contest.

Rules: You may only enter one category.

Categories:

Best Fake (This is the only category where
synthetic hair is accepted. All other categories are for naturally grown facial
hair.)

Best Shaped / Waxed

Vividly Colored

Ultimate Adorned

Full Beard Freestyle (aka Beard Topiaries)

International Historical (see graphic below for qualifying styles)

Check out Steampunk Chicago right here, for more steampunk events, fashion, music, books, film and fun!!   Here at ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows we've thoroughly enjoyed shooting a ton of photos and videos at steampunk shows like steampunk burlesque extravaganza, Carnivale Delirium at Reggie's Rock Club here.   




Check out these photos from Steampunk Thursdays that ran briefly at Elate and have now turned into a jazz night.

We've still got lots more to come.   Check back here like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often, for more steampunkery fun. 

  

Play Locally: Beauty and The Beast, Gruesome Playground Injuries, West Fest, Ren Faire and More

This morning we caught the opening of the stunningly spectacular production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast at Chicago Shakespeare.   We'd seen the Broadway version, so our expectations were high, and we were not disappointed.   We'll have a photo filled full review up soon.




The next two days West Fest is going down.    Temps are finally a high of 88 and going down to a high of 81 Sunday, which feels downright spring like after 100+ heat index all week.   So venture outta the air conditioning and see some fun bands, theater, or Ren Faire Fun.   




We'll bring you our photo filled adventures from Bristol Renaissance Faire after Sunday.   Check out our recent Ren Fair coverage & details here.




Click this link for free 12 & under kids' admission and a printable coupon for $4.95 off for adults for opening weekend, along with announcements of new acts.








Opening Tonight:

Tonight we're super stoked to be going to the opening of Gruesome Playground Injuries at The Chopin Theatre!

In Rajiv Joseph’s masterful play, an accident prone dare devil and a corrosive masochist navigate friendship, love and the squishy parts that lie in between. 8-year-olds Doug and Kayleen meet in a school nurse’s office, beginning a lifelong intimacy which is revealed through the physical and emotional injuries they sustain over 30 years. Gruesome Playground Injuries tells a different kind of love story through sharp humor and even sharper insights into the human condition.

Our full review will be up shortly.

West Fest

West Fest 2012 Saturday & Sunday, July 7th & 8th 12-10pm on Chicago Avenue between Damen and Wood There is something for everyone at West Fest, the Chicago street fair that reflects the eclectic persona of its West Town environs. Held annually on Chicago Avenue at Damen, the two-day party features live cutting edge music on 3 stages! The main stage is booked by Empty Bottle Presents, then there is a DJ Stage, and a Kid Fest Stage. There are Kid Fest activities and entertainment, PUPFest with pet product vendors and dog activities for charity, plus a multitude of booths from popular neighborhood restaurants, retailers, and artists. The Music The biggest difference between West Fest and other cookie-cutter Chicago street festivals is the high quality live music. West Fest is all about up and coming local and national artists playing original live music. West Fest also features a DJ stage, one of the first at a Chicago street fest since it's inception in 2004. The main stage is booked by the renowned local venue Empty Bottle Presents. Click here for the complete 2012 live music line up. **We highly recommend checking out He's My Brother She's My Sister today at 4pm!   They were amazing at Empty Bottle a few months back and we'll have loads of live video footage and show still for you soon.   They're fronted by a talented actual brother/ sister duo and have a rockin' girl drummer who tap dances on one drum while wailing on the rest.   Amazing! The Activities Kid Fest (on Wolcott & Rice): Join us for the 8th annual Kid Fest held in conjunction with West Fest July 7th & 8th from Noon to 10pm - located on Wolcott Ave between Chicago Ave and Rice. A jammed packed two-day family fun event. This year Kid Fest will feature the usual pony rides and face painting for the little ones, plus will also focus on arts and music programming for those hard to please tweens and teens. Older kids and all ages will enjoy the programming by The Opus Institute  with live music, arts lessons, B-Boy Battle and music workshops presented by The Opus Institute, Maestro Chroma, Ground Lift Media and Chicago Tribe.  Live art demonstrations by Czr Prz, Des One, Daze, Celr, Fel 3000, Sintex, Rift, Cero, Revise, CMW and more... Click here for complete Kid Fest stage line up.  PUP Fest: Each year West Fest features another large ‘fest within a fest’ dedicated exclusively to pet product vendors, canine bathing pools, and plenty of pet activities for charity hosted by West Town's own Doggy Style Pet Shop and Green Dog Inc. With a $5 donation, dogs who attend can participate in a variety of activities at no additional charge - including an agility course, an additional obstacle course fun area (with mud pit!), dog "tattooing", face painting and paw painting, paw cooling stations, raffles and spin-the-wheel prizes. With a $15 donation dogs can participate in the above activities PLUS the Suds For Strays Charity Dog Wash. After getting all messy in the mud pit (but prior to getting tattooed), volunteers from the 5 rescues will be washing dogs all day.  Each dog that gets washed will also receive a gift bag containing freebies and coupons. ALL PUPfest proceeds benefit these 5 pet rescues and charities: Alive Rescue, One Tail At A Time, Treehouse Humane Society, Friends of Animal Care and Control, and Leaving Tracks. $5 donation requested for admittance to West Fest offsets the costs of the event and benefits local non-profits providing services for the immediate neighborhood. This year the gate proceeds will benefit the West Town Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit providing programs and services for West Town businesses; and also a new benefactor brought in by The Opus Institute for their part in organizing Kid Fest, and the Magi Cultural Arts Center, a community and culturally-based art center which empowers individuals with the entrepreneurial spirit to reinvest into their community.

Kids Free This Weekend at Ren Faire & New Acts Announced

*Click here for a printable coupon for adult discount tickets.   Kids 12 and under are free this weekend and kids under 5 are free all season.

Join us as we kick off the 25th Celebration!
Save $4.95 off each Adult Admission and All kids 12 & younger are free!  (July 7 & 8, 2012 only. Coupon must be presented at Box Office.) 

Bigger, bolder and more boisterous than ever, this summer’s 25th annual Bristol Renaissance Faire promises patrons an unparalleled celebration, filled with all the first-rate revelry Faire-goers have come to expect over the past two-and-a-half decades and a queen’s ransom of special surprises. More than 200,000 visitors are expected to attend Bristol’s special anniversary celebration, which begins July 7 and runs for nine weekends through Labor Day, Sept. 3. 

“We’re going to party like it’s 1599,” said Linda McFeters, producer of the Bristol Renaissance Faire, promising streets brimming with a commedia del arte kaleidoscope of frolicking fools and masquerading merrymakers who will sweep patrons into a world far removed from the stresses of the 21st Century. 

  

Sagezilla rocks the Steampunk Invasion weekend at Ren Faire 2011



Complementing a perennially popular array of jousting knights, swashbuckling swordsmen, mud beggars, rope-walkers, period dancers and musicians, the season will be one of the most extensive line-ups of special entertainment the Faire has ever assembled, including limited-engagement appearances by many of the most sought-after performing groups on the national Renaissance fair circuit. Travelling to Bristol for the first time this summer will be the explosively-entertaining steampunk bagpipe group, Klaxton, and juggling juggernaut London Broil. Also announced, the all-female Seelie Players will lure audiences with their debut of “Sirena: From Down Below We Sing,” an original musical tribute to the Sirens of Greek legend, featuring tribal drums and staffs, lithe dancing and all-new music.

Among favorite guest headliners returning to Bristol on select weekends to help celebrate the Faire’s 25th anniversary are Doktor Kaboom, with his side-splittingly funny scientific diversions, Celtic rock phenomenon Tartanic, and the Clan Tynker family circus, an enchanting cacophony of music, juggling, magic, sword-swallowing, fire-eating and dangerous stunts. Also returning this summer is a performer who literally turned heads during her 2011 debut, aerialist Lauren Murray, who suspends herself from the treetops above the Faire in a graceful and gravity-defying silk act.

For 25 years, the Bristol Renaissance Faire has been captivating visitors with an incomparable spectrum of experiences, from unabashed revelry to first rate people-watching.  For those who want to check their inhibitions at the gate, there’s ample opportunity to whoop and holler at jousting knights, get down and dirty with raucous, earth-clad mud beggars, or hurl a ripe tomato at a blustering braggart.  Those inclined toward more serene pursuits will find a comparable bounty of enjoyments, from watching glass-blowers create one-of-a-kind works of art, to joining in a round of 16th Century court dancing, or listening to the dulcet tones of world-class minstrels.

Among the most popular attractions at the Faire for the past four seasons, Bristol’s live action fantasy-play game, RenQuest, will return this summer with an entirely new storyline. RenQuest brings the worldwide phenomenon of multiplayer online role-playing games, like World of Warcraft, into the live action dimension of the Renaissance faire,  creating an interactive theatrical experience that offers gamers an unprecedented opportunity to test their mental and physical skills beyond the realm of their computer screens.

For the Faire’s youngest patrons (a.k.a. “nipperkins”), Kids Quests provide two daily opportunities to embark on their own, age-appropriate adventures. Kids Quests set out from the vicinity of Bristol’s Kids Kingdom, an enclosed play area filled with oversized sand boxes, a huge climb-aboard pirate ship, and an entertaining cast of Renaissance fairytale characters presiding over interactive games, crafts and other child-friendly activities. 

Festivities at the Faire take their framework from the summer day in 1574 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth visited the English hamlet of Bristol. Queen Elizabeth and other historically based characters are juxtaposed with fictional scenarios, such as the popular street-fighting escapades of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Faire streets are lined with game and ride areas, food vendors offering a palate-pleasing array of epicurean delights, and merchants selling everything from sterling silver jewelry to rare-edition books and hand-caned brooms. Strolling minstrels, jesters and other era characters mingle with faire-goers, many of whom come dressed in their own period costumes. 

Located on 30 wooded acres, just west of I-94’s Russell Road exit, near Kenosha, Wis., the Bristol 

Renaissance Faire will be open rain or shine, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., every Saturday and Sunday, July 7 through Sep. 2, and on Labor Day Monday, Sep. 3. Tickets are $19.95 for adults and $9.50 for children. Advance ticket discounts are available at renfair.com or (847) 395-7773.

Time Travel to Another Century-Ren Faire Opens This Weekend!

photo credit-Bristol Renaissance Faire

What's a quarter of a century old and centuries ago?   Time travel back like Dr. Who and steam punks do....to party like it's 1599.

It's 1 day...19 hours...20 minutes till the gates open for Ren Faire 2012!

Bristol Renaissance Faire has been an annual fav of ours for nearly 20 years.   We can't wait to do it again this weekend when Ren Faire opens for their 25th summer!   ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows will be there Sunday and we'll have a photo and video filled recap for you.    Check out a few links to some of our favorite past coverage here:

Steampunk Day 2011 at Ren Faire

Huzzah-2011 Photo Filled Adventures

Play Locally-Bristol Ren Faire Opens 2011


Lost:   Ren Faire 2010

Faire Weather Friends-2009

Now That's a Hat

Ren Fair Photo Filled Feature 2008 

Ren Fair Redux 2008

FAIRE FACTS

◆ WHO: More than 1,200 period artisans and performers including jousting knights, juggling jesters, willful wenches and a newly arrived cast of street-performing fools presiding over revelry of epic proportions.

◆ WHAT: A rollicking romp through Elizabethan England, complete with 16th century games, rides, arts, crafts, food, music and dance, recreating the summer day in 1574 when Queen Elizabeth visited the English hamlet of Bristol. This summer, Bristol commemorates its 25th anniversary with the biggest, boldest and most boisterous celebration to date.

◆ RENQUEST: Bristol’s live action fantasy-play game, which debuted in July 2008, returns with an all-new story line. Bristol’s RenQuest brings the worldwide popularity of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, like World of Warcraft, into the live action dimension of the Renaissance fair, and offers gamers the chance to test their role-playing prowess beyond the realm of their computer screens.

◆ ENTERTAINMENT: Sixteen stages of nonstop entertainment featuring Faire favorites such as Dirk and Guido (“The Swordsmen”) *they've been friends of ours since my husband, Dug did the location sound for their DVD years ago, the Sturdy Beggars Mud Show and MooNiE the Magnif’Cent — Juggler, Ropewalker and Foolish Mortal. Also, many of the United States’ top touring Renaissance Faire performers will drop in to help celebrate this summer’s special anniversary. These performers include the Celtic fusion band Tartanic, steampunk bagpipe group Klaxton, the Clan Tynker family circus and sidesplitting Renaissance scientist Doktor Kaboom!

◆ MARKETPLACE: Nearly 200 artisans and crafters showcasing wares ranging from jewelry and leatherworks to tapestries and hand-crafted longbows. Demonstrations by potters, glassblowers, broom caners, forgers and other working artisans.

◆ FOOD AND DRYNKE: Roasted turkey legs, skewered shrimp, barbecued ribs, garlic sauteed mushrooms, steak sandwiches, grilled chicken, ice cream, fruit crepes and other delicacies. Thirst-quenching ales, fine wines, iced tea and fresh-squeezed lemonade.

When: Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day Monday, July 7 through Sep. 3, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., rain or shine

Where: Kenosha, Wis., west of I-94 near Illinois/Wisconsin border (Russell Road exit)

Tickets $19.95 for adults and $9.50 for children (ages 5-12) at the gate.  (discount coupons at Walgreens)

*Kids under 5 are FREE!

RenQuest Info: participation costs an additional $10 per day.  

Discounts available online at renfair.com or by phone, (847) 395-7773.

Check out Bristol Renaissance Faire's Main Site here for more info

photo credit-Bristol Renaissance Faire