Getting Dressed for Oklahoma Renaissance Festival 2024
The Oklahoma Renaissance Festival at the Castle of Muskogee kicks off this week, and our family couldn’t be more excited about it. Because dressing up is a huge part of the vibe for us, that also means it’s time to dig into the old costume closet and break out our ever-evolving collection of garb.
If you’re thinking about getting dressed up for the festival but you’re not sure where to start (or just generally lacking in inspiration), here’s a little crash course on pulling together your Renaissance Faire outfit.
Don’t worry about how you look
One of the best things about dressing up for the Renaissance Faire is it’s really kind of an anything-goes situation. Sure, there will certainly be folks dressed in high-dollar period clothing they’ve spent years pulling together from hardworking artisan vendors you can find all around these types of festivals. But you’ll fit right in even if your outfit is cobbled together from discount stores and yard sales or a shoddily made first cosplay attempt because for most folks, it’s all about the fun you’re having.
And feel free to wear whatever you want to — I’ve seen folks dressed up in Star Trek uniforms walking around the faire, and I’ve even seen a few furries!
Dress for the weather
I’m one of the worst people when it comes to dressing inappropriately for the weather just to look cool, so I get it. But at the same time, we all know Oklahoma can be crazy hot in late April and May. When you’ve been walking around for four hours in the Green Country humidity, costumes that might have been tolerably uncomfortable at first can gradually become itchy, chafing torture devices. Consider wearing layers you can add or subtract as needed. Thin, breathable fabrics are also a good move.
Here are a few more things I’ve learned from years of all-day outdoor events and festivals:
- Skirts with nothing under them + sweating + thicc thighs = chafing. Wearing leggings or biker shorts underneath can help, but so can baby powder. A travel-sized baby powder in your bag can be a lifesaver.
- Wearing dark colors will make you hotter when you’re walking around in the full sun.
- You can pick up an accordion fan at Dollar Tree-type stores — these can be a godsend.
- You can truly never have too many ponytail holders in your bag.
- Corsets can make for sweaty boobs. Using deodorant under your boobs can help with this. You’re welcome.
- In fact, just put deodorant anywhere you think you might need it.
- You can always wear a hat or bring a parasol. If you’re super crafty, you can even fashion a parasol from an umbrella.
Start by checking out the themes
Every week, Oklahoma Renaissance Festival celebrates with a different theme, and this can be a great place to start if you’re wanting to do something a little more creative with your ren faire look. Here’s the full list of this year’s themes by week along with some suggestions for theme-inspired looks.
Opening weekend | April 27th – 28th | King Oberon (Mythical creatures)
King Oberon’s weekend is always my favorite, and that tends to be the weekend we’re at the festival. The story for this theme is that King Oberon is courting the Castle queen, and he’s bringing his entire magical entourage along for the ride. This is a great weekend to bring the kids to the festival since the grounds are buzzing with faeries, satyrs, and the like. Last year, Luci dressed up as a mushroom fae, and I went as a Valravn (part-raven) warrior.
One of the best things about mythical creatures weekend is that since it’s all purely make-believe, you can put just about anything together and fit the theme. Any of these could be a solid ingredient in your overall look:
- Elf ears
- Wings
- Furry leggings
- Butterfly hair clips
- Leaves and flowers
- Colorful hair
- Horns of any kind
- Cute headbands from Claire’s — cat ears, unicorn horn, etc.
- Glitter and whimsical makeup
- Quirky, layered clothing — slips and ripped, asymmetrical pieces layer up well to create cute faerie clothing
Week 2 | May 4th – 5th | Romance weekend (a French Medici at a masked ball)
The inspo for this weekend is that the queen is getting a visit from the French son of the Contessa de Medici, and he seems to be a bit of a romantic playboy. Since the highlight of the weekend seems to be the Saturday evening Masque, dreamy and over-the-top looks would be right at home for this weekend. Better yet, you can DIY a pretty fantastic mask or hat by starting with something plain and then gluing on things like beads, sequins, seashells, glitter, fabric, and/or broken jewelry.
Week 3 | May 11th – 12th | Pirates weekend (and Spanish armada)
Pirate ren faire costumes are pretty easy to put together. If we’ve learned anything from “Our Flag Means Death,” AKA the greatest gay pirate show ever made, it’s that pirates — at least fictional ones — will wear a little of everything and call it an outfit.
Here are a few elements to look for when you’re shopping your closet or thrifting:
- Wild, colorful patterns
- Peasant blouses
- Baggy linen pants or layered skirts
- Scarves, layers upon layers of scarves
- Vests
- Metal belts
- Leather boots
- Big piratey-looking hats (bonus points for feathers)
You could also go with a Spanish/Moroccan-inspired Renaissance look full of rich, Arabian-inspired details as seen in “The Spanish Princess.”
Week 4 | May 18th – 19th | Celtic weekend
Inspired by Mary Queen of Scots, this weekend is all about kilts and Celtic-inspired fun. Break out the tartan and go full “Outlander,” dress as a dragon, or bring out your Princess Merida costume. You could even get really adventurous by dressing up as a banshee or selkie.
Week 5 | May 25th – 27th | Imperial weekend
Imperial weekend is themed around Charles II, the Restoration era king of Scotland, Ireland, and England. It’s also the festival’s big Memorial day celebration, so you could go really wild and dress in a patriotic-themed Renaissance faire outfit just to spite Charles.
Week 6 | June 1st – 2nd | Spice Road weekend
The Spice Road actually dates back to before the Greco-Roman world and would eventually run all the way from northern Europe to Japan, India, and the Middle East. This is your chance to dress as a Renaissance-era world traveler, bringing in lots of bold, globally-inspired fabrics and accessories.
Thrifting your look
I’m a huge fan of reducing and reusing wherever possible, and that includes starting your ren faire outfit by shopping your closet and checking out your favorite thrift store. You can find tons of inspo on YouTube and TikTok for putting together outfits.
In addition to the themed ideas above, here are some fun ideas to watch out for while you’re putting together your costume:
- Flowy dresses and skirts
- Wide leather belts
- Metal belts
- Costume jewelry — necklaces can make great fairy or elven tiaras
- Pouches
- Leather hip belts or purses
- Flower crowns and tiaras
- Faux fur accessories
- Corsets and lingerie items that could layer over dresses
- Witchy hats
- Toy swords
- Bonnets
- Lacy dusters
- Belly dancing clothes
- Hoods, cloaks, or shawls
Other creative ideas
If you really want to think outside the box with your ren faire look, try thinking about different kinds of characters from period and fantasy stories. Consider trying one of these ideas out:
- The castle cook
- A jester
- A bard
- A rogue, barbarian, monk, or anything else from D&D
- A shield-maiden or berserker
- A sorcerer
- A Robin Hood figure
Or try adding a fun theme of your own to your garb. Something like this, perhaps:
- Cover your costume in butterflies
- Wear pink, white, and strawberries for a strawberry milk-themed milkmaid look
- Create the ren faire version of a beloved character like the Mad Hatter or Alice in Wonderland
Styling your outfit
Once you’ve grabbed all your pieces, how you put together the finished look can make all the difference. Here are a few ideas for how to style your look:
Scarlett O’Hair’s styling guide
Outfit Repeater’s guide to using regular clothing (Disneybounding)
If you’re dressing up for the Renaissance festival this year, I would love to see your family’s costumes! Drop a link below or tag #tulsakids on Instagram or Facebook so we can share your photos, and have a positively magical week in your little nebula!
