Ren Faire History: From Folk Music to Fried Food

(Host: Lucy) Giant turkey legs, fried food, implausible costumes… and counterculture? This episode explores the roots of Renaissance Faires in the US, and how this originally hippie-centric phenomenon was linked to other forms of medievalism in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Communes, folk music, particolored tights, and a reimagined past turn out to be more closely linked than you might imagine. This episode also examines how Ren Faires have evolved and continued to thrive, and why you still — if you’re lucky — might hear Steeleye Span covers at your nearest one. For further reading suggestions and more, please visit:

You can listen to Ren Faire History: From Folk Music to Fried Food online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Ren Faire History: From Folk Music to Fried Food is an episode from Footnoting History by Footnoting History.

This episode is 16:43 long.

This episode was published on Oct 11, 2025.

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