Based on my experience last time, I am absolutely bubbling over with excitement for my next visit coming up on April 5th!

Last visit, I had been nervous about dressing up, terrified of being the odd one out. That didn’t stop me from wearing a blue-silver Mongolian kaftan with a homemade Runescape skill cape, but still, I was anxious!

All my fears were swept away the second we rolled into the fairegrounds- knights, ladies, faries, satyrs, medieval monks, plague doctors, and strange creatures abounded in droves, all laughing and playing into their roles. It was such a blast! The Renaissance Faire in Irwindale isn’t a LARP, necessarily, but the staff there do still dress up as medieval peasantry and interact with you as if they are trying to sell you some of their fake apples and bread. The Queen of course still has her entourage. It’s so fun to play along, but you’re never forced to!

This time, I have some planned changes:

1. Bringing my mom and dad! After I came back so excited for the first time, and after a year of gently wearing them down, I finally convinced them to return to the Faire from when they visited last, which was before I was born. My dad promised to wear a monk robe, and my mom in a princess costume. I am so excited to see their reactions to how the Faire has changed. The location itself moved over to Irwindale for more room, but much of the vibes are the same, I’d imagine. To compare the 90s version of the Faire to now in the mid 2020s, I wonder what has changed, and what stayed the same.
   
2. Participate in the gnome hunting! We didn’t realize that was a thing last year, and this year I’ll make it a mission to find all the spots with the gnomes, get checked off by shopkeepers, and collect my gold coin designating me an official gnome hunter!
   
3. Get the turkey leg! Aaarrrgh! I am so sad I didn’t get one last time. I am still committed to bringing in snacks this year (though less committed about stuffing my bra full of them like I did last time) because those were a lifesaver in the heat and lines of the faire’s food options, but I do want a turkey leg for the fun of it.
   
4. Get a cool silver puzzle ring! My mom had gone to the original Renaissance Faire in Anaheim when she was growing up, and got one. I left the faire last time without getting one, and it felt like something was missing. The rings are pricey, $40-$100, but hers lasted for thirty years and it holds a lot of meaning so I believe it’s worth it. I hope I find the right magic ring!
   
5. RAT COSTUME! And finally, I DIYed a rat costume for this trip! My mom originally was going to go as a plague doctor, and so I would be the rat bringing all the fleas to the yard. We realized recently, as the heat is gradually increasing in Southern California, that a big black robe and heavy leather mask would be too much for this trip. A plague doctor and her rat friend would be super fun, we make do!

My Costume

I was inspired by those black and white clowns on Pinterest (god, I love Pinterest). I did some digging, and learned it’s from Pierrot, who “is a specific stock character from the Italian Commedia dell’arte, known for his lovesickness and sad, often melancholic, portrayal,” which I find to be funny for a plague rat. I don’t want to pretend to be sad to fulfill this role for the Faire (though I totally would if this were to take place ‘round a D&D table, mind you, I’m not THAT bad at improv and I will commit to the bit when necessary) because that would bring down the vibe. I might lean more towards the traditional clown characteristic of playing a comedic character.  

The original Pierrot

Some gals do their makeup SO well! I tried the white face paint, and it was so thick and gloopy that it just made my pores feel clogged and heavy. To be fair, I never wear makeup anyways, but white clown makeup is especially heavy.
I am so jealous of their abilities to make their clown makeup look so artsy and fun. It truly does take a lot of practice to get the face painting part look right.

I found a way to do my makeup where it was very light, and aided by mostly just a matte setting powder, along with black lipstick and whiskers.

The lipstick made my mouth look grotesque in a decidedly not-cute kind of way, so I took more inspiration from Pinterest to do a a dolly heart-shaped lip.

Now, for Rattus Rattus

Here’s how I made the tail and rat-accessories:

So, to put all the pieces together, we have:

1. Black bloomers with the CUTEST pink bows- I know Pierrot is supposed to be all black and white, but my rat costume has a pink tail and accents so the little bows were just serendipitous.
2. Thigh-high socks (not tights, as I was going for what would make me not wanna die in hot weather)
3. White ruffle shirt with black pom poms tied to the buttons
4. Black leather gloves
5. Rat mask
6. Rat tail attached to a belt
7. Short sword that I may or may not bring (it’s annoying to carry things all day at a ren faire)
8. A brown beanie hat with long trim and little ears

So HERE’S what I gotta change.

The element of rat

First off, and most importantly- the rat face. This is key to the whole “plague rat clown costume.” It’s, in fact, literally half of the theme.

The rattiness comes across with the tail imo, but you really only see that from behind (and I’m extra proud of it- it was so easy to make and came together pretty well I think!).

The rat mask was a good idea, and even had a good start, but my god- it’s itchy as hell. I get hair in my eyes, no matter how much I cut around the holes.

The furry face wasn’t necessary, especially as it conflicted with and wiped off the makeup, but the EARS certainly are. How can I be a rat without ears?

Here comes in the beanie hat. It’s BROWN, not the color scheme of black-white-notes of pink. Besides, it would be hot to wear despite its softness (comfort above all), and the ears give more bear than rat.

Notice anything else missing from the Pierrot aesthetic?

THE HAT!

The cute little cone hat with matching pom poms could be my savior. I’ll smack some black mickey mouse style ears on that thang and call it a day. Roll up some card stock, tape it together, add a string or some sort of elastic (hmmm… how to…), slap on my extra pom poms and glue some ears and call it a day. That and a paper ruffle collar.

I think it should work!

What I have so far I would consider fine, especially comfort-wise, as I love that I get to wear shorts to this faire.

The first opening of the year is this April 5th, 2025, which is the same time we went last year. Since it’s right by the lake, there is often a cool breeze, and it doesn’t get TOO hot in April. But it is all outdoors, and standing out in the Southern California Sun is enough to warm you up.

Anyways, what do y’all think of the ‘stume? I also plan to print out little “fleas” with compliments on the back to hand out to strangers, and tell them to pass it along. 😉

However it turns out, I think it’ll be a fun time. So, I ask you the same question I posed last year:

Are you going to the Renaissance Faire?