Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire 2025

Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Festival 2025:
​ Now With Themed Weekends!

Danielle and Pahl during Summerween Weekend; Photo taken by a man sitting in the Cafeteria area who asked to take our photo

The end of June/beginning of July is always a favorite time of year for me, not just because it's around my birthday, but also because that means the Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire in Ansonia, CT is happening. I love this faire so much. I believe it's a combination of the stage acts along with the fact that I always run into so many people I actually know, so it feels a little like an annual homecoming to catch up with folks I haven't seen for a year or more!

This year the faire decided to offer themed costume weekends with a costume contest as well as the Very Inspired Shopper raffle each day. We attended the Summerween weekend as well as the Heroes and Villains weekend. I had purchased both of my dresses in spring 2024, and by the time they had come, it was already too cold to wear them. So I really wanted to wear them in 2025, and these themed weekends provided the perfect opportunity for me to do so. 

Summerween Weekend

Danielle with a rose under the Highland Stage Tent

I have been very inspired by cirque and harlequin designs and patterns as of late. I had seen this OP (yes that's right this whole dress is one piece...not separate skirt, corset, etc.) when I first got into EGL fashion some 4.5 years ago, but I didn't realize it was a pre-order and I missed the deadline. Around 2 years later, the brand decided to re-release it with some new color ways. I still had my heart set on the pink and teal color way, which was one of the original choices. I saw it was available again in early March 2024 and I messaged a shopping service in China to acquire it for me.

The shopping service was able to order it just in time before the pre-order closed, but I did not get my item until October 2024...it apparently was the 8th patch of the pre-order...the item was so incredibly popular!!!  The dress is quite a complex piece. It has a real corset style bodice with an embroidered tulle-like halter neck attached to the bodice, as well as a flared skirt with alternating colored down pointing triangles and heart shaped appliques of flowers and tigers. There are so many details including various pink and gold bows, pink and teal bows, a pink and teal plaid ruffle detail where the bodice meets the skirt, a printed design of an animal carousel inside of a heart shaped section on the bodice, printed metallic stars on all the teal and pink material, printed tiger faces with what looks like whipped cream clouds printed under the main skirt fabric, along with rows of alternating pink and teal ribbon along the hem of the skirt. I love that the various design elements were rendered with as much attention and detail in the final product. It would take me far longer than 6 months to create something like this from start to finish!

Another view of Danielle's French Harlequin outfit with Hula Hoop

If I remember correctly, I think I the pink arm ruffles came with the dress as well, but I had to purchase the head bow, and waist bow separately. I could not believe how big or how well engineered the head bow is. They placed wig clips at the exact perfect spot to get it to attach and not move from one's head despite a lot of walking on uneven surfaces. I  was not able to wear the waist bow this time. The backpack I was wearing interfered with the location of the bow and its hidden straps on the bodice of the dress. The designer of this dress really thought of everything!

Additional accessories I added were a pair of cheap accordion style wrist cuffs, one mint and one pink and white striped over the knee socks, and a pair of pastel pink ruffled combat boots. I also did very light makeup and drew triangles over and under my eyes to look like a french style harlequin. I tried my go at entering the costume contest, thinking surely this gorgeously designed outfit would win, but then a serious cosplayer dressed as a rat warrior showed up and I knew my chances of winning lost all hope!

Pahl capturing a true Renaissance period spirit

Pahl had the idea that he wanted to look like he was really from the Renaissance period as his costume for Summerween weekend. He started off his outfit with the lightweight black pirate pants, a cotton blouse, his brown vest with the metal details over it, his newer baldric carrying a dull sword, a pair of black and brown wrist guards, his black leather waist bag, and knee high black leather riding boots. As we walked along the various vendor booths at the faire, we were able to outfit Pahl's outfit even better. First we found a leather maker who specializes in historical fashion. He found these shorter pointier black boots there (a welcome relief in the summer heat), and later we found a brown linen cap that just happened to perfectly match his vest. Also, due to these purchases, Pahl and I were able to almost completely fill out two Very Inspired Shopper Cards to submit in the big end of day raffle.  I bought Jessica's Lucci's latest novel to round out my card and we were all set to enter the raffle!

Just some of the awesome prizes in the end of day raffle.

I may not have won the costume contest, but I won the big end of day raffle thanks to Pahl's shopping and a little bit of luck!!! It was so exciting for me to win, as my big milestone birthday was to occur in just days from when we attended the faire. It seemed like it was a gift from the goddess Freya herself, as there were two Freya themed items in the bag. It was filled with all kinds of snacks, stickers, bookmarks, jewelry, tea, perfume, soap, wooden stout, special embroidered objects, a gorgeous walking stick with a moon and tigers eye theme, as well as a $50 visa gift card and 4 comped tickets to next year's faire!! 

Heroes and Villains Weekend

Princess Serenity and The Sheriff of Nottingham on Heroes and Villains Weekend

We had already planned on going back to the Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire the following weekend, and I had already been planning to attend as Princess Serenity, the penultimate Heroine from the first season of the Sailor Moon anime series. Princess Serenity and Sailor Moon are the same person, except that they can't manifest as both at the same time in one body. So there are scenes in the anime where Sailor Moon transforms into Princess Serenity because technically Princess Serenity has more power in overcoming the hearts and minds of those with evil intentions. You only see Princess Serenity in flashbacks or final episodes of a series, and Princess Serenity is only the first incarnation of the Moon Kingdom's royalty. Later seasons of the series have her pegged as a Queen or Neo-Queen, depending on the time line. Princess Serenity's outfit is the simplest of all the various incarnations, and that's why I thought this particular dress would work well for it. 

Princess Serenity in the Hydrangeas

The dress that Princess Serenity actually wears is inspired by a Dior design. It is all white and has an empire waist with gold circle/scalloped designs at the bodice. It has capped sleeves on the shoulders and is a full length gown. There is a large white (sometimes pink) back bow that is pinned to the back of the dress that has very long tails that almost look like wings. She wears her hair in two buns with long hair trailing under each. She also wears moon shaped earrings and a single pearl bracelet on one arm. Princess Serenity also has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Now, when I try to cosplay something, I try to find a character with features I already possess and a simple outfit I can imitate with other things. I already have relatively long blonde hair and blue eyes, and I possessed this Grecian style all white empire waist dress that has ethereal tulle attached in various points at the front of the bodice, cascading down the sides of the skirt, as well as extra pieces that come off the shoulders held together by two white bows. The gold alternating sun and moon waist belt also came with the dress. There were more chains that came with it as well, but they had more of a Greek Goddess of the Harvest feel and I removed them. I put my hair up in "space buns" to the best of my ability, and put on very light makeup. I also drew a crescent moon on my forehead with eye makeup. It doesn't show up super well  in photos, unfortunately. However, many other attendees at the faire knew who I was trying to cosplay as, so that's good enough for me!!

Pahl as the Sheriff of Nottingham

Pahl wasn't specifically trying to go as anything in particular, except to wear a much more comfortable costume in the heat than he did the previous weekend. I showed him this photo I took of him in the throne chair, and he said, "I suppose I look like the Sheriff of Nottingham", which we all know is a Villain.  The outfit is very similar to the previous weekend with the same pants, the short leather boots, a linen shirt under a vest (but this time a lightweight vest), the arm bracers, the baldric with a sword ( a different sword of course!), and a lightweight hat with a feather in it. The expression on his face in this photo says, I am about to collect your taxes and you can't stop me. 

When duty calls while in the flowers

Wistfully thinking of the Moon Kingdom

I had a wonderful time at the faire on both weekends this year and since I have my comp tickets for next year, maybe I will be able to bring some friends as well that don't normally attend to have them join in on the fun!!