The Renaissance Festival, a place of mystic wonders that can awaken a medieval spirit within the depths of anyone brave enough to venture into such a bizarre land. Some people view it as a place to get away from the hustle-bustle atmosphere of industrial America, somewhere they can call home and thrive in the atmosphere they identify most with. Others see the festival as an escape with their family where memories can be made that will last a lifetime. And still many people come from all around to shop at the hundreds of quaint, privately owned stores.
Here, at the Renaissance Festival, over 200 artisan workers display a vast variety of hand-crafted, unique merchandise. Visitors get the privilege to watch as ancient skills such as glassblowing, leatherwork, weaving, woodcarving, blacksmithing, candlemaking and pottery are all performed in front of your very eyes. One moment you could be inside an old brick hut watching women weave freshly skinned sheep wool, and the next you may find yourself mesmerized as a man turns a piece of glass tubing into a ferocious dragon. No matter what style of shopping you enjoy, the Renaissance Festival has something for everyone.
Whether a casual shopper or a devoted collector, there is such a diverse assortment of commodities available for purchase at the festival, you won?t know where to begin. I spent over six hours scouring the grounds looking for the most unique and appealing items and what stuck in my mind was unquestionably the old coin striking mill.
Here, a family of three uses an old punch press to produce unique coins tailored to the request of the purchaser. Primarily, you choose a material that the coin will be made from, either bronze or silver, which are both high quality. From my perception of the different coins on display, the bronze seemed to be the superior choice of the two because the minute details present in some of the punch dyes seemed to be visibly enhanced with the hue of these coins. From there you have the option of choosing from over 100 different punch dyes each a symbol possessing its own special meaning. The categories range from mythological symbols, to astrological, to even ancient Egyptian. Each meaning is laid out in front of you adjacent to the picture of the symbol allowing you to choose which two best suit your fancy, not only aesthetically, but symbolically as well. From there, they place a blank between each dye and clamp it to a press. Then a heavy weight is hoisted a few feet above the dyes and then suddenly dropped onto the head of the dye, eternally imprinting the symbols on the coin. They then turn these coins into necklaces that can be treasured for years to come.
The distinctive aspects that set this store apart from the rest is the fact that there are such a broad array of punch dyes available from customizing the coins, each one is different from the last making the selection personal. Additionally, since the opportunity of being able to watch the coin be crafted three feet in front of you, the experience is just that much more invigorating.
I would absolutely make the Renaissance Festival an essential stopping point if you are looking for unique products not found anywhere else.
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