Behind the scenes at the Arizona Renaissance Festival: Meet the folks who make the magic

There is nothing quite like the Arizona Renaissance Festival. From the minute you walk through the gates, the real world seems to melt away and you're immersed in an alternate reality filled with whimsy, hijinks and turkey legs the size of your head.

Those who think the Renaissance Festival is too juvenile or just a place filled with professional role players have never experienced the magic.

It's like Disneyland in the sense that there is truly something for everyone of all ages, backgrounds and interests to enjoy. It's a haven for foodies, people who love interesting jewelry or unique art, and those looking for an enveloping show or simply an escape from reality.

But for some of the people who put on the Arizona Renaissance Festival, it's their entire life.

How does the Arizona Renaissance Festival operate?

To say the Arizona Renaissance Festival is a well-oiled machine would be an understatement. The festival goes on for a couple of months out of the year but the operations behind the scenes never rest.

While the performers and workers make the festival a bright, breezy getaway from real life, the work that goes into making the magic is impressive.

"Everyone out here works so hard," said Tony Miller, whose RenFair alter ego is Shamus the Insulter. "The kitchen workers are some of the hardest workers that you ever see. They're in the back of their kitchens in very hot weather, making the food. The sanitation workers, you would notice very quickly if we didn't have them. My hat is off for the people who do the infrastructure work. I just make it look fun."

Miller said some performers work and rehearse through injuries, and the jousters spend hours training and caring for their horses along with doing their own training and shining their armor.

"I usually say most of us work in two days as hard as most people work in a week," Miller said.

And the work isn't just what is seen on the Gold Canyon festival grounds. Miller and his partner hit the road, putting up and taking down their yurt, four times a year traveling to different fairs. That can take a toll on you after a while.

"This is not for the faint of heart. We pack up everything we have every two months, then go on to the next fair," Miller said. "You get to be really good at knowing what you need versus what you want."

The payoff though? A built-in community where some raise their kids in an open and welcoming environment, where they have more chosen family than most people have.

"As a community, it is one of the safest as a communal model that exists in modern society. We're all different and yet, by and large, it's very much like Martin Luther King said, we try to judge people by the content of their character, how good your word is, what your work ethic is, how well you treat others."

Repeat performers keep Arizona Renaissance Festival fans coming back

If you're a history buff looking for accuracy, you might want to stay at home. However, if you have an open mind and a sense of adventure, the Arizona Renaissance Festival is a great place to check out of reality.

For 35 years Charles Newton, better known as Lord Chancellor, has answered questions and helped festivalgoers find their way around.

What keeps him coming back year after year? The people, of course.

"People who seek me out every year, and they're just so happy to see me and they've been someone who first met me as a child. They seek me out as an adult and say, 'I'm so happy you're still here.'"

The performers are perhaps the biggest reason to go to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. They're trained to playfully interact with audiences to whatever degree you're comfortable engaging.

"If you are an outgoing person, you will have a different experience," said Newton. "If you're more of an introvert, well, the experience will be what you make it. We try not to intrude on people who want to be left alone."

That's especially true for Tony Miller: his Shamus the Insulter takes payment to insult anyone in your group.

Miller has been sharpening his insult skills over the last 35 years and there's definitely an art to insulting someone and having them walk away laughing.

"One of my great joys in life is to bring shocked, horrified laughter to people's lives," said Miller. "And just laughter in general because for those brief moments when people laugh, especially out at a festival, they forget everything else in life — their worries, their stresses, their cares."

So yes, go to the Arizona Renaissance Festival and eat a giant turkey leg or deep-fried Oreo as you wander through the artisan booths.

Just be sure to have a little fun with the performers, and maybe pay for an insult or two.

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Arizona Renaissance Festival 2024

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through March 31.

Where: 12601 U.S. 60, Gold Canyon.

Admission: $34, $32 for age 60 and over, $22 for ages 5-12, free for age 4 and under.

Details: www.arizona.resfestinfo.com.

Meredith G. White is the entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic |azcentral.com. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, as @meredithgwhite, and email her at [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Meet who makes the magic at the 2024 Arizona Renaissance Festival