Halloween Weekend at the TexRenFest 2022

The 4th weekend of the Texas Renaissance Festival was the All Hallow’s Eve weekend celebrating Halloween. I camped out that weekend and have some stories from that, so read on.

I arrived early at the campgrounds so I could drive around and check things out before I entered the festival.

They have a very nice sign for the campgrounds.

After I drove around and found the Call of Booty campsite, I parked near the entrance plaza and got the 2nd spot. Having a close spot makes it so much easier at the end of a long day of walking and talking.

I was able to get a pic on the throne this morning. During the day, there is always a long line to do this.

The front gate Beefeaters were happy to pose for a quick pic.

A look at the entrance area before thousands enter.

The cannon gets fired every weekend morning to start the day.

Tea and Strumpets has a great patio.

First, order the best bacon sandwich in the Kingdom here at the counter.

An added bonus is being waited on by this lovely lass. She always dresses for the theme.

And funny also.

Right beside the counter is a little passageway that leads to the upstairs patio.

Here’s what it looks like. One of the best places to enjoy your meal.

Later in the day, they host a Tea Party with food. It’s an upscale affair and is a very nice RenFest experience. Tickets for this are on the TRF site.

The view from this patio is great. I take pics from here every weekend.

This is another favorite view of mine.

During this weekend, I heard more compliments about my work than any other weekend. Several people mentioned to me that they appreciate what I’m doing to capture memories for them. It never gets old to hear nice things about one’s work and efforts.

The lady in this photo is in charge of the costuming at TRF. She told me that she loves what I’m doing out there. She also said that she looks at my pics so she can see her characters during the day around the festival. This helps her stay on top of things. I’m glad she enjoys my work and uses my site for her job.

She definitely looks great for Halloween weekend.

The cake looks good. Would you take a piece from a green witch?

The Spanish Queen Juana always looks stunning in her outfit and crown.

The King and Queen looking regal for the weekend.

I enjoy getting these ladies’ pic every weekend.

So many cute faces in great dresses and costumes.

This guy has his perch every morning.

More great fashion for a RenFest.

Rudy never leaves home without his bagpipes and pipe.

I love this lady’s pose. So fun.

The White Swan looking beautiful.

Ravenswood Leather.

The staff at Ravenswood Leather are always up for a great pic.

MJ has some great clothing.

I photograph this guy every weekend and this weekend I had him try out some different poses. I’m sure you’ll see him again.

Some of the best chicken in the Village.

The staff of the Thirsty Pirate Pub work hard all day serving up great food and drink.

But they always make time for me to get some pics.

If you haven’t guessed yet, the Thirsty Pirate Pub is a favorite spot for me to hang out and get some pics.

Pam at the Bilge Pump bar in the Sea Devil area.

I stop by the Glory Hole bar and talk with Amanda each morning. I used to have a morning beer, but now I enjoy a kamikaze from the Wyrmwood Public House.

I think I shot a good pic of this couple. I’m sure that they loved it.

For Halloween, I was an NYPD Commissioner of Halloween. When people would ask me about my outfit, I would tell them that I’m the bad cop with the pink fuzzy handcuffs.

That line worked more than you would guess. The women loved it. I said that line to a group of three sexy women and one lady turned to her friends and said, “Oh, yum!”

A nice group shot. I enjoy group shots because it is an opportunity to please several people with one photo.

This food stand staff is really nice and never refuses me a photo of them.

I found a few more food stands to get pics of the employees. Beauty is everywhere in New Market Village.

I have 4 weekends left and my goal is to taste and photograph more of the great food offered at TRF.

I’ve tried some, but the festival is so big that I’ll never get to it all in one season.

Adrianna and Kylie always look great.

So does Tanya and Lourdes.

Lourdes let me try the Crawfish and Cheesy Fries.

It was delicious and should be tried on your next visit. Look in the French section and you’ll be sure to find the stand.

Haley is very photogenic and I appreciate that she lets me take her pic.

Travis works at the Wyrmwood Public House and is very cool to me. I thank him for that.

Daddy is always good for a great pic.

When people hear me call him Daddy, I’m sure they’re wondering what the hell is up with that, lol. He prefers to be called Daddy and I play along.

Mickey made my daily kamikaze and it hit the spot. That is supposed to be a shot but he makes it in a rocks glass and super big for a shot. I love it.

The Wyrmwood bartenders are some cool dudes.

This was a fun couple.

I got a pic with Queen Juana.

As Nuria and I were posing, another RenFest photog snapped this pic.

A lovely lady that works at the Polish Pub, a new favorite place of mine.

Kasia and some of her friendly staff at the Polish Pub.

Another packed audience for a show.

Two cute cops. Too young for my pink fuzzy handcuffs, lol.

I’m determined to try the coconut water this upcoming weekend.

Three bills for a dill.

Julie receives many positive responses for her pics on Facebook when I post them. No wonder. She’s another RenFest beauty that I came across in my travels of the Kingdom.

Blaise is another one and she always dresses so well. Love the hat.

Cooking up some steak on a stick. I’ll try that this upcoming weekend.

Apollo promoting his show. He’s a very talented individual.

Who doesn’t need a few dragon teeth?

Haley’s eyes are great for a Halloween weekend.

The kids at TRF were able to go to each booth and Trick or Treat for candy. Getting to Trick or Treat at the RenFest is a very cool aspect.

A great pic of a lovely witch and her broom.

I was happy to get this lady’s pic.

A great face.

I ran into Reagan and her two Furry friends and was glad to photograph them.

More Reagan than the Furries, haha.

And yes, she deserves a close-up of her costume.

Erika always wears the best outfits and I love getting her pics.

She’s on my morning rotation of regulars and she’s always nice enough to pose for me and with me.

I complimented this guy on his workout program. His arms look great. And… it doesn’t necessarily make you gay to notice a handsome, well-built man. Just sayin’.

These girls were a fun group.

I forgot to get a pic with Reagan and was pissed at myself. Luckily, I ran into her again. This is a favorite of mine.

And yes, she gets another close-up.

A packed house for Tartanic.

Lots of smiling, happy faces. Love it.

The Spanish Court put up an altar honoring those that have passed. I love the Day of the Dead celebration.

A well-dressed pirate and his family.

When I see a lot of rings, I get this pic.

Nice rings.

The horses at TRF are some beautiful animals and well taken care of also.

I never wanted a piece of candy more in my life, lol.

Kasia had her staff serve me a Combo plate from the Polish Pub.

You get 8 items and 3 different sauces to go with it. The items are: Hunter Stew – sauerkraut mixed with a few kinds of meat, sausage, a piece of Polish sausage, 3 kinds of Pierogi – meat, potato and cheese, sauerkraut and mushrooms, and stuffed cabbage with rice and pork meat topped with tomato sauce and a pickle and dinner roll.

It all was very delicious and I enjoyed the hell out of it.

This was another fun couple.

It was a little chilly on this day. I couldn’t go shirtless like this guy.

I’m sure they loved this pic.

The food is an important part of TRF and shouldn’t be overlooked as a big part of your stay in the Village.

Darrell wasn’t cold. That’s for sure.

Blaise having fun with bubbles.

Her and Vendella are always in a good mood.

I ran into Kevin on this day and got a pic with him. He’s one of my favorite pirates at TRF.

This couple wanted a pic with me. I was happy to join them.

When is too much? I think they found that out.

Having a good time at the Pirate Pub.

It was an overcast day at the festival, but thousands still came out.

The Tease of the Seas show always brings them into the Pirate Pub area.

It has quickly become a favorite spot for many festival goers.

A lot of places in the Kingdom that serve drinks don’t serve food and vice versa. At the Thirsty Pirate Pub, you can get something to eat as well as drink. I like that.

I really like this vantage point.

As I was shooting pics around the Thirsty Pirate Pub, Gerald, the manager, walked up and asked me what I was drinking. He then gave me a free beer for all of my work with the pics and videos of the pub. That was very cool of him and I appreciated it.

Shane works in the upstairs section of the pub and is always very nice to me. Cool dude. He said that seeing my pics on Monday was a favorite part of his day.

The ladies of the Tease of the Seas show always play to a packed house and the audience always leaves feeling entertained by their act.

I had never seen a horse skeleton before I saw this a few years back. Lots of people pose with them.

Giving people a carriage ride would be a cool job.

Smiling, happy faces again. Are you seeing a trend at TRF?

People getting ready to go on the Pub Crawl.

Something tells me that I wouldn’t want to get into a fight with this guy.

Chelsea looking as cute as ever. She sells a lot of bird whistles.

Two scary looking ladies on Halloween weekend.

Mindy always gives me a great pic. I enjoy getting Red’s pic.

Even though it was overcast, the patrons kept coming in.

Three lovely mermaids.

You’ll see lots of photographers and film crews at the TexRenFest. It is quite a happening.

I enjoy getting the pics of the flower wreath girls and guys.

I’ve known Tony since last season. He’s a follower on Facebook and enjoys the posts. I appreciate his support.

Another cute flower wreath girl.

That concludes my pics for the Saturday of Halloween weekend at TRF. This next section deals with the campgrounds.

Here is a pic of the Call of Booty campsite. Lots goes on here and some can’t be photographed.

They use a pirate logo that came from the pirate, Jack Rackham. It’s my favorite historical flag also.

John Rackham, commonly known as Calico Jack, was an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and in Cuba during the early 18th century. His nickname was derived from the calico clothing that he wore, while Jack is a nickname for “John”. Rackham was active towards the end of the “Golden Age of Piracy”.

They even have a store in their camp.

The ladies working there were very friendly.

I purchased a Call of Booty sticker. You’ll see that again later.

Notice his bone.

This group was having a great time.

A great costume for the nighttime.

And hers also.

These tatas looked so real, I had to ask about them.

The Master of Ceremonies at the Call of Booty camp was quite a character.

As the night came on, the crowd grew for the Naked Jenga game.

Naked Jenga is played with 2×4’s. As a person is called out of the audience, they must successfully pull a block from the stack. If the stack doesn’t fall, they have to do what is written on their block. The first girl had to do 2 topless cartwheels. There is a lot of nudity, which is why they prohibit pics or video.

I walked off for a bit and when I returned, a guy dressed as a Monk had to strip naked.

When I came back by later in the game, a woman had knocked over the stack and was completely naked putting it back together again.

This came by and looked cool.

The campground bonfire is across the street from the Call of Booty campsite.

There is a little city in the campground.

Lots of food stands to serve late into the evening. One little, temporary convenience store stayed open until 3am.

Henna tattoos also.

I had a piece of pizza and it was hot, fresh and good.

I ran into another favorite pirate of mine. Philip is one of the best dressed that I’ve seen.

I always like to get a pic with him.

The next morning, there were still people at the bonfire area.

The Call of Booty campsite was cleaned up and looking like nothing had occurred there the night before.

I will close out my story about the campgrounds with another little bit.

I shot video of Solar Rain, who performed at the Call of Booty campsite. As I’m shooting video, a couple comes barging up through the crowd to end up near me on the rope. Then, they started bumping my elbow while I’m trying to film the act.

After I had finished filming a performer, I stopped the camera and turned to this couple and said, “I wish you wouldn’t bump my arm because I’m trying to shoot video of the performance.”

Did this couple heed my polite request? No.

They didn’t bump me anymore, but they did start talking shit while I was shooting the next performer. You can hear them on the video saying shit like, “Oh we wouldn’t want to fuck up the video.”

I’ve thought about this all week and decided that I won’t call them every name in the book here on my blog, but I wish I had told them, “If being an asshole was worth money, you two would be rich.”

I ended up turning the other cheek and walking off before I could film the finale of the act. Taking the high road keeps you out of jail but it still burns in your gut like acid when you can’t get satisfaction from telling someone off. Trust me, they deserved it and I’m quite sure the Karma train will run them over soon enough and probably back up.

The next morning, I was up early and got the first spot in the parking area.

I had a spot available on my rear window.

So I placed my Call of Booty sticker there. It goes well with everything else on there.

Some may not know that when I worked in auto racing, I was sent to NASCAR race car driving schools all over the U.S. I became quite good at driving a race car at high speeds around some of the most famous tracks in America, like the Daytona International Speedway and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500.

In the real world, this skill comes in handy when you’re running from the cops, lol.

The front gate Beefeaters have to pass a morning inspection by a patron.

Rudy getting ready to entertain the first arrivals to the festival.

All quiet before the rush of patrons.

The morning cannon.

These are the two gentlemen that fire the cannon.

The cast getting ready for the morning dance.

Queen Juana looking fantastic for Halloween weekend.

Love this pic.

Chris makes leather goods. He made the chest plate that he’s wearing.

I’m getting him to make me a new utility belt for next year.

Chris and Nuria are a nice couple that I’m happy to have met at TRF last season.

The morning dance with patrons.

The band.

A fun way to start the day.

Elizabeth had “Nice Pumpkins” painted on her chest by Lady Iris. She didn’t know what Lady Iris was writing but loved the results. So did I.

And yes, a close-up of that artwork.

I ran into Savannah and got a quick pic before she went on to work at her stand.

The staff of Ravenswood Leather.

I enjoy my pics with MJ.

I love her many head pieces.

New day, different pose.

Yet to try this, but will.

I gain weight just by looking at the pics of all the delicious food.

These look tasty.

The Thirsty Pirate Pub.

The pub has a cute staff also.

Before it gets crowded with festival goers enjoying the new pub and stage area.

I stopped by Big Hat Pirates booth again.

I was looking for Chris to discuss my utility belt, but he wasn’t there.

Lots of great merchandise.

A selfie in front of their mirror.

Kids love riding ponies. Fact.

Pam takes a good photo.

I plan to get the fried alligator again this year also.

Blaise always has a great smile.

Kelsey and Adrianna getting ready for a busy day.

Julie and Kylie, her daughter, are quite an eyeful. Both so beautiful.

Julie always deserves her own pic.

Love the face painting.

Lourdes makes a cute little devil with red horns.

Harley and Samantha. Great smiles.

I’d see a doctor about that discoloration.

Haley looks great even when she’s chilling.

The Red Lion Tavern staff is also very friendly. And they have great BBQ.

The Spanish Court.

Violet fire dances for Saxon Moon and also Solar Rain. I did get some of her performance in the campground before I walked off from that loser couple.

This guy has some good poses.

Erika always looks grand.

A craftsman at work in the Asgardian Armory.

Alex wears garb like this all through the season. I couldn’t take the cold.

Another favorite.

Greg has become a good friend over the last year and a half.

Becca also.

A great make-up job.

The altar on Sunday.

Jacob and Ewa at the Polish Pub.

Kasia with one of her workers.

I told Kasia that we look good in black. She agreed.

On this Sunday, I tried the Polish sausage from the Polish Pub and Kasia served me up a good one. It was hot and delicious.

Getting a program is a must in order to see as many shows as possible during your visit.

Savannah is a sweetheart of a girl.

This guy holds this pose for a lot of the day.

I ran into Jay. He told me last year that people were calling him Pothead because of the pot on his head. That’s all I call him now.

Some of the staff of the Wyrmwood Public House.

Jay had her face made up well. She said it took her an hour to do this.

Mickey went inside after this pic and made my kamikaze. When I received it, I handed him my card and said to add a $5 tip. He told me that this one was on him. Free kamikazes is an added bonus.