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Highland Fling Weekend at the TexRenFest 2022

Posted by Spider Michaels on November 24, 2022
Posted in: Cool Things, Entertainment, Houston, Partying, Renaissance Festivals, RenFaires, Special Events, Texas, Texas Renaissance Festival, The Holidays, Travel, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The seventh weekend at the Texas Renaissance Festival was themed as the Highland Fling and yes, there were a lot of kilts.

This is a story from my visits on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was a cold and wet day, but I made the trip to TRF anyway because I figured there would still be people there.

I arrived first again and got my usual parking spot.

I don’t usually promote the clothing company that much, but if you were interested in checking out the merchandise in the Contraband store, visit the link at the bottom of this post and click on Contraband. Lots of cool stuff.

Most may not have noticed in these photos, but my right rear hub cap fell out sometime back. I went to the dealership and had no luck. I came home and found a set of 4 for $19 on Amazon. Many times, people have bad things to say about Jeff Bezos, but he gave the world one of the best shopping websites ever.

There are a few superstitions at the TexRenFest. One is that people never say the “R” word in reference to bad weather. The previous weekend, I was talking to a TRF photographer and said, “This season has been great and no r….” He said to me, “We don’t say that word.”

I said the no-no word and sure enough, the next weekend we had r…. Lesson learned.

My morning pic on the throne.

One of the beefeaters, Jim, striking a good pose on the throne.

Rudy, about to entertain the early arriving patrons.

The cannon was fired under an awning because of the r….

Ravenswood Leather has one of the coolest buildings at TRF. The upstairs balcony if for employees only, but I’d like to go up there at least once.

The staff at Ravenswood is great and MJ is a really nice person.

All of the ladies look great posing with the merchandise. Here’s Mary looking great in her hat and fur.

I had on my STORM Factory jacket and also my STORM Factory raincoat. When I button up everything, I look like I weigh 250 pounds or that I’m pregnant, lol.

Mary had her hair down for a change and I complimented her about how nice it looked. She said that she usually wears it up so it doesn’t get unruly with the humid weather in Texas.

Kevin is a very stylish pirate and the only one I know that uses green as his predominant color with his garb. Love the hat.

I’m going to have to find a solution to the puffiness of my jackets because I don’t like looking like I just ate a whole cow.

Elaine always takes a good photo. I learned her name this weekend and she’s a favorite to photograph.

I learned Dex’s name also. I thought it the polite thing to do since I take his pic often.

I stop by the Thirsty Pirate Pub a few times each weekend day.

The staff are always willing to pose for a pic and I appreciate that. Such nice people and hard workers.

Shelly and Katy are two more people that I met this season.

Kylie never takes a bad photo. Some people are lucky like that.

Her mom, Julie, is the same way. All of the pics I take of her always look great.

Such and attractive mother and daughter. And both are really nice. I’m glad that I met them this season.

The Polish Pub is another of my regular stops each morning of the festival.

Kasia has great people working with her. Kasia has become a great new friend and I appreciate her friendship.

I said last week that I’d learn this girl’s name by this week. Meet Jenna.

The Cajun Booth has one of the friendliest staffs at TRF and they have great food.

I stopped by the Wyrmwood Public House and saw Allen at the front door, as usual.

Mickey made my kamikaze and it hit the spot on a cold and wet day.

I ran into Tim and Cameron again this weekend. They attend the festival several days of the season and always dress so well for the themed weekends.

Tim is very supportive of my efforts on social media and I appreciate that.

Sara and Abby from Catskill Mountain Moccasins.

I met Sara last year and we’ve stayed in touch via Facebook. She posts some funny stories.

Abby is Sara’s niece and I met her last season also. Abby Normal, lol.

Two tough dudes at the Asgardian Armory.

Erika has the best wardrobe and always looks fantastic every weekend.

Erika and Hyle.

I love Erika’s fur hat and I bet it’s very warm.

I’ll try and learn these young ladies’ names this upcoming weekend.

This is a fun-loving group. Very tight-knit.

The attendance was lower than usual because of the weather.

A little muddy in some areas.

Lots of rain gear and umbrellas.

Kelsey, Lourdes and Alex at the Steak on a Stick booth.

Lourdes let me try the boudin. She offered to cut it open for me but I ate it the traditional way and not with a fork. On this cold, wet day, it really warmed me up and tasted great.

The Steak on a Stick booth has a lot of great food items and the boudin is definitely one of their best.

Savannah works in the back area of the festival and I don’t always make it back there. It’s worth the walk to get her pic.

Catalina Longview always takes a good pic also.

I got a pic with Scott. Kurt Russell played Santa Claus in a movie and looks just like Scott. Scott plays Santa during the holidays.

I tried the chicken stir fry and it was good.

Good chicken, peppers and onions.

I stopped by Ravenswood Leather again and got Christina’s pic. A beautiful woman.

The patrons kept coming in, even though the weather stayed overcast all day.

I left about noon because there weren’t that many people in costume to photograph.

I snapped a pic of Willie on my way out. Such a character.

One of the funniest people at TRF.

The bad weather didn’t stop everybody from coming to the TexRenFest. Diehard fans.

This concludes the pics from Saturday.

On Sunday, the weather was still cold but not wet. First again.

If you arrive later in the day, it is a long walk from the parking area to the entrance plaza.

If you arrive early, it’s a short walk.

Such a great entrance plaza.

Much better weather than on Saturday.

A statue of the founder of TRF, George Coulam.

A great man and a visionary.

Morning throne pic.

An early morning pic with Willie. A good man.

The beefeaters of the Front Gate. They have a tough job overseeing all of the thousands that attend the TexRenFest.

Before thousands enter the festival.

The cannon was fired from its’ usual spot on this day.

Lady Iris paints the faces of TRF workers before the festival opens.

She has all of the many options for face-painting on a board so people can choose what they want.

There are many to choose from.

Lady Iris gave me a gift. It was a decorative spider and it is very cool.

Nuria as Queen Juana. Beautiful, as always.

The cast at TRF are so friendly and polite that it makes my job easier.

Rudy stays busy all day with playing his bagpipes for different occasions like weddings and the noon parade.

The morning dance with cast and patrons.

Ravenswood Leather shop has great merchandise to pose in front of.

MJ, Tori and Mary.

Mary is another photogenic person that I met at TRF this season.

I stopped by Elaine’s booth again on this day.

I learned Katherine’s name this weekend also. Very nice.

This pirate got her hat from Big Hat Pirates shop. It looks great.

Thirsty Pirate Pub.

Michelle, Michael, Shelly and Katy at the Pirate Pub.

I took some photos of the Polish Pub that I haven’t taken before.

It’s a great place to eat, drink and be entertained by their shows.

Hunters will appreciate this.

And this.

The Polish Pub is another place I discovered this season. TRF has many treasures to enjoy and this pub is one of them.

Ligia owns 15 booths at TRF, including the Polish Pub, the Thirsty Pirate Pub, the Red Lion Tavern and the whole Spanish section.

Her and Kasia are two new friends that I made this season. They are both great people and so hard-working. I respect them both and am proud to call them friends.

Ligia has a great group of people working with her.

People love Ligia and want to do a good job for her.

She is a Queen of the festival. This is her 46th year at TRF.

She started out making and selling empanadas. Her nickname is The Empanada lady.

TRF would not be as good without Ligia and her family’s hard work and efforts.

Jenna and Janie.

Kylie.

Kylie and Julie.

I enjoy stopping by to chat with Julie. It’s fun to hang out with her.

Rylie and Kylie. Two cuties.

Bri has a floof on her head. I learned that women wear floofs at the festival.

Kelsey and Alex.

Emily sells cool necklaces.

The staff of the Red Lion Tavern. Fun girls.

I saw a few Furries on this day.

My usual stop by the Wyrmwood. Notice Allen’s small hands.

The Wyrmwood also has an upstairs section.

I had Travis look up as I snapped this pic.

This girl’s name is Little Foot.

A pic with Travis.

These girls sing around the festival.

That’s a lot of faces to paint.

I’m always surprised to see guys going shirtless on really cold days. Not me. No way.

Abby and Sara.

Sara looks good in her fur.

Abby brightens my day when I see her.

TRF is a huge festival but I’ve managed to run into this couple on three different days. Nice people.

Erika, wearing a different fur hat on this day and looking great.

She is a favorite to photograph also.

Alex makes leather goods and is very talented.

He made what he’s wearing. Very nice.

Erika has been a favorite person of mine since last season when I first met her.

Alex and Erika.

Chelsea’s bird whistle stand.

She looks cute every day that I see her. One of my best friends at TRF.

Notice her floof.

A good group shot.

These ladies were having a lot of fun at the festival.

Better weather and a better crowd on this day.

No more mud to walk through.

More people in costume and no umbrellas.

I’m sure this guy liked the pic I took of him with the festival in the background.

A pirate and his main squeeze.

I started getting pics like this last season. It’s a great vantage point.

I ran into the King, who was playing golf.

This girl had on some cool pants. I asked her about them and she said that she made them.

The Spanish Court.

Getting a pic with Nuria is always on my list.

Lourdes let me try the fried shrimp and they were awesome.

Who doesn’t love good fried shrimp?

Tanya and Lourdes, two new friends.

This guy was balancing a beer on a stick on his head while playing the violin. Unbelievable.

Lots of great kilts during this weekend.

Elly was at the festival promoting different drinks. Nice girl and knows her stuff well.

They were giving out free samples in little plastic cups.

I talked with Elly for a while and she told me about their different drinks.

A good group shot.

One of my favorite pics from the weekend.

Love this pic.

I mentioned in last week’s blog post that I was going to try the fried alligator and this weekend, I did. Tastes like chicken, lol. Not really and it was delicious.

It should be on everyone’s list to try if they attend the festival.

The food stand areas always have a good crowd of people enjoying the great offerings.

With so many choices, there is something for everyone.

The Spanish section always has a lot of people getting some good food.

I also tried the chicken quesadilla on this day.

One of the best I’ve ever had. Ligia knows how to prepare great food.

Another favorite pic from the weekend.

Kilts and berets are always a good look.

This next weekend, I’m going to ask how much it costs to take a carriage ride around the festival.

Love this guy’s hair.

A much larger crowd than on Saturday.

More people equals more fun.

One of many photo ops at TRF.

Still coming in.

Lady Iris is always busy from before opening to close. And always smiling.

More Furries.

A smiling face to greet you as you leave for the day.

Such a long line to purchase a ticket.

I don’t know why these people wouldn’t buy their tickets online to avoid this long line.

Another successful day at the Texas Renaissance Festival.

This concludes this blog post. Look for another one next week for the last weekend of the festival.

To see the pics and videos from the festival, visit the site below and click on Photos.

http://www.TheSTORMFactory.com

Dickens on the Strand – 2021

Posted by Spider Michaels on February 23, 2022
Posted in: Christmas, Cool Things, Dickens on the Strand, Entertainment, Galveston, Houston, Special Events, Texas, The Holidays, Travel, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

This past December, I attended the Dickens on the Strand festival in Galveston, TX. It’s a great festival and I’ll show you that in this post.

If you follow me on social media, you know I like to arrive early when attending special events. It’s easier to park and I like to capture the beginning of the event with photos to add to the story of a day in attendance.

Here is a shot of the Strand. It’s a perfect place for a festival. They host a Mardi Gras celebration here also and you can read about that in another post of mine. I love how clean the street is. Nice job.

Here is the write up about the festival…

Dickens on the Strand is an annual Christmas festival organized by the Galveston Historical Foundation in Galveston, Texas occurring the first weekend in December. Established in 1974 and set against the historical backdrop of Galveston’s Strand, participants come to witness and relive the Charles Dickens era.

Here’s another write up…

For several years, Galveston’s Christmas festival Dickens on the Strand has been a big hit during the holiday season, drawing crowds of more than 35,000, according to Galveston Historical Foundation. 

One of the first things I noticed at DOTS was the trash can covers. It may seem trivial, but having the trash cans covered like this increases the aesthetic value of the festival. If you didn’t notice trash cans everywhere, it worked because they blended in.

I met Scott early in the morning that Saturday. He’s a balloon artist.

When I attend special events, I like to cover the food as well. This is Naji’s food stand.

He serves a variety of food and it all looks good.

He told me that he went through 11 cases of Turkey Legs in one day.

I asked Naji to make me a plate of just a few fried shrimp. He loaded me up and didn’t charge me.

The breakfast of champions.

The event has several street vendors and that gives it a great feel for a street festival.

Captain America. Very cool look.

On this Saturday, I saw this gentleman walking towards me and I stopped him for a pic. Take note of this because it will come up later in this post.

Lovely ladies.

These two guys had some really nice uniforms on. Thumbs up.

In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, from June 20th, 1837 until her death on January 22nd, 1901. 

A beautiful young lady in a beautiful dress.

Here is a write up about Dickens…

Charles Dickens, Charles John Huffam Dickens, (born February 7, 1812, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England – died June 9, 1870, Gad’s Hill, near Chatham, Kent), English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian era.

Even though DOTS is about the Dickens / Victorian era, you will see almost anything by way of costumes, outfits and garb.

Great dresses with matching hats. Very nice.

This woman is a Pony Express rider. I said I thought she was Calamity Jane. She said she gets that a lot. I think it’s the hat.

Here is the write up about Steampunk’s era…

The most common historical steampunk settings are the Victorian and Edwardian eras, though some in this “Victorian steampunk” category are set as early as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and as late as the end of World War I.

This guy did stunts like lie on a bed of nails. Interesting street performers help create a fun environment at DOTS.

This gentleman would give you a ride on the back of his conveyance. Notice how I didn’t say bicycle. That’s because I’m not sure what to call what he is riding.

And you will see Pirates at the festival.

Lots of Bobbies at DOTS.

Here is the write up about Bobbies…

Bobby, slang term for a member of London’s Metropolitan Police derived from the name of Sir Robert “Bob” Peel, who established the force in 1829. Police officers in London are also known as “peelers” for the same reason.

I came across a few Santas.

Notice her Steampunk goggles and corset. Cute girl, good look.

There was even a place to play a game of Cricket.

Here’s another gentleman offering rides.

Creative uses for the same material.

The Queen and her Court.

The beggars are a favorite of mine to photograph. The baby with black marks on his face is cute.

The festival has several groups that sing throughout the day. Great voices and great outfits.

I came across the Queen talking with Charles Dickens. She was giving him what for because he missed her party. Funny exchange.

He then read a selection for the audience. This guy looks a lot like Charles Dickens.

Here is the real Dickens for your comparison.

Father Christmas.

Great outfits and pith helmets. With Steampunk goggles as well.

My favorite Steampunk couple.

Completely awesome.

Charles Dickens wrote fifteen novels.  He also wrote short stories, essays, articles and novellas.

Bobbies on this stand gave helpful info and offered great photos.

The girl in the shades struck a great pose.

Steampunk goggles.

Great beggar pose.

Steampunk is a favorite of mine and I love how creative people get with it.

One cute Pirate.

Beautiful dresses and parasols.

Attending DOTS is like Time Traveling. I love walking down the Strand and seeing all kinds of people. Pirates may be my favorite.

Another favorite beggar family.

I took several photos of the different choirs. One mother saw a photo on my site where I had captured her 2 daughters with their choir. She then donated to our charity foundation because she was so pleased.

I met Tony at the Texas Renaissance Festival and then again at DOTS. Great Steampunk look.

A stand sold these mugs and then you could fill up the rest of the day for free.

Three lovely ladies having a fun time.

“Get your damned dirty hands off of my wine.”

Bobbies are always unarmed and only carry a Night Stick. When they were created, it was decided to try and differentiate them from the British Military, which was viewed with some hostility.

Another parasol in this next pic.

What is the difference between an umbrella and a parasol?

Generally, an umbrella has a curved handle to allow for easy grip and storage. A parasol, however, (in Latin para for “shelter or shield” and sol “sun”) is typically constructed from more delicate fabrics such as lace, cotton, silk, linen, canvas and plastic.

The steam from his jet pack is really awesome. Great pic of a cool couple.

A good looking and sounding choir.

A fun-loving girl here.

I’ve photographed this couple at the TexRenFest also.

A beautiful woman in a great hat and outfit.

Choirs add to the great atmosphere of the festival.

Lovely hats and great sashes.

Pirates make any party better.

Plenty of food options at the festival.

Everyone has a great time at DOTS. Great parasol in the background.

Street performers are a great addition and they entertain a lot of people.

How do you make a Pirate mad?

Take away the P.

A Steampunk Santa and Mrs. Claus. Very cool indeed.

Another great pic of a beautiful woman.

It takes a lot of talent to walk on stilts. My hat is off to her.

A Bobby told me that I had a ‘Get out of Jail’ card for the day. I never needed it.

A fun pic.

This is one stylish couple.

The phrase “what the dickens,” first mentioned in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, was a euphemism for conjuring the devil.

Charles Dickens first wrote under the name of Boz because he didn’t want any negative references to the devil.

Once his work became known by the public, he used his real name.

Dickens owned a beloved raven he named Grip, and it even appears as a character in his novel Barnaby Rudge.

Following the bird’s death from eating lead paint chips later that year, Dickens replaced it with another raven, also called Grip, which was allegedly the inspiration behind Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.”

A great looking group of friends enjoying the festival.

Edgar Allan Poe made an appearance at the festival. Here is the write up about Poe…

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States, and of American literature.

This guy did a a great job with his recitation of Poe’s work.

These next pics are from the Sunday of the festival.

Naji hooked me up with something for breakfast.

Beefeaters out in full-force.

A favorite of mine from the event.

My favorite beggar family.

Pirates and vampires. Ya gotta love DOTS.

What do you call a Pirate with both eyes and both legs?

A rookie.

Another write up about Dickens…

Early in 1843, as a response to a government report on the abuse of child laborers in mines and factories, Dickens vowed he would strike a “sledge-hammer blow… on behalf of the Poor Man’s Child.”

That sledge-hammer was ‘A Christmas Carol’.

I happen to catch the Queen and her procession heading down the Strand. Great pic.

This gentleman on the left said he didn’t care for Pirates, so I told him I was a Privateer. All good Pirates know how to lie.

Another great performer at the festival.

I ran into this couple again on Sunday.

He’ll always get a close-up. He looks that good.

In addition to ravens, Dickens loved cats.

When his cat, Bob, died in 1862, he had its’ paw stuffed and mounted to an ivory letter opener and engraved with “C.D., In memory of Bob, 1862.” The letter opener is now on display at the Berg Collection of English and American Literature at the New York Public Library.

The Ghost of Christmas Past.

A beautiful family in great clothes.

Very stylish.

A Pirate and the cutest little dog.

Okay, now for an explanation. That gentleman that I photographed on Saturday turned out to be the great, great, great grandson of Charles Dickens.

Here’s Ollie Dickens on the left and the gentleman playing Charles Dickens.

The little dog steals the show.

Talent abounds at DOTS.

Lazy slackers, lol.

This guy played a great Edgar Allan Poe. Hat’s off to him as well.

Now for my pics from Sunday.

Here I am with Scott. He made a lot of money making balloon figures.

Father Christmas.

With the Queen.

One of my favorite pics from the weekend.

Chuck and I.

Another fav of mine with Ollie DIckens.

Well, that’s it for Dickens on the Strand – 2021. To see all of my photos, go to the link below and click on Photos. Enjoy.

And remember…

Always be yourself… unless you can be a Pirate, then always be a Pirate.

Spider 113

https://TheSTORMFactory.com

Meet Houston’s Tan Man

Posted by Spider Michaels on February 4, 2022
Posted in: Comic Con, Cool Things, Entertainment, Houston, Renaissance Festivals, RenFaires, Special Events, Texas, Texas Renaissance Festival, Travel, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

I first met Phil Brayton a few years back, at a comicon in Houston. He was dressed as his Barbarian character. I knew that when I saw him, I immediately wanted to get his photo. This first photo is from the first time I ever met Phil.

When I decided to work several weekends at the Texas Renaissance Festival, I didn’t expect to see Phil there. When I walked inside the gates of TRF, he was one of the first people that I saw. This next pic is from that first encounter at the TexRenFest.

Phil has been working at TRF for 12 years. In the mornings, he poses as his Barbarian character, then after the noon parade, he comes out as Tan Man.

He is 6’6″ and 325 pounds… a mountain of a man.

Phil is called a Badged Entertainer and there are only 5 at TRF.

His Barbarian character is the 3rd highest photographed person at the TexRenFest and his Tan Man character is in the Top Ten in photos taken of him.

I tried to get a pic with Phil each time that I saw him.

Out of the many people that I met at TRF, Phil is one of the nicest. He was always so complimentary of me and the way I dressed.

At one point, he said I was the Best Dressed Photographer at the TexRenFest.

Phil started out his career working in the Medical Field. Then, in his late 30’s, he switched to Mortuary Science and has been working in that calling for over 25 years.

As you can tell, Phil is a real life character.

He also plays Donald Trump. Phil is a Social Media Influencer that works in New Orleans, Houston and Galveston.

He plays Capt. Jazz, the Ghost of Christmas Present, the Barbarian, the Mountain Man and also Houston’s Tan Man.

Phil went to a White Linen party in the Heights of Houston years ago and a friend started calling him Tan Man and the name stuck.

Phil is known far and wide by many thousands of people and also has thousands of Followers on his social media accounts.

Here’s a pic of Phil with some friends at the White Linen Party.

They made the paper with the caption, ‘Life of the Party’. No truer words have ever been printed.

Phil has been in the media spotlight for several years now and been a part of many Promos for a lot of events.

Here he is for the Super Bowl that was hosted in Houston.

Every major social media influencer has been a part of a meme.

Here he is as the Ghost of Christmas Present during Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, TX.

He also has hundreds of thousands of views for his videos.

The Marlboro Man at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The Undertaker with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Here he is at the Lone Star Motorcycle Rally in Galveston.

At Saint Arnold’s Brewery with the owners.

Mountain Man at the Houston Rodeo BBQ Cook Off.

Mister Astro with some babes.

Here is a pic of Phil while working in his calling.

As I stated earlier, I’ve met many people in my line of work and Phil is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He’s fun-loving, carefree and always so kind.

I asked Phil what it is that he could say about working at the Texas Renaissance Festival and he said this… “I love working at TRF because it is a Judgement-Free Zone. You could be a 500 pound man wearing a Tutu and you will be the most popular guy there.”

My hat goes off to people like Phil who live life to the fullest and get the most out of our time here on this planet. I look forward to seeing and photographing Phil many more times in the future.

Cheers to Phil Brayton for just being himself.

Spider 113

Phil Brayton Fan

Thanx for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. To see all of the 3,105 pics and videos from the TexRenFest 2021, click on the link below and go to Photos.

And remember…

“Always be yourself… unless you can be a Pirate, then always be a Pirate.”

Spider Michaels

The STORM Factory

https://TheSTORMFactory.com

https://Facebook.com/TheSTORMFactoryUSA

Celtic Christmas at the TexRenFest 2021

Posted by Spider Michaels on February 4, 2022
Posted in: Christmas, Comic Con, Cool Things, Entertainment, Houston, Partying, Renaissance Festivals, RenFaires, Special Events, Texas, Texas Renaissance Festival, The Holidays, Travel, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

This is a post about the last weekend of the Texas Renaissance Festival. I attended 6 out of 8 weekends and enjoyed myself, thoroughly. I met some great people, ate a lot of good food, saw some great shows and got a lot of pics and videos.

For the last weekend of the festival, Celtic Christmas, I ended up with 734 pics. For the entire 6 weekends that I attended, I added a total of 3,105 photos from the event.

I arrived first at the festival again on this Friday after Thanksgiving. These first pics are from that Friday.

I enjoy seeing the Front Gate Plaza early in the morning. There is something peaceful about knowing that as quiet as it is it will get so much more exciting as the day goes on.

I have a special project that I’ll be working on soon that is about the TexRenFest. This may be the cover photo.

I’ll let you know when the project is ready to view. Should be late Spring or Early Summer of 2022. I think many people will enjoy reading my book about my adventures at TRF for 2021. The book will have hundreds of pics from the event with lots of great costumes, outfits and garb, as well as some fun-loving, great characters and patrons.

Hamish McGregor always has the early morning guests entertained with his pipe playing and entertaining stories and jokes.

Rudy does a great job as Hamish and is a well-loved character at the festival.

Hard to believe that about 500,000 people will pass through these gates in 8 weekends.

Always buy a program. These girls and guys are usually the first people you meet in the Plaza and once inside the Front Gate. And they’re always happy to see you.

Queen Isabella looked very good in front of the Christmas tree at the front. Nuria is one of my favorite people to see at TRF.

I love the creativity that goes into some of the costumes and outfits worn by the cast and crew. They help create the fantasy world of the TexRenFest.

Erin as Glinda the Good and the Spanish King.

Katrina as a Bride of Frankenstein.

Micah as Crayon. The kids love her and many come back by at the end of the day to say goodbye to her. We wish Micah luck with her career in the Navy and look forward to her return to the festival one day.

Micah always gave me some great pics.

She was one of the people that I gave the close-up treatment to because I enjoyed her pic so much.

Jade is another person that always gets the close-up treatment. Jade is one of my favorite characters at TRF. I love the effort she puts in to create her face and overall look.

Two very pretty ladies.

I stopped by to see these ladies at a food stand and snapped their pic. I love that all of the workers at the festival like having their photo taken.

I bought the crab cakes from them for breakfast. They were hot and good.

I enjoyed photographing the Pickle Vendors. And I ate a few pickles as well. Always delicious.

I learned of a pizza place in the village and found it this last weekend. The pizza is great and one of my new favorite places to eat.

Lilly always looked so pretty. I loved watching her dance to the music of Tartanic.

I ran into Tony again. And this time, he was Elfis. What a funny outfit and great name. Very creative.

The ears look great and a green mustache with those glasses tops this look off.

Elvis would be proud.

It looks like Tony would be saying, “Hey, Baby. What’s shakin’?””

I took Alan’s pic a few times. He works the door at the Wyrmwood Public House. The best bar in the village.

Mickey made my daily kamikaze.

I look forward to TRF 2022 and seeing all of my new friends again.

I love purple and this singing duo rock it. The Minstrel Rav’n always looked great.

This family was having a fun time.

And she deserved a close-up treatment.

Monsieur Bunny, or Daddy as he prefers. I have lived a long life and never had to call anyone Daddy… until now, lol.

Next TRF, I plan to try the coconuts.

Cute workers always with a smile to greet you.

Who doesn’t like a nice kilt?

Kevin was always fun to photograph.

This is a good pose and a nice pic of him.

What’s better than a pic of a Pirate? A pic of two Pirates.

Hercules brought out his fur for the last weekend because it was a little chilly.

Always get the wings in the frame.

Krampus made an appearance.

If a dad dressed like this for Christmas morning to surprise his kids… he’d scar them for life, haha.

Skidmark was looking festive.

A working man in his office.

A great group shot.

Erika always looked so beautiful.

Greg and Sara were so nice to me during the TexRenFest and I look forward to spending time with them again the next festival.

Haley looked great in her Christmas outfit. The word on the top of her head is ‘Naughty’.

I bet Santa would still give her some gifts though.

I like this guy’s blue, leather vest. Very nice. And he was always nice enough to pose for me.

A Pirate Santa. Good Look.

I met Pam while I was working the festival. She was a lot of fun to hang out with.

The crew of the Sea Devil bar.

Blaze looked happy to be at work on this Friday.

While working at TRF, you make some great friends and lasting relationships.

Big Pirate hats always look god.

Hamish McGregor and a friend singing a tune while in the village.

More good friends.

My favorite Krampus and St. Nicholas. Nice guys and fun to shoot.

And deserving of a close-up.

Great Promo Gal and she loves her job.

One stylish gentleman. I’d definitely wear these clothes. Very sharp.

Another St. Nicholas and his lady.

Jesus and Santa. I photographed Jesus and Satan a few weeks earlier than this.

One of my favorite pics out of all of the TRF photos. He’ll enjoy this pic for years of him and his little boy.

Greg and I in the Catskill Mountain Moccasins booth, number 212.

And with the ever beautiful, Sara.

Now, we’re on to the pics from Saturday of the Celtic Christmas weekend. I was there first again.

The entrance to a great fantasy world where you’re free to be whatever and whomever.

As you can tell, I love this view.

The gates to fun and frivolity.

A lot of people will come down this walkway on this day.

Another cold day in the village.

Ready for action.

Playing his pipes.

Micah as Crayon. So cute.

Micah is full of energy and so fun-loving.

Erin, looking splendid, as usual.

One of Hercules’ best poses for me. He has a good double bicep pose.

Pennywise was a favorite of mine to photograph.

This was the first weekend that she didn’t wear a mask and she looked awesome.

Her face make-up is so great. And close-up material.

Jade, looking her best.

She never disappoints.

In the early morning, right after I enter the Kingdom, I usually get a lot of photos of the characters. This beautiful girl was fun to shoot also.

Phil Brayton was always a pleasure to run into. Through some stats, I learned that Phil’s Barbarian character is the 3rd most photographed person at TRF. And his Tan Man character is in the Top Ten.

I had kolaches and milk from the Queen’s Pantry on this Saturday morning. Always a good start to my day.

MJ and a co-worker. I bought a nice hip pouch from them that I use quite often now. Great quality.

Some very fun ladies.

Kazoo Orchestra.

Skidmark is one character I really enjoy watching work. He’s extremely entertaining.

One time, a guy told me to focus my pics on the beautiful girls. I told him I had that covered. Case in point, this photo.

These 2 characters always enjoyed posing for me and I thank them for that.

Daddy in his element.

Leos is more of man than I am. I even wore Long Johns on this day and he went shirtless.

Lilly, looking fabulous.

Haley with a different Christmas outfit and always looking cute.

This girl’s mother told me where she worked so I could go get her photo. It came out great.

I had several bowls of etouffee from Blaze’s booth.

The crew of the Sea Devil bar. Another good pic fo their gang.

Family pics are fun.

A really good Grinch.

She gave me some advice and it was really bad.

Pirates are always fun to photograph.

Sara and Abby.

Booth 212 – Catskill Mountain Moccasins.

Another good crew photo.

Paolo entertaining the crowd.

The Spanish Court.

Another pic of this beautiful redhead. Her hat is awesome.

A fun group to shoot.

I had to get a pic of these two.

Apollo promoting their show.

Blaze and a friend.

I ran into Tony again on Saturday and this time I got some better pics.

His shoes were very cool.

I only had a few people refuse to pose for me during my time working the festival. I’m glad this girl decided to pose for me.

How much does it cost a Pirate to pierce his ears?

A buck an ear.

A festive group that was enjoying their day at TRF.

She has a great hat and looks good in it.

Eye contacts can always improve a look.

Another great Grinch.

Abby in a good-looking outfit.

The only Christmas tree that I photographed.

I love these guys.

Gruesome.

The stuff of nightmares.

Two more cute food stand workers.

A smiling group shot.

You gotta love seeing people having a good time.

Another festive group.

Cute Pirates are always a pleasure to run into and photograph.

And deserving of a close-up.

One of my favorite poses. Love the hat.

Talent in the village abounds.

I love the hat on the far right.

Now for my pics from Saturday. Big Phil and I.

I’ve got a tough job, lol.

Sara and I.

Abby was fun to pose with.

Greg always had on great garb.

I would leave everyday about 2 or 3pm and I always saw more people coming in.

My view when I leave.

These next pics are from Sunday, the last day of TRF for 2021. I like that the plaza always looks so clean.

I’m already looking forward to going back this next year.

My last pic with Willy for the year.

Another chilly day in the village.

I was asked to shoot the group shot for the Front Gate staff and it came out great.

Leo was nice enough to let me into the Kingdom early a few days and I appreciated that.

Nuria always took a good photo.

You’ll notice a lot of smiling faces in my pics.

I intend to interview Jade next season to learn more about her character and other things like how long it takes her to get ready.

I’d be curious to know how long it takes to do her face make-up.

Micah was a natural with the kids and an asset for the Texas Renaissance Festival.

I’ll miss getting her pics while she’s in the Navy, but I respect her service to our country.

She’ll do the USA proud.

A regal gentleman. It’s good to be the King.

I ran into Phil in another area and snapped his pic one last time for 2021.

This girl always had a great pose.

Case in point.

The staff at my favorite pizza place.

These girls looks festive in their Santa’s Helpers outfits.

Alex was fun to shoot and I look forward to seeing her next season.

Next season at TRF, I’ll focus more on the food.

Lots of characters working the food booths also.

It’s hard not to be hungry as you walk around because the food all looks and smells so good.

I tried some of the chicken.

Delicious.

Another great outfit.

Love the headdress.

How do pickles enjoy the day out?

They relish it.

One fabulous costume.

The ears, the hair, the horns, the make-up… all fantastic.

Why would you expect the coconuts vendors to pose funny?

You tell me, lol.

This look takes some time. Great job.

I look forward to going back to the Glory Hole for my morning beer.

Great horns and a great pic.

The Sea Devil is a great place to get some good pics.

Case in point.

Blaze was a redhead this last day of the festival and looked great.

Her co-worker looked great as well.

This crew asked me to take their staff photo and I was happy to do it.

Alex always looked cute.

Easy to see why I always passed by their booth for photos.

A really good face make-up job.

Another time-consuming job, but well worth it when you see the final look.

How do Pirates prefer to communicate?

Aye to aye.

Another lady that works with Tartanic along with Lilly.

A great Santa.

With a funny close-up.

Paolo playing some tunes.

Alan looking quite sharp.

Erika looked great the first day I photographed her and to this last day.

Melissa and Vebecka while at work in the Asgardian Armory, booth number 211.

The staff that works for Shiva. Great clothes.

I look forward to seeing Violet next season also. She’s a great Fire Dancer.

And gets a close-up.

Next season, I’m going to try and shoot over 4,000 pics. I’ll be attending all 8 weekends with no bad luck and I think I can do it, plus, I’ll have assistants.

I bet they were warm on this cold day.

I plan on shooting lots more videos also.

I’m looking forward to spending more time with Pam. She’s a lot of fun to hang out with.

How did the Pirate call his mate?

On an Aye Phone.

This King has some great looking rings.

I saw more furries on this last weekend.

Hercules saved his best pose for the last day of the festival.

These two girls worked at a food stand but were enjoying the last day as patrons.

This is the last person that I photographed at TRF for 2021 and I snapped it as I was walking to my Tahoe. 3,105th pic.

Now for my pics from the last day. Rudy was one of the nicer people that I met at TRF.

I imagine Jade gets photographed quite a lot. Gotta be in the top 5 of all the characters.

I’ll have a special post about Phil coming up soon. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Blaze is wearing one of my STORM Factory beanies, just backwards while she was working.

My last pic with Erika.

Many thanks to Greg for his hospitality towards me during the 2021 TRF season.

A pic with Shelbelle Shamrock on the Wyrmwood patio.

My last pic with a character at TRF for 2021.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Texas Renaissance Festival and I’m looking forward to going back this next season. Many thanks to everyone that posed for and with me. It was a lot of work, a lot of driving and long hours of walking and also working on the computer, but I loved every minute of it.

Hope to see some familiar faces at the next TexRenFest and if you see us, come say hi and get a pic.

Thanx for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. To see all of the 3,105 pics and videos from the TexRenFest 2021, click on the link below and go to Photos.

And remember…

“Always be yourself… unless you can be a Pirate, then always be a Pirate.”

Spider Michaels

The STORM Factory

https://TheSTORMFactory.com

https://Facebook.com/TheSTORMFactoryUSA

Highland Fling Weekend at the TexRenFest 2021

Posted by Spider Michaels on January 4, 2022
Posted in: Cool Things, Drinking, Entertainment, Houston, Life, Partying, Renaissance Festivals, RenFaires, Special Events, Texas, Texas Renaissance Festival, Travel, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The fifth weekend that I attended the Texas Renaissance Festival was the Highland Fling weekend. This was my first time visiting the Kingdom on this weekend and I didn’t know what I was in for.

I had an assistant working with me this weekend, so you’ll see some behind the scenes shots of what it is that I do at TRF. These first pics are from the Saturday of the Highland Fling weekend.

I climb up on the King’s throne to get these pics.

At TRF, there is regular parking that is free. With this free parking, sometimes it is a helluva long walk to the festival and then back to your car.

There’s also Preferred Parking, which costs $20. I did that one day and liked the proximity to the front entrance of the festival. And after a long day of walking, having a short walk to my Tahoe is a blessing.

TRF also has Handicap Parking for free and also Valet Parking for $40. The pic below is of the valet area before anyone showed up. It is right near the front gates. I mean, right there.

I was able to get my assistant to snap a pic of me on the throne. It’s not as easy to get up there as you would think.

We ran into this guy at the front entrance area. When I asked for his pic, he struck this pose.

Then, he put on his goggles, extended his wings and struck another pose for us. Impressive is a good word for his look.

Pennywise was right inside of the front gates and I was glad to get her photo. She must have a party size can of helium to have a fresh red balloon every morning. It completes the whole picture.

Tinker Bell was always a lot of fun to photograph. I see the TRF characters from early in the morning until the afternoon. They are always energetic, in character and having fun.

It takes a special type of person to work as a character at the TexRenFest and they have a lot of special people on staff, Tinker Bell being one for sure.

I’m quite sure that there were 2 different girls playing this role. They were good characters and always happily posed for myself and my assistant.

The guy in the middle knows how to pose to make a statement. He was always fun to photograph and gave us some good pics.

After spending some time near the front gates, my assistant, Ryan, and I headed to what I call ‘Food Stand Row’. There are several food stands lined up and next to each other. I would walk down this row and get pics of all of the people working in said stands.

This day, Blaze was wearing glasses.

And we took some pics without them. Blaze knows how to pose to create a good picture.

If anyone gets a close-up, it’s Blaze.

After taking some pics, Ryan and I ordered what would be called Brunch because we ate between breakfast and lunch.

This photo of Blaze serving hot, delicious food is a favorite of mine because it says a lot about the festival in one pic.

On the left is crawfish etouffee and on the right is shrimp etouffee. We enjoyed this meal and headed to the Sea Devil area for a morning beer.

Amanda was there to serve them to us. The little bar that she works at is called ‘The Glory Hole’. That’s really funny.

This is a shot that I’m proud of. They each spent a lot of money on their clothing and hats to look this good. Kudos.

The staff at the Sea Devil bar were always up for a photo. They have a good job at TRF. They work at one of the coolest places to hang out, there’s a live band that plays right in front of them and everybody loves a bartender serving good drinks.

As a note, I bought some Honey Mead from the Sea Devil bar. I think I’ll need to drink some more before I give it a thumbs up or down. One small plastic cup isn’t enough for a fair review.

These 2 girls are good friends and it shows. Fun pic.