Having a fashionable body type has always been a requirement to be a conventionally attractive and stylish woman, to the point that women must  constantly shape their bodies to fit societal expectations. Thin was in from the ‘90s to early 2000s, until the “BBL body” replaced it in the late 2000s and 2010s. Over the past five years, thinness is back in, and Ozempic is making it more achievable than ever. Whether the ideal is to be as small or curvy as possible, society expects women to utilize drastic measures from diets to surgery in order to keep up. 

Having a fashionable silhouette is nothing new in fashion, but the expectation that a person’s silhouette must change rather than the structure of the clothing is a new phenomenon. Historically speaking, women used foundational garments to build the ideal shape around the body. 16th century stays created a conical torso, farthingales emphasized the hips in the 17th century and S-bend corsets gave Edwardian women the Gibson girl body. Now, instead of having support garments that build the desired shape around us, we go to extreme physical lengths to transform our bodies. 

The intense changes in the ideal body type for women over the past several decades has changed drastically from extremely thin, to a specific type of curvy, back to skinny. The popularity of drastic measures such as surgery and extreme diets to achieve the ideal of the time reflect the intense pressure to conform. 

Many remember the early 2000s for the intense diet culture, especially new fad diets gaining popularity on a seemingly monthly basis. As the ideal shifted curvier, the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) gained popularity. Holding the title of the deadliest cosmetic procedure performed today, the number of BBL’s grew over 90% from 2015 to 2019. People were willing to risk their lives to achieve a so-called “perfect body,” yet it was only perfect for a few years. 

But, as the ideal body has shifted back to a small frame, GLP-1 medications make thinness available for purchase. Costing upwards of $1000 per month, the number of American adults on these medications has almost doubled annually for the past six years. Millions reach for surgical or prescription solutions to the problem of having an unfashionable body type, showing the danger of a body type being “trendy.”

The expectation  to align with the beauty standard, in combination with the rise of fast fashion replacing custom-fitted garments, creates feelings of shame when clothes don’t fit perfectly. The clothes are made to fit very generalized proportions, and in turn, the clothes are unlikely to fit most people completely perfectly. . If an article of clothing is too small, too short, too baggy or somehow all of the above at the same time, it can feel like it is your fault, rather than the fault of the garment.

The root cause of this shame is the very idea that body types are trendy. The “trendiness” of body types is inherently rooted in the patriarchy and its aim to control women through conformity, and it succeeds at controlling women to this day. 

If you are trying on clothes and they fit strangely (or not at all), it is not your fault. It is the fault of the globalization of fast fashion, the toxic body trend cycle and the patriarchy’s perpetual aim to control women. Your clothes are meant to fit you, you are not meant to change to fit into them.

The post Your clothes are meant to fit you, not the other way around appeared first on Technique.

Having a fashionable body type has always been a requirement to be a conventionally attractive and stylish woman, to the point that women must  constantly shape their bodies to fit societal expectations. Thin was in from the ‘90s to early 2000s, until the “BBL body” replaced it in the late 2000s and 2010s. Over the past five years, thinness is back in, and Ozempic is making it more achievable than ever. Whether the ideal is to be as small or curvy as possible, society expects women to utilize drastic measures from diets to surgery in order to keep up. 

Having a fashionable silhouette is nothing new in fashion, but the expectation that a person’s silhouette must change rather than the structure of the clothing is a new phenomenon. Historically speaking, women used foundational garments to build the ideal shape around the body. 16th century stays created a conical torso, farthingales emphasized the hips in the 17th century and S-bend corsets gave Edwardian women the Gibson girl body. Now, instead of having support garments that build the desired shape around us, we go to extreme physical lengths to transform our bodies. 

The intense changes in the ideal body type for women over the past several decades has changed drastically from extremely thin, to a specific type of curvy, back to skinny. The popularity of drastic measures such as surgery and extreme diets to achieve the ideal of the time reflect the intense pressure to conform. 

Many remember the early 2000s for the intense diet culture, especially new fad diets gaining popularity on a seemingly monthly basis. As the ideal shifted curvier, the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) gained popularity. Holding the title of the deadliest cosmetic procedure performed today, the number of BBL’s grew over 90% from 2015 to 2019. People were willing to risk their lives to achieve a so-called “perfect body,” yet it was only perfect for a few years. 

But, as the ideal body has shifted back to a small frame, GLP-1 medications make thinness available for purchase. Costing upwards of $1000 per month, the number of American adults on these medications has almost doubled annually for the past six years. Millions reach for surgical or prescription solutions to the problem of having an unfashionable body type, showing the danger of a body type being “trendy.”

The expectation  to align with the beauty standard, in combination with the rise of fast fashion replacing custom-fitted garments, creates feelings of shame when clothes don’t fit perfectly. The clothes are made to fit very generalized proportions, and in turn, the clothes are unlikely to fit most people completely perfectly. . If an article of clothing is too small, too short, too baggy or somehow all of the above at the same time, it can feel like it is your fault, rather than the fault of the garment.

The root cause of this shame is the very idea that body types are trendy. The “trendiness” of body types is inherently rooted in the patriarchy and its aim to control women through conformity, and it succeeds at controlling women to this day. 

If you are trying on clothes and they fit strangely (or not at all), it is not your fault. It is the fault of the globalization of fast fashion, the toxic body trend cycle and the patriarchy’s perpetual aim to control women. Your clothes are meant to fit you, you are not meant to change to fit into them.

The post Your clothes are meant to fit you, not the other way around appeared first on Technique.

Having a fashionable body type has always been a requirement to be a conventionally attractive and stylish woman, to the point that women must  constantly shape their bodies to fit societal expectations. Thin was in from the ‘90s to early 2000s, until the “BBL body” replaced it in the late 2000s and 2010s. Over the past five years, thinness is back in, and Ozempic is making it more achievable than ever. Whether the ideal is to be as small or curvy as possible, society expects women to utilize drastic measures from diets to surgery in order to keep up. 

Having a fashionable silhouette is nothing new in fashion, but the expectation that a person’s silhouette must change rather than the structure of the clothing is a new phenomenon. Historically speaking, women used foundational garments to build the ideal shape around the body. 16th century stays created a conical torso, farthingales emphasized the hips in the 17th century and S-bend corsets gave Edwardian women the Gibson girl body. Now, instead of having support garments that build the desired shape around us, we go to extreme physical lengths to transform our bodies. 

The intense changes in the ideal body type for women over the past several decades has changed drastically from extremely thin, to a specific type of curvy, back to skinny. The popularity of drastic measures such as surgery and extreme diets to achieve the ideal of the time reflect the intense pressure to conform. 

Many remember the early 2000s for the intense diet culture, especially new fad diets gaining popularity on a seemingly monthly basis. As the ideal shifted curvier, the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) gained popularity. Holding the title of the deadliest cosmetic procedure performed today, the number of BBL’s grew over 90% from 2015 to 2019. People were willing to risk their lives to achieve a so-called “perfect body,” yet it was only perfect for a few years. 

But, as the ideal body has shifted back to a small frame, GLP-1 medications make thinness available for purchase. Costing upwards of $1000 per month, the number of American adults on these medications has almost doubled annually for the past six years. Millions reach for surgical or prescription solutions to the problem of having an unfashionable body type, showing the danger of a body type being “trendy.”

The expectation  to align with the beauty standard, in combination with the rise of fast fashion replacing custom-fitted garments, creates feelings of shame when clothes don’t fit perfectly. The clothes are made to fit very generalized proportions, and in turn, the clothes are unlikely to fit most people completely perfectly. . If an article of clothing is too small, too short, too baggy or somehow all of the above at the same time, it can feel like it is your fault, rather than the fault of the garment.

The root cause of this shame is the very idea that body types are trendy. The “trendiness” of body types is inherently rooted in the patriarchy and its aim to control women through conformity, and it succeeds at controlling women to this day. 

If you are trying on clothes and they fit strangely (or not at all), it is not your fault. It is the fault of the globalization of fast fashion, the toxic body trend cycle and the patriarchy’s perpetual aim to control women. Your clothes are meant to fit you, you are not meant to change to fit into them.

The post Your clothes are meant to fit you, not the other way around appeared first on Technique.

Having a fashionable body type has always been a requirement to be a conventionally attractive and stylish woman, to the point that women must  constantly shape their bodies to fit societal expectations. Thin was in from the ‘90s to early 2000s, until the “BBL body” replaced it in the late 2000s and 2010s. Over the past five years, thinness is back in, and Ozempic is making it more achievable than ever. Whether the ideal is to be as small or curvy as possible, society expects women to utilize drastic measures from diets to surgery in order to keep up. 

Having a fashionable silhouette is nothing new in fashion, but the expectation that a person’s silhouette must change rather than the structure of the clothing is a new phenomenon. Historically speaking, women used foundational garments to build the ideal shape around the body. 16th century stays created a conical torso, farthingales emphasized the hips in the 17th century and S-bend corsets gave Edwardian women the Gibson girl body. Now, instead of having support garments that build the desired shape around us, we go to extreme physical lengths to transform our bodies. 

The intense changes in the ideal body type for women over the past several decades has changed drastically from extremely thin, to a specific type of curvy, back to skinny. The popularity of drastic measures such as surgery and extreme diets to achieve the ideal of the time reflect the intense pressure to conform. 

Many remember the early 2000s for the intense diet culture, especially new fad diets gaining popularity on a seemingly monthly basis. As the ideal shifted curvier, the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) gained popularity. Holding the title of the deadliest cosmetic procedure performed today, the number of BBL’s grew over 90% from 2015 to 2019. People were willing to risk their lives to achieve a so-called “perfect body,” yet it was only perfect for a few years. 

But, as the ideal body has shifted back to a small frame, GLP-1 medications make thinness available for purchase. Costing upwards of $1000 per month, the number of American adults on these medications has almost doubled annually for the past six years. Millions reach for surgical or prescription solutions to the problem of having an unfashionable body type, showing the danger of a body type being “trendy.”

The expectation  to align with the beauty standard, in combination with the rise of fast fashion replacing custom-fitted garments, creates feelings of shame when clothes don’t fit perfectly. The clothes are made to fit very generalized proportions, and in turn, the clothes are unlikely to fit most people completely perfectly. . If an article of clothing is too small, too short, too baggy or somehow all of the above at the same time, it can feel like it is your fault, rather than the fault of the garment.

The root cause of this shame is the very idea that body types are trendy. The “trendiness” of body types is inherently rooted in the patriarchy and its aim to control women through conformity, and it succeeds at controlling women to this day. 

If you are trying on clothes and they fit strangely (or not at all), it is not your fault. It is the fault of the globalization of fast fashion, the toxic body trend cycle and the patriarchy’s perpetual aim to control women. Your clothes are meant to fit you, you are not meant to change to fit into them.

The post Your clothes are meant to fit you, not the other way around appeared first on Technique.

Having a fashionable body type has always been a requirement to be a conventionally attractive and stylish woman, to the point that women must  constantly shape their bodies to fit societal expectations. Thin was in from the ‘90s to early 2000s, until the “BBL body” replaced it in the late 2000s and 2010s. Over the past five years, thinness is back in, and Ozempic is making it more achievable than ever. Whether the ideal is to be as small or curvy as possible, society expects women to utilize drastic measures from diets to surgery in order to keep up. 

Having a fashionable silhouette is nothing new in fashion, but the expectation that a person’s silhouette must change rather than the structure of the clothing is a new phenomenon. Historically speaking, women used foundational garments to build the ideal shape around the body. 16th century stays created a conical torso, farthingales emphasized the hips in the 17th century and S-bend corsets gave Edwardian women the Gibson girl body. Now, instead of having support garments that build the desired shape around us, we go to extreme physical lengths to transform our bodies. 

The intense changes in the ideal body type for women over the past several decades has changed drastically from extremely thin, to a specific type of curvy, back to skinny. The popularity of drastic measures such as surgery and extreme diets to achieve the ideal of the time reflect the intense pressure to conform. 

Many remember the early 2000s for the intense diet culture, especially new fad diets gaining popularity on a seemingly monthly basis. As the ideal shifted curvier, the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) gained popularity. Holding the title of the deadliest cosmetic procedure performed today, the number of BBL’s grew over 90% from 2015 to 2019. People were willing to risk their lives to achieve a so-called “perfect body,” yet it was only perfect for a few years. 

But, as the ideal body has shifted back to a small frame, GLP-1 medications make thinness available for purchase. Costing upwards of $1000 per month, the number of American adults on these medications has almost doubled annually for the past six years. Millions reach for surgical or prescription solutions to the problem of having an unfashionable body type, showing the danger of a body type being “trendy.”

The expectation  to align with the beauty standard, in combination with the rise of fast fashion replacing custom-fitted garments, creates feelings of shame when clothes don’t fit perfectly. The clothes are made to fit very generalized proportions, and in turn, the clothes are unlikely to fit most people completely perfectly. . If an article of clothing is too small, too short, too baggy or somehow all of the above at the same time, it can feel like it is your fault, rather than the fault of the garment.

The root cause of this shame is the very idea that body types are trendy. The “trendiness” of body types is inherently rooted in the patriarchy and its aim to control women through conformity, and it succeeds at controlling women to this day. 

If you are trying on clothes and they fit strangely (or not at all), it is not your fault. It is the fault of the globalization of fast fashion, the toxic body trend cycle and the patriarchy’s perpetual aim to control women. Your clothes are meant to fit you, you are not meant to change to fit into them.

The post Your clothes are meant to fit you, not the other way around appeared first on Technique.

Having a fashionable body type has always been a requirement to be a conventionally attractive and stylish woman, to the point that women must  constantly shape their bodies to fit societal expectations. Thin was in from the ‘90s to early 2000s, until the “BBL body” replaced it in the late 2000s and 2010s. Over the past five years, thinness is back in, and Ozempic is making it more achievable than ever. Whether the ideal is to be as small or curvy as possible, society expects women to utilize drastic measures from diets to surgery in order to keep up. 

Having a fashionable silhouette is nothing new in fashion, but the expectation that a person’s silhouette must change rather than the structure of the clothing is a new phenomenon. Historically speaking, women used foundational garments to build the ideal shape around the body. 16th century stays created a conical torso, farthingales emphasized the hips in the 17th century and S-bend corsets gave Edwardian women the Gibson girl body. Now, instead of having support garments that build the desired shape around us, we go to extreme physical lengths to transform our bodies. 

The intense changes in the ideal body type for women over the past several decades has changed drastically from extremely thin, to a specific type of curvy, back to skinny. The popularity of drastic measures such as surgery and extreme diets to achieve the ideal of the time reflect the intense pressure to conform. 

Many remember the early 2000s for the intense diet culture, especially new fad diets gaining popularity on a seemingly monthly basis. As the ideal shifted curvier, the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) gained popularity. Holding the title of the deadliest cosmetic procedure performed today, the number of BBL’s grew over 90% from 2015 to 2019. People were willing to risk their lives to achieve a so-called “perfect body,” yet it was only perfect for a few years. 

But, as the ideal body has shifted back to a small frame, GLP-1 medications make thinness available for purchase. Costing upwards of $1000 per month, the number of American adults on these medications has almost doubled annually for the past six years. Millions reach for surgical or prescription solutions to the problem of having an unfashionable body type, showing the danger of a body type being “trendy.”

The expectation  to align with the beauty standard, in combination with the rise of fast fashion replacing custom-fitted garments, creates feelings of shame when clothes don’t fit perfectly. The clothes are made to fit very generalized proportions, and in turn, the clothes are unlikely to fit most people completely perfectly. . If an article of clothing is too small, too short, too baggy or somehow all of the above at the same time, it can feel like it is your fault, rather than the fault of the garment.

The root cause of this shame is the very idea that body types are trendy. The “trendiness” of body types is inherently rooted in the patriarchy and its aim to control women through conformity, and it succeeds at controlling women to this day. 

If you are trying on clothes and they fit strangely (or not at all), it is not your fault. It is the fault of the globalization of fast fashion, the toxic body trend cycle and the patriarchy’s perpetual aim to control women. Your clothes are meant to fit you, you are not meant to change to fit into them.

The post Your clothes are meant to fit you, not the other way around appeared first on Technique.

Video game modding (short for modifying) has been a huge part of the gaming community for nearly as long as the medium itself has existed, and Nintendo wants to put an end to it—on their consoles, at least). Through their User Agreement for  Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo intends to shut down any modding of their games; this hardline stance stunts the potential of their games and harms the gaming community.

If you purchase a video game console, it should be yours to do what you wish with. Modding encompasses a variety of forms, from minor add-ons and cosmetic changes to entire overhauls and providing support for games that have been sunsetted by their previous hosts. In the early 1980’s, the first video game mods were developed and released. Today, there are countless games with actively thriving modding communities.

But now Nintendo has other plans for those who purchase a Switch 2. Nintendo first specifies that their product “is licensed, not sold, to you”. Now, you are not actually purchasing the console, you are purchasing a license from Nintendo to use it. 

The User Agreement continues by stating that anyone who violates the terms of their agreement by modifying or trying to “otherwise circumvent any of the functions or protections of the Console or the Software” is subject to Nintendo “render[ing] the Console and/or the Software permanently unusable in whole or in part.”

Nintendo is threatening to destroy consoles that people have bought in retaliation for them modding games on the platform. They are charging consumers upwards of $500 for the license to use a gaming console in such a manner that bars users from engaging in one of the most significant pieces of modern video game culture.

Modding communities often keep games relevant and popular beyond the natural lifetime of the game, from works like the Sims 4 to Stardew Valley. While creators and publishers have different opinions on modding, those who embrace and encourage it often have the most dedicated fanbases. For example, Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, encourages the modding community:the game has remained popular over nine years since its release in 2016. 

The people who mod games and the people who utilize those mods are the heart and soul of the gaming community; they shape and inspire the trajectory of games for years to come. Iconic games like the Stanley Parable started out as a mod of another game entirely. Video games today would look nothing like they do now if it weren’t for the modding community.

Games with active modding communities often maintain popularity and a  fanbase for much longer than those that don’t, yet Nintendo has always been hostile towards those who mod their games and consoles. They have removed fan favorite items from their most popular games and removed modded content from multiplayer game modes. Now, they have gone nuclear, threatening to destroy people’s $500 consoles like spoiled brats who are not getting their way.

Nintendo’s choice to license the Switch 2 instead of truly selling the console to consumers harms consumers by limiting what they can do with something they bought with their own money. But, even more, it harms the gaming community as a whole by disincentivizing the innovation and creativity that makes games better through modding. In a field that necessitates ingenuity and originality, Nintendo shutting down paths to new lands flies in the face of the very essence of what makes gaming great. Stagnation is death in gaming, and Nintendo may soon learn that lesson.

The post Gaming companies harm consumers and gaming community appeared first on Technique.

Video game modding (short for modifying) has been a huge part of the gaming community for nearly as long as the medium itself has existed, and Nintendo wants to put an end to it—on their consoles, at least). Through their User Agreement for  Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo intends to shut down any modding of their games; this hardline stance stunts the potential of their games and harms the gaming community.

If you purchase a video game console, it should be yours to do what you wish with. Modding encompasses a variety of forms, from minor add-ons and cosmetic changes to entire overhauls and providing support for games that have been sunsetted by their previous hosts. In the early 1980’s, the first video game mods were developed and released. Today, there are countless games with actively thriving modding communities.

But now Nintendo has other plans for those who purchase a Switch 2. Nintendo first specifies that their product “is licensed, not sold, to you”. Now, you are not actually purchasing the console, you are purchasing a license from Nintendo to use it. 

The User Agreement continues by stating that anyone who violates the terms of their agreement by modifying or trying to “otherwise circumvent any of the functions or protections of the Console or the Software” is subject to Nintendo “render[ing] the Console and/or the Software permanently unusable in whole or in part.”

Nintendo is threatening to destroy consoles that people have bought in retaliation for them modding games on the platform. They are charging consumers upwards of $500 for the license to use a gaming console in such a manner that bars users from engaging in one of the most significant pieces of modern video game culture.

Modding communities often keep games relevant and popular beyond the natural lifetime of the game, from works like the Sims 4 to Stardew Valley. While creators and publishers have different opinions on modding, those who embrace and encourage it often have the most dedicated fanbases. For example, Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, encourages the modding community:the game has remained popular over nine years since its release in 2016. 

The people who mod games and the people who utilize those mods are the heart and soul of the gaming community; they shape and inspire the trajectory of games for years to come. Iconic games like the Stanley Parable started out as a mod of another game entirely. Video games today would look nothing like they do now if it weren’t for the modding community.

Games with active modding communities often maintain popularity and a  fanbase for much longer than those that don’t, yet Nintendo has always been hostile towards those who mod their games and consoles. They have removed fan favorite items from their most popular games and removed modded content from multiplayer game modes. Now, they have gone nuclear, threatening to destroy people’s $500 consoles like spoiled brats who are not getting their way.

Nintendo’s choice to license the Switch 2 instead of truly selling the console to consumers harms consumers by limiting what they can do with something they bought with their own money. But, even more, it harms the gaming community as a whole by disincentivizing the innovation and creativity that makes games better through modding. In a field that necessitates ingenuity and originality, Nintendo shutting down paths to new lands flies in the face of the very essence of what makes gaming great. Stagnation is death in gaming, and Nintendo may soon learn that lesson.

The post Gaming companies harm consumers and gaming community appeared first on Technique.

Video game modding (short for modifying) has been a huge part of the gaming community for nearly as long as the medium itself has existed, and Nintendo wants to put an end to it—on their consoles, at least). Through their User Agreement for  Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo intends to shut down any modding of their games; this hardline stance stunts the potential of their games and harms the gaming community.

If you purchase a video game console, it should be yours to do what you wish with. Modding encompasses a variety of forms, from minor add-ons and cosmetic changes to entire overhauls and providing support for games that have been sunsetted by their previous hosts. In the early 1980’s, the first video game mods were developed and released. Today, there are countless games with actively thriving modding communities.

But now Nintendo has other plans for those who purchase a Switch 2. Nintendo first specifies that their product “is licensed, not sold, to you”. Now, you are not actually purchasing the console, you are purchasing a license from Nintendo to use it. 

The User Agreement continues by stating that anyone who violates the terms of their agreement by modifying or trying to “otherwise circumvent any of the functions or protections of the Console or the Software” is subject to Nintendo “render[ing] the Console and/or the Software permanently unusable in whole or in part.”

Nintendo is threatening to destroy consoles that people have bought in retaliation for them modding games on the platform. They are charging consumers upwards of $500 for the license to use a gaming console in such a manner that bars users from engaging in one of the most significant pieces of modern video game culture.

Modding communities often keep games relevant and popular beyond the natural lifetime of the game, from works like the Sims 4 to Stardew Valley. While creators and publishers have different opinions on modding, those who embrace and encourage it often have the most dedicated fanbases. For example, Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, encourages the modding community:the game has remained popular over nine years since its release in 2016. 

The people who mod games and the people who utilize those mods are the heart and soul of the gaming community; they shape and inspire the trajectory of games for years to come. Iconic games like the Stanley Parable started out as a mod of another game entirely. Video games today would look nothing like they do now if it weren’t for the modding community.

Games with active modding communities often maintain popularity and a  fanbase for much longer than those that don’t, yet Nintendo has always been hostile towards those who mod their games and consoles. They have removed fan favorite items from their most popular games and removed modded content from multiplayer game modes. Now, they have gone nuclear, threatening to destroy people’s $500 consoles like spoiled brats who are not getting their way.

Nintendo’s choice to license the Switch 2 instead of truly selling the console to consumers harms consumers by limiting what they can do with something they bought with their own money. But, even more, it harms the gaming community as a whole by disincentivizing the innovation and creativity that makes games better through modding. In a field that necessitates ingenuity and originality, Nintendo shutting down paths to new lands flies in the face of the very essence of what makes gaming great. Stagnation is death in gaming, and Nintendo may soon learn that lesson.

The post Gaming companies harm consumers and gaming community appeared first on Technique.

For two months out of the year, Fairburn, Ga. becomes the fictional town of Newcastle, the site of the Georgia Renaissance Festival. Much like an actual 16th-century village, there is no cell service, and transportation options in the village are limited to foot and steed. In Newcastle, it is unclear whose accents are legitimate and whose are the product of lifelong passion for an unplaceable period in time where there are fairies, dragons, copious imbibements and the occasional wench.

Concluding its 40th season on June 1st, the Georgia Renaissance Festival offers a fairytale like no other.

Recommendations

Performers

• The joust is the highlight of the festival day: enjoy drama and combat on steeds, where one honorable knight will take the crown
• The Barely Balanced acrobats put on a gravity-defying performance that is sure to delight guests of all ages.
• The Puppies of Penzance showcases the incredible talents of several hounds who have given up their lives of crime on the high seas to entertain.
• Celtic Mayhem offers melodies with Irish flair for all those who are willing to listen.
• Old Soul Silk Road shall fill your ears with lovely ballads and odes, but be warned that their siren songs are not suitable for guests of all ages.

Food and Drink

• Turkey legs are classic Renaissance Faire sustenance and a great source of protein. 
• Mead is the beverage of choice for many fair sires and ladies. The Georgia Renaissance Festival offers libations from Monk’s Meadery. Pace yourself, the line for the privies is long, winding and full of potty-training toddlers and dipsomaniacs. 
• For those with a sweet tooth, the fried cheesecake is a treat that can only be found within the gated kingdom of Newcastle (or maybe a midwestern state fair). It is gooey, sweet and topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. One order comes with two pieces, so share it with your most worthy confidant. 
• Mac & Cheese is available in various forms, including on a stick and in a bread bowl. Load it up with extra cheese and bacon for the most delicious, savory bite. 
• For a more carnivorous option, the King’s Weinie is a royally large hot dog best served with mustard (it is suitable for sharing!). Long live the King! (and his Weinie)

Shopping

• Vendors will hover the footpaths of Newcastle and ask to taint your wrist with their latest perfumes. Purchase a frankincense roll-on fragrance and enjoy the scent of Newcastle wherever your journey takes you. 
• Though the Renaissance may be known for ethanol-rich beverages, many storefronts carry artisanal teas. Wind down with loose-leaf lavender tea of yesteryear for months after the gates close on your visit. 
• For those whose wardrobe lacks old-timey flair, vendors of wares are willing to help solve this problem. Handcrafted leather goods, corsetry and frocks are available throughout the land.
• Handcrafted jewelry is available for every taste, ranging from flower crowns to custom glass pendants.

Itinerary 

• Before the festival day: Make or procure a costume
  • Although technically not a requirement, the King reserves the right to bar entry due to dress (or lack thereof). For the most immersive experience, consider a frock or tunic. Do not tie your corset too tightly, as you need to leave room for the food and beverages you will indulge in throughout the festival day. Comfortable shoes from the modern era are highly encouraged, or else you are liable to acquire blisters. Although a medical tent is on site, it specializes in balancing humors and bloodletting (kidding, but seriously, wear sneakers). 
• 8 a.m.: Prepare to time travel to lands of yore. 
  • Screenshot your tickets ( Newcastle is outside the range of modern cell service).
  • Pack sunscreen, bug spray, water and cash (many vendors will scoff if you try to convince them your colorful plastic card is valid form or currency).
• 9 a.m.: Depart for your journey. 
  • If you are on Tech’s campus, it is recommended to leave early to account for the traffic that can accumulate as guests’ steeds and automobiles create a large queue at the faire entrance. Given the unpredictability of the Atlanta highways, it is possible you will get waylaid on your voyage. Gates open at 10:30, and the King encourages early arrivals to make the most of the festival day he has prepared.
• 10:30 a.m.: Gates open
  • The royal family invites the plebians into their fine kingdom after much fanfare, including speeches. Have your tickets ready, and prepare for the King to heckle passersby. Be sure to acquire a map of the grounds and a schedule of events upon entry. 
• 10:31 a.m.: Visit local vendors for refreshments. 
  • Traditional mealtimes do not exist in Newcastle; get a funnel cake or a turkey leg before the lines get too long. It is five o’clock everywhere, except on Sundays before half past noon, during which time alcohol sales are prohibited. If you plan to be the village drunkard, consider attending on Saturday to imbibe for the entire day. 
• 11: a.m.: Be entertained
  • Consult the festival schedule for the day to identify the entertainers you wish to support, and make your way to their stages. Be prepared for audience participation and to tip the best performers (modern denominations are preferred to historically accurate amounts). 
• 12 p.m.: Visit the Joust
  • The must-see event of the day is the joust. Watch knights and dames fight for their honor on horseback, no one knows how it will end!
• 2 p.m.: Snack Time
  • A day of walking around Newcastle will surely work up an appetite, so be sure to make another visit to the food vendors around the village. Explore the culinary world of yore and indulge in fried cheesecake or a mac & cheese bread bowl! 
• 4 p.m.: Become a patron of the arts
  • Many bards and troubadours reside within Newcastle, offering musical stylings for all tastes. For the little laddies and lassies, artists performing on the outdoor stages are perfect to lend your listening ear to. For those in search of the shadier citizens, the artistic stylings available at the pubs around town shall be offering that which you desire.
• 6 p.m.: The Gates Close on Newcastle
  • Your festival day has concluded. Be sure to curtsey or bow to the king and queen on your way out, lest they disallow your attendance at the next festival!

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