Luka’s Life

HOLLY, Mich. — The Michigan Renaissance Festival pushed forward through heavy rain and mud this past weekend, drawing crowds that showed little sign of slowing despite the weather.

The festival, which typically attracts 250,000 visitors annually, has proven resilient to rain in the past. Just weeks earlier, WNDU 16 News reported the event drew more than 6,000 visitors in a single day under similarly wet conditions. This weekend followed that pattern, with organizers holding true to the festival’s “rain or shine” commitment even as heavy rain turned festival grounds to sludge.

Among the vendors who stayed open through the downpour was Gwydion the Green, a wizard character at HollyGrove Village who has run a jewelry shop at the festival for several years. Gwydion, who remained in character throughout our interview, said the shop’s wares stayed dry and shiny “especially on days like today.” He added that the rain had prevented him from handing out his usual paper flyers, but said he remained enthusiastic about discussing his shop and the festival at large.

A separate encounter led to my own unplanned detention. At the festival, visitors can pay a “sheriff” to have friends or fellow attendees arrested and taken to a mock village jail, where the “prisoner” is typically required to perform a song or dance to secure release. While attempting to interview inmates at the jail, I was instead placed under arrest. A prison guard said the arrest was made because I had “made the mistake of interviewing horrible people.” My official warrant, however, cited a different offense: “grabbing strange ropes.”

While detained, I interviewed a fellow inmate, identified only as Olivia, who said she had been arrested for getting other people arrested. Olivia expressed enthusiasm for the festival overall but said she was uncertain how she would secure her own release.

In the end, Olivia and I were released together, but not without paying the price the village jail demands: a public song and dance. Standing next to each other in the mud, we performed a song called “I’m a Shiny Unicorn” for a crowd of amused festival-goers before finally earning our freedom.

It was quite a fitting note to end on. By the time I stepped out of the jail, my boots were entirely covered in mud, and the rain showed no sign of stopping, yet neither had anyone else. Gwydion kept his shop open and in character, the jail kept booking arrests, and the crowds kept filing through the gates. The Michigan Renaissance Festival held to its “rain or shine” promise this weekend, mud and all.