Everyone who visits Ironfest will come away with a slightly different answer when you ask them what it actually is. Is it a convention? A festival? A craft show? A farmers market for geeks? Honestly, none of those answers would be completely wrong — or completely right. The best thing you can do is show up and find out for yourself. Just be prepared to let your geek flag fly.
Reenactors — A Different Breed of Dedication
Before we go any further, let’s get one thing straight: reenactors are not cosplayers. Not a criticism of cosplayers — they are their own spectacular category of amazing — but reenactors take things to a different level entirely. If they’re wearing armour, it actually works. If they’re carrying a sword, there’s a decent chance it’s actually sharp. The dedication involved is in a league of its own. A reenactor doesn’t just look the part — they live it. Many will spend the entire weekend in character, having spent months studying the history, the culture, the music, the crafts, and the tools of the era they’re portraying. Everything is done the traditional way, because that’s the whole point.
I say this as a card-carrying member of the SCA. Back in California, I spent many a weekend learning what life might have looked like as a feudal lord — learning the language, making garb (which, for the uninitiated, is traditional clothing constructed using actual period techniques and materials — not a costume), and yes, building armour. These days life gets in the way, but if I ever wanted to find others who share that passion? Ironfest would be exactly the place to look.
Cosplayers — A Different Kind of Obsession,,and art
If you thought that intro was a dig at cosplayers, you read it wrong. They’re just different. Where reenactors will passionately debate whether a particular style of stitching is historically accurate, cosplayers have the extraordinary ability to reproduce costumes from any fandom with a level of accuracy that is genuinely mind-blowing. The dedication is equal — the goal is just different. Ask a reenactor who they’re supposed to be and you’ll get a history lesson. Spot a cosplayer from across the room and — if you know the fandom — you’ll know exactly who they are without asking a single question. Makeup, clothing, hair, accessories, props, weapons, rayguns — all carefully designed and hand-crafted. It’s an art form.
Builders, Crafters and Artisans
Someone has to make all this incredible gear. While many reenactors and cosplayers craft their own, there are some things you simply have to buy — and that’s where the artisans come in. Blacksmiths, woodworkers, tailors, and artists all gathered in one place, each with skills that will make your wallet rattle just from looking. Personally, I’m on the hunt for a few pieces for my next Viking reenactment. A drinking horn is top of the list.
So What’s a Computer Shop Doing Here?
Have you not been paying attention? The shop is called Lithgeek. Ironfest is a gathering place for geeks, and one thing geeks universally love is tabletop and roleplaying games. At Lithgeek, we’re particularly passionate about Warhammer — and we’re bringing it to Ironfest in a big way.
We’ll be running Warhammer 40K for beginners — come and play a short game without having to buy a single model. We’re also offering free painting sessions at the event. We’ll show you how, and you get to take your model home with you. Free. Yes, really. 🙂
If you enjoy the painting and love the game, we’ll have starter sets available to purchase on the day. And if no one wants to learn, our more experienced players will be staging a grand battle for everyone to watch — happily explaining the rules as the carnage unfolds.
We’ll also have our cards at the booth if you’d like to chat about tech, ask questions about your Mac, or book a personal tech class. We are a computer shop, after all.
Are We Getting Paid to Promote Ironfest?
Nope. Not a cent. We’ve been to a few Ironfest events over the years and had a genuinely great time. This kind of event brings real good to the community — it celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, history, and the kind of wonderful weirdness that makes life more interesting. We want to see it succeed, and we’re happy to support it any way we can.
Come find us on the day. We’ll be the ones covered in paint.
After all of this writing I still do not think that I have properly described Ironfest… Looks like you are just going to have to see it for yourself!