Lifting Spirits at the Tennessee Renaissance Festival

This was our group's first time away from our home state of Ohio. You couldn't ask for a better concoction of anxiousness, excitement, joy, and stress. The team had laid out all we needed to bring our offerings to this beautiful place we’d never seen before, miles away from our home fair. This is the story of our epic journey at The 2024 Tennessee Renaissance Festival.

An idea is 1% of what we do: the other 99% is effort.

The idea was a straightforward one: let's create a quest for a festival two states away without having stepped foot on the festival grounds. That task is a tall one. It requires a seasoned game master to design the experience, a visual design expert to make us look the part, a dedicated strategic team to help us make the right decisions, and a quest guy brave enough to drop all he’s doing to live in a new state for a whole month and bring it all together. As that quest guy, I can say I was overwhelmed in every sense.

I was overwhelmed at the prospect of living up to the expectations of my team, fellow vendors, and the patrons and staff of The Tennessee Renaissance Festival. I wanted to represent the best parts of who we are and what we are growing into. 

I was overwhelmed by the beautiful community found in Ren Faires across the States. I made friends, improved relationships from the previous year, and learned to be a better quest guy. 

I was overwhelmed by the love we received from those who played our games. You all make what we do worth every sacrifice.

The Volunteer State had its "Faire" Share of Questers!

I was fortunate to have help during the weekends. From Roll Your Destiny team members making the long weekend drive, to new friends we made during our last festival season helping out when they attended the Tennessee Renaissance Festival as patrons. Having two people run the booth seemed more than sufficient during planning. We can chalk that up as a "Lesson Learned".

The Tennessee Renaissance Festival may not be the largest festival in terms of size, but it sure as heck makes up for it with its dedicated patrons. In 9 short days, we had thousands of adventurers participate in our Quest, "The Spirit of The Shale". This story led our heroes all around the festival grounds in search of a lost spirit that needed their aid to return to its home world. Though our heroes came in many different shapes and sizes, all came together under the same banner by the end of the adventure: questing champions.

A Huge Thank You to The Tennessee Renaissance Festival for this Incredible Opportunity

The behind-the-scenes work that goes into running a Renaissance Festival is nothing short of spectacular, and that word also happens to describe the management of this festival perfectly. Their incredibly dedicated staff and support are the reason this festival was a great success, and why it will continue to be one for years to come.

We’d like to give another huge thank you to the lovely vendors and cast members who became a part of our Quest. You brought “The Spirit of The Shale” to life for all our players, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

At times, I get lost in it all. I forget to remember how special this truly is.

As people, we’re conditioned to "evolve" and lose our childlike wonder as adults. Our group strives to let our patrons reconnect with that wonder. I think back to when I began this journey, slowly building the team I would grow with, each of whom I’ve come to care for deeply. I’ve certainly evolved since then, but not away from the wonder—I’ve evolved to embrace it more fully.

It wasn't easy being away from home throughout the festival season. I missed those I loved. I missed my own bed. I missed going to familiar places and all the little things that make up the daily routines of my life in Ohio. But that also opened me up to what made this journey so special.

I explored a new state, met incredible people, and didn't take myself too seriously. In fact, the only thing I took seriously was providing patrons the opportunity to explore and enjoy our Quest. That's what Roll Your Destiny is about, and that's what it will always be about. To embody that in my own life throughout my month in Tennessee was absolute bliss. It reminded me how special that goal could be. 

So thank you again, Tennessee. Here's to more Questing with you all, and here's to a future where Roll Your Destiny can keep being serious about fun! :)

-Ben (Quest Guy) & The Roll Your Destiny Team