Off With Your Weekend

Logan and Shiitake recap Guild Wars, where the Little Spoons took first place after a day of physical challenges, musical squares, and a surprisingly elaborate murder mystery. They also talk about their first live stream at the renaissance festival kickoff event, the return of the priceless chicken teapot, an upcoming Spoon Society trip to the Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival, and Logan’s trip to the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire.

Logan and Shiitake sit down with Susan and Travis of PB&J Circus to talk about more than two decades of fire eating, sword swallowing, sideshow stunts, and renaissance faire performances. Travis shares how he went from magician to fire eater, helped build parts of the Kentucky Renaissance Festival, and developed the show over the years. They also discuss performing at Ohio, changing fire regulations, strange gigs, Disney trips, and Logan’s increasingly questionable knowledge of pop culture.

Logan and Shiitake recap a weekend at the Great Lakes Medieval Faire and compare its stages, food, parking, performers, and atmosphere with other festivals. They recommend acts including The Jackdaws, Off the Cuff, Celtic Mayhem, and Cast in Bronze while preparing for an upcoming Spoon Society visit. They also discuss Jimmy Buffett, test Logan’s song knowledge, break down the Guild Wars teams, and make predictions for the Spoon Society’s first year in the competition. The episode ends with news about Kinfolk’s winter album and an upcoming live show.

Logan and Shiitake sit down with Ross Epstein, also known as Luku the Mad Skald, to talk about life as a traveling renaissance faire performer, musician, and audio engineer. Ross shares stories about performing with Celtica Nova, malfunctioning pyrotechnics, chaotic adult shows, and his time at the Brevard Renaissance Fair. He also discusses joining the Recording Academy, separating his stage character from his professional work, and the changing sound of Renaissance faire music. Music: RECOMPENSE TEASER by Ross Epstein 2026

Logan and Shiitake sit down with Mike to talk about finding his place in the renaissance faire community and creating Hobbs the Hobgoblin. Mike explains why he bought a season pass before his first visit, how Hobbs went from raider to pirate, and how he became part of the Royal Spoon Court. They also share stories from Ohio, Great Lakes, and Kentucky, discuss favorite performers, and come up with the idea of a traveling Spoon Society troupe.

Logan and Shiitake sit down with Mallory, also known as Shrimp the Faun, to talk about becoming a regular at renaissance festivals. They share stories from Ohio and Kentucky, discuss favorite performers, and talk about the faires they hope to visit someday. The conversation also covers Pub Jam mishaps, upcoming acts, strange collectibles, and the post-faire whimsy hangover.

Logan and Shiitake introduce themselves and talk about how they became part of the Renaissance faire community. They compare experiencing the Ohio Renaissance Festival as a photographer and as a playtron, discuss Pub Sing and Pub Jam, and explain what makes filming and photographing faire so difficult. Shiitake also tells the story of how a tiny crème brûlée spoon became the Spoon Society, an international guild built around friendship, inclusion, and faire community.

Welcome to Off with your Weekend, a podcast all about the world of Renaissance festivals, featuring guests from all over the community, from performers, to vendors, to patrons and more. Whether you attend every weekend, are planning your first visit, or simply love costumes, music, comedy, and a little chaos mischief, we invite you to join the adventure. My name is Logan, and I’m Shiitake the Mushroom Sprite, and we hope you will join us on this wild ride!