#castlefest 2025

[flowery-laser-blasts]

All... Hands... Starboard... SHEGO!

"I don't even know what to call this, Dr. D"

Photography by Beyond2D/Michel van Lin

[datamodel-of-disaster]

Castlefest 2025 Outfit Rundown

Was this my best run of outfits? No. There are limits to what can be done while living in a tent with 2 other people on a wet, muddy festival campsite for 4 days, we were travelling pretty light. Did I have fun tho? Hell yeah.

DAY 1: Ave Omnissiah

Not really a proper techpriest cosplay, more like... a casual, warm (remember it rained a lot), easy festival outfit that's vaguely mechanicus themed?

Mesh shirt with circuit patterns: Punkrave

Hooded robe-dress thing: VioletteMode (on Etsy)

Leggings: some random no-brand leggings I had in my closet

Mechanicus pendants: ForgeOfMimir (on Etsy)

Belt: Custom creation by a friend

Pouch: thrifted, attached with hardware store carabiners.

Shoes: Killstar

DAY 2: Ouji vampire vibes

Yeahhh... We're trying. Lots of repeat pieces, but a different look!

Horns: Bizarre Maastricht

Mini cape: Punkrave

Shirt: Punkrave menswear

PVC necklace: MetalInstitution (on Etsy)

Pants: Fanplusfriend

(Belt, leggings, shoes, belt and pouch same as previously mentioned.)

DAY 3: Dark Eldar Aesthetic

Am I getting maximum mileage out of these leggings? Absolutely.

PVC loincloth: vintage Re-Agenz

Top: vintage SDL

PVC fingerless gloves: Lip Service

Fanny pack: stole it from my husband, who got it who knows where 🤷‍♀️

Pointy-shouldered PVC corset neck piece: NocturnalGardenHCA (On Etsy)

Wool cyber dreadfall: crafted for me by my QPP

Elf ears: custom Ayame Designs

(shoes, leggings and mesh shirt same as mentioned before).

I sadly don't have pics from Day 4 because I got an eye infection that prevented me from wearing any makeup, and I'm not about that "show off your bare potato" life, even at a multi-day ren faire. If you were there you may have seen my pasty pancake of a mug, but it has thankfully not been saved for posterity xD

Given my limited access to clothes I am actually surprised how decent most of these turned out.

[growinggoblin]

Visited Castlefest today. It was nice. Also expensive, so I tried to keep it reasonable by bot buying things I hadn't already planned to buy, and by bringing food from home. The only things I got there were two pretzels (very tasty and quite affordable) and a drink (partially for the drink. Partially for the cup)

The cup is the one thing I always get and I like em. They're nice for cold drinks, but for tea as well. I get the medium ones, as I like their proportions best. Plus the small ones aren't just ugly but also too small for a proper drink. The big ones are pretty useful but also kinda ugly lol. This was my third Castlefest, so my third cup. I don't love the blue unfortunately but it's okay. I loved the green they had a year or two ago, aughhhh

And this was the one thing I really really hoped to find. Lemme paste what I sent my friends:

Saw it last year at Castlefest

Thought "It's cute but I need to think about this. I already have so much clothes!"

Came back an hour or two later, thinking "Maybe I should at least try it on, cause if it doesn't fit, I don't even have to think about it, you know?"

All three of the tops were sold already

They did have one in a different, gold pattern, so I tried it for sizing. Wrote down the brand so I could look em up later

Turns out Jugglin Sun Children has had zero online presence the past decade

So I had to give up

Didn't even plan to go to Castlefest until literally last week lol

But I went and immediately got to the same vendor to check them out and THEY HAD ITTT. Just one this time, so I got very lucky

[datamodel-of-disaster]

People who camp at festivals on the regular are stronger than me for real. It's 2am rn and I'm tired AF, but I can't sleep because it's raining hard and my ass is terrified our (nice, good quality, decently sturdy) tent won't hold up. For real, the stress of it all.

[vintage-vermin]

I look like a mutt in a lot of the candid pics people took at Castlefest, but this one was nice enough!

[vintage-vermin]

Also, quick Castlefest pics!

[vintage-vermin]

Went to Castlefest today! Mostly walked about, hung with some friends and watched the giant wicker being lit ablaze!