Junior Rachel Parrish has dedicated her high school summers to the Kansas City Rennaissance Festival in Bonner Springs.

“I became involved three or four years ago,” Parrish said. “I actually went there when I was really little and I was just like ‘oh! I wanna work here!’”

Parrish got a connection to the festival one summer when looking for a job through her older brother’s friend.

“My first two years, I worked at a food booth, making and serving food to everyone,” Parrish said. “My third year, I was a royal court member. We sang and danced during shows, and all that fun stuff.”

After rehearsing and preparing for several months, Parrish auditioned to become a romani.

“This upcoming year I am a romani, which is a gypsi child,” Parrish said. “We dance and sing and basically do the same stuff but a lot more open to the audience. There’s more interactment.”

Parrish suggests that anyone looking to become involved to go like the Facebook page and contact Director of Entertainment Jim Stamberger, otherwise known as Maestro.

“It’s about the most fun thing outside of school. Correction, it is the most fun thing,” Parrish said. “I am a lot more social now. I was all closed off before and now I’m like ‘look at me! I exist!’”

Parrish plans to continue spending her summers with the festival after she finishes high school.

“My favorite part is just entertaining people,” Parrish said. “It’s a lot of fun to make people smile.”

Parrish welcomes anyone looking to participate in the festival or come and see the many performances offered during the weekend between Aug. 30 and Oct. 13.