UPDATE FROM A WEEK LATER: now that the emotions are settled and I'm over my 12-hour romance, I will say the festival was a good time after all and I'm going back next year. Especially since (according to a podcast I was listening to) they are going to try and make it more educational/interactive next year. I'm also going to their other two festivals, pirate and ghost themed.
And I completely forgot that in May I'm going to a historic homes tour for houses from the 19th century, so that might be something I can apply to the book.