- January 2, 2026
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As senior director at TLC Marketing & Creative Services, 32-year-old Jacob Winge focuses on organizational leadership and strategic planning. He has coordinated hundreds of legislative meetings, roundtables, and rallies in Florida and other states.
History reenactments. Winge, a fifth-generation Floridian, has immersed himself in reenacting history since he was a teenager. His fascination with history began at home, as he listened to anecdotes about his ancestors and old Florida.“I’ve been at this awhile,” Winge says of his hobby. TLC and Winge represent the Venezia Renaissance Faire, now in its fourth year (January. 10-11, 17-18, 2026) in Bonita Springs. He volunteered at the event its first three years.
Disconnect and unwind: “In this hyper-fast paced world with social media, discord, political upheaval — there is nothing better than putting your phone away and disconnecting,” he says. “I remove everything modern. There’s this whole other simplistic and natural way to things.”
Set up camp: At the renaissance fairs, Winge and other re-enactors erect old-timey tents, creating a Scottish encampment called a Jacobite. Last year, they roasted a pig on a spit, relying on a recipe from the 1700s. They wear period clothing made of linen or wool, with some of Winge’s clothing from Europe.
Back to basics: “It’s such a great hobby,’’ Winge says of historical reenactments. “It’s about hunting, fishing and camping. It feels so good to sit around a campfire.’’
No jousting: Many re-enactors choose a famous or dashing character from history, he says. Fairs typically have royalty and lords and jousting knights. But Winge chooses to portray the average person. He wants to stay true to history, avoiding the Hollywood glamorization that is more likely to inaccurately portray history.
Celebrate independence: Winge, an avid history buff, also participates in other reenactments, including the American Revolutionary War, the Civil War and World War II. He expects there’ll be many revolutionary war reenactments in 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of America’s signing of the Declaration of Independence from Britain. They will continue for another six or so years, marking when Britain eventually agreed to America’s independence.
Finding love: Winge first met the woman that would become his wife while climbing out of a tent in 2016 at the Old Florida Festival at the Collier Museum in Naples. He and Alexandria, now married about five years, have a daughter, Wren, almost 2. She was blessed by the queen at her first fair, at Venezia, when she was 11 month old.
