Thoughts on attending my first Ren Faire

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

We sometimes go to the Maryland Renn Faire. It's nice (in the fall, so it's cooled off), but there's a nagging feeling that I'm paying $20 to go shopping. There were jousts, wire acts, and other things going on, so it wasn't just shopping.

Last year the ladies nixed the trip as they were displeased by the condition of the facilities.

Brad

We go every year -- it's a tradition with a couple of friends of mine and I. One of the women does some shopping, but for the most part it's about the performances and the food! And I didn't think the facilities were that bad (but then again, I'm a guy).

I just wish we'd go some year when Puke and Snot were performing. I saw those guys back in the tiny local RenFaire in Florida back in the early 80s. Amazing they're still around.

 

[kenobi65]

A few other notes, from someone who worked as a crafter at the Bristol faire (Chicago/Milwaukee) for 9 years.

1) A good faire will have performers and street actors that make it fun for the guest, but yes, it is a blast to be in on the inside. And if the faire has a campground for the performers/merchants, then after hours is a total party. And from heresay, back in the day (late 70s and 80s) those after hour parties were the height of hedonism.

Agreed that the "insiders" have a different experience. I'm a little surprised that the faire in question had so many visible "cast only" areas, and that the cast spent so much time there. Many faires will have off-stage areas for the cast members to relax, and expect that, if the cast is in a public area, they'll be interacting with the public.

We used to joke around with a little ditty that we'd sing when the gates closed at 7pm, and a few stragglers wouldn't leave:

Ren Faire people
Eat human flesh
After 7 pm, oh yeah

When the gates closed on Saturday night, we'd change out of costume, fire up the barbecue grill, have dinner and beer, and sit around, drinking and singing, until about midnight, when the security staff would ask us to call it a night.

3) Beer. Most faires do not have a good selection of beers/alchol.

Yeah, that's my experience, too. I think that most people who go to ren faires are not interested in trying something funky or "period"; they want a lot of Bud Light. Our faire did broaden their selections, and brought in some imports and a microbrew or two, but generally speaking, it's a lot of mass-market American beer.

4) Shopping is totally dependent on the faire. The TN faire has some good booths and some that are not ren at all.

Exactly. The wares at a faire are entirely dependent on what is popular with the visitors to that faire. At Bristol, there's quite a few visitors who like to come in costume, and so, there's always been quite a few shops that sell costume pieces. At the Minnesota faire, which I've visited a few times, very few visitors dress up, and the types of shops there are very different.

Generally speaking, it's important to keep in mind that "gamer geeks" like us are in the distinct minority of those who go to faires. The kinds of things that appeal to us are pretty niche, even for fairegoers.

Also, each faire has different policies about what they allow to be sold -- some try to stay true to period crafts, while others are far more liberal (my wife bought an electric lamp at the Minnesota faire; Bristol would have never allowed something like that to be sold).

 

[BlueBlackRed]

There's only one requirement at our local renn-faire - bring money, and lots of it.

 

[rkwoodard]

amen to that

There's only one requirement at our local renn-faire - bring money, and lots of it.

Yeah, that is a universal truth.

RK

 

[Tinker Gnome]

There's only one requirement at our local renn-faire - bring money, and lots of it.

Yep, 2.50 for a 20 oz bottle of soda.

 

[frankthedm]

They are medieval themed carnivals. I ain’t saying I did not have fun, but the costs were more than I feel were acceptable.

On labor day of 2005, I witnessed at the Bristol Ren fair:
$20 a head door charge for land the organizers OWN.
$20 for a Renfair ceramic mug.
$1 for a glass bead that dollar store sell 20/$1
Countless carnival style game with higher prices and WORSE prizes.
......The Best one is that the folks who run the booths actually rent/lease the land from the organizers at very high prices, and have to build their own booths.

 

[billd91]

They are medieval themed carnivals. I ain’t saying I did not have fun, but the costs were more than I feel were acceptable.

On labor day of 2005, I witnessed at the Bristol Ren fair:
$20 a head door charge for land the organizers OWN.
$20 for a Renfair ceramic mug.
$1 for a glass bead that dollar store sell 20/$1
Countless carnival style game with higher prices and WORSE prizes.
......The Best one is that the folks who run the booths actually rent/lease the land from the organizers at very high prices, and have to build their own booths.

On the other hand, coupons for savings on the entry fee are easy to get, including online (at http://www.renfair.com/bristol/).
There are plenty of things to do that don't involve buying anything since, with the many performances, you can be entertained the whole rest of the day without having to pay a dime.

 

[billd91]

3. The beer garden didn't serve homemade meads and ales. It was Newcastle and Guinness, or something like that. That was a major disappointment. I wanted some nasty unfiltered room temperature mead! It seems like that would be a huge opportunity for local homebrewers when these things roll into town. (and if they can get a license to server NewCastle, they can get a license to serve homebrew too, right?)

It's going to be a lot harder to get license to serve a homebrew because of various food safety regulations, to say nothing about transportation and proper storage.
At least you had Newcastle and Guinness, which are fine beers, and weren't stuck with Bud Light.

 

[Xath]

Sounds to me like you want to go to the Maryland Renn Faire. I go at least twice every year.

1. It felt like the Ren Faire is more for the people who are putting it on, then for the people who are attending. Does that make sense? There were all these roped off areas where the various troupes were set up, and it seemed like those areas were a lot more fun. In fact I would say that the square footage of closed areas was greater than the common areas. I didn't try to go into the closed off areas (because I was dressed like a total tourist, right down to my plaid shorts), but I'm guessing that I would have been politely asked to leave if I jumped over the ropes...I just have this vision that after the faire closes and the chase out the visitors...thats when all the fun stuff happens, right?

The MD is a solidly built facility that stands year round (even though the faire is only 12 weeks a year). The staff only areas are all out of sight behind fences, so there really isn't a "separate" feel.

2. There were a LOT of pirates! Were there always so many pirates, or is that an effect of the PotC movies? There were a lot of sashaying Sparrow-like pirates. It felt like being at disneyland. Pirates make me smile for some reason.

Our Renn Faire has theme days (one of which is pirate day). On Pirate day, there are a ridiculous amount of pirates. On other days, there are a fair amount. This area has several pirate societies that operate year round. (Yes.. People who dress like pirates whenever they can...)

3. The beer garden didn't serve homemade meads and ales. It was Newcastle and Guinness, or something like that. That was a major disappointment. I wanted some nasty unfiltered room temperature mead! It seems like that would be a huge opportunity for local homebrewers when these things roll into town. (and if they can get a license to server NewCastle, they can get a license to serve homebrew too, right?)

MD faire has the standards (Miller Light, Sam Adams, Killians) but also has a great selection of local ales, meads, wines and ciders. They're small production varieties, and you can't find them everywhere. You can also have them fill your own glass for that more "authentic" feel.

4. By and large, the things for sale were very disappointing. Very little looked like it was crafted or homemade. My fiance said that she felt like she could get almost everything being sold there at Michaels art supplies or Claires boutique.

MD Faire has a butt-ton of shops. Almost none of them sell things that you can buy mass-produced. There are a whole bunch of hand-craft jewlers and clothiers, as well as some really neat game shops. Some of the sword stores sell weapons that you can find online, but not all of them. There are hand-blown glass workshops, armorsmiths, etc. Quality varies, but it's all fun to look at.

All in all, I had a great time. Wish I had dressed up, but I didn't know to expect such an interactive environment. Unfortunately, it was damn hot, and we had to bail out after a couple hours. The people in the heavy costumes must have been hating life by the end of the day

I saw a guy wearing real full-plate with a chain under-suit and quilted padding in 90+ degree weather. He was 70 years old and traveled to renn faires all over the world. I was amazed. For the wierder, there's a guy who dresses up as a Drow every year and buys a season pass.

More than the "pirate" faire thing, I've noticed more of a trend towards "fantasy" faire. I'd say that maybe 10% of the attendee costumes are actually meant to look like they're from the Rennaisance. The staffers, however, are meticulous about the accuracy of their "garb."

Also, if you don't want to get chewed out by a Renn staffer, never call their "garb" a costume. <----First hand experience.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Yeah my Ren Fest, always served local mead products (the back page of the booklet they hand out when you enter always had a add for the mead company).