I’m with Lawrence on this—I have a few friends who have dragged me to those things, and I’d rather jump feet-first into a wood chipper than go through that again.
Summer-stock rejects and socially inept nerds dressed up in hilariously inaccurate “Renaissance” costumes, spouting equally inaccurate “Shakesperean” lingo, selling you horrible food and crappy home-made crafts, while engaging in fake jousts and tarot-card readings . . . Please, yon varlet, bring on ye mandrake root to put this fair maid out of her misery!
Bast, be warned that Ren Fairs are sometimes very “in your face”. I’ve been to a couple that were sponsored by different professional organizations, and both times there were strolling “players”, (i.e. people in costumes who were officially there, as opposed to people who just showed up in a costume), who would not allow you to just sit there and people-watch. They felt impelled to “get you into the spirit of the thing”, and I personally was embarrassed and a little put off. I just wanted to be left alone, to be an observer, and they evidently had had instructions to “make sure everybody has a good time”. Or maybe it’s just that they were the sort of party animal personality that couldn’t stand to see someone “not having a good time”.
Anyway, you should definitely go to at least one, so you’ll know what everybody else is talking about. I think the ones sponsored by the Creative Anachronism people tend to be much more serious about having everything authentic, and the ones sponsored by various commercial groups (the for-profit ones) tend to be a lot more slick and have more stuff like bands and beer.
Of course, the best ones of all are the ones sponsored by some local group, like the Fire Dept. Ladies Auxiliary or the local historial society. Those are a real hoot.
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen
If you don’t mind hearing “Huzzah” and “God Bless the Queen” a lot, it’s a lot of fun.
I went to hight school in Agoura Johny LA, and when I left home I ran off to the Ren Faire. I worked for the production company that runs it for the next five years. It was probably one of the hardest-working, hardest-playing times I ever had.
In the California Faire (San Berdoo and Northern) there are over 500 actors hired for each event to fill the streets and stages of the village that is built.
Beware actors who are only paid $5.00 a day and will not break character even if there car is on fire. They are mightily annoying.
When I lived in Maryland I would go to the RenFest twice every year. Once sober, with an assortment of friends and plenty of saved money to eat and buy various leather restraints and toss axes until I got to “toot my own horn” and stuff. The second time, I’d go on closing day with a couple of good friends of mine and we’d partake of some fungus with one of the merchants (don’t want to destroy his privacy - but he’s the boot-making guy ;)) and then we’d go wander the village and wood and cullminate the experience in the fire & drum circle, playing long past closing.
Man, I miss it. Although the weather and geography are perfect, (Maryland was always too hot) they don’t seem to have a RenFest out here in Portland. Shame.
Yet to be reconciled with the reality of the dark for a moment, I go on wandering from dream to dream.
Glenoled - Thanks, I checked out the website and scanned the info. It looks interesting and I will definitely spend more time there when I’m not at SDMB.
Notthemama - (your name makes me smile everytime I see it. I can’t forget that baby dinosaur hitting his father over the head with that frying pan.) Thanks also for your information. I would also prefer to be more of a spectator, at least for the first time I went to a RenFair.
Everyone has given me great information. I think that I’ll have to go to at least one and see what’s up. Now I wish that there was something going on nearby soon.
Make that crew, boothies (vendors), and actors and you’ve got it right. The best time of day is after the Faire closes.
The best Faire in the country (IMHO) are the two held in California, one in spring (SanBerdoo)and one in fall (northeren Cali).
This is the original Ren faire in the US, it started over 30 years ago. It’s owned by an entertainment company now, and has become a regular business, but is still a great place to go and see scantily clad wenches and eat huge turkey legs.
Have a beer and be somebody.
Have another beer and be somebody else.
I just remember something about the last time I went to the San Bernadino Ren Faire (which is very nice, I might add…)
I went to see one of the half-hour long abbreviated plays that they had. Really nice. It was “The Taming of the Shrew”. Great acting, and this great looking guy playing the male lead. And, damn, he was really good at his role, funny, projected well even to us in the back. And, damn, so great looking. He looked like that guy from “Rocketeer”. Hey, wait a minute, it was the guy from “Rocketeer”! (This is S. CA folks, anythign can happen.)
So, for whatever reason, Billy Campbell, the star of the current ABC hit “Once and Again” (w/ Sela Ward) decided to act in the Ren Faire. Yes, I am sure it was him (I’m a portrait artist dammit, I never forget a face) and no, I don’t think he was there because his career was in the tanker. (I’d been seeing him on TV at the time.) He just went to have some “fun”.
I think Ren Faires are great fun! I suppose the quality varies from area to area, too. But the S. CA Faire is great.
Polydactyl Cats Unlimited
“A Cat Cannot Have Too Many Toes”
Actually… Philomath has a ren faire called Shrewsbury every September. There’s also a big one up in Washington, but I’m not sure when and where. And there’s always SCA events…
After rereading…
There is a big difference between SCA and RenFaire. Basicly, a RenFaire is a bunch of people in funny clothes running around and amusing the crowds. The SCA is a bunch of people in funny clothes running around amusing themselves.
The SCA is far more stringent about outsiders. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to show up as long as they make an attempt to blend in and share the dream. Like any clique, some of us are rude to those that don’t fit in and some of us will go ass over ears trying to help someone new. I think you’ll find that the SCA has far more of the latter than former.
The SCA also avoids fantasy elements… it’s not a DND group, and there were no elves in the 1500s.
In the SCA’s favor, it is far less expensive than a renfaire, events range from free to $10 usually (big events could be more, rarely). There is more to participate in, and a wider range of entertainment. There is almost always a rowdy area and a quiet area, so you’re not forced into the partying.
Um… RenFaires often have better looking belly dancers though. Tough call, that.
Renfair quality varies wildly unfortunately. Whereas the Sterling Forest Faire, in NY state is great, and makes an attempt at a slice of real history, setting theirs in the Elizabethan period; the one in Tuxedo makes shitty historical stabs in varying times at ‘Queen Gwendolyn’s’ court and is far more in keeping with a medieval mall than a lot of the fun shows and games etc in others. You pay your money and you take your chances.
All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people.
Thanks for the info, MadPoet. I don’t know where Philomath is but I’ll find it on the map. You ever been there?
With all the great beers out here, I can’t wait to check Shrewsbury out. I’ve also been meaning to drive south to Ashbury for their Shakespeare Festival - this year for sure!
I’ve never been to an SCA event - where and when do you all get together?
Also, has anyone been to the CA faires AND the MD RenFest? Are they run by the same folks?
I need to study my history more carefully. I completely missed the Lutheran Inquisition. Do they threaten the infidels with lutefisk and old tapes of Prarie Home Companion?
Sissy or not I have a lot of fun going. Turkey legs, tankards of ale and cleavage is certainly my idea of fun. Some of those corsets are cinched pretty tight though. A lace could let go and kill a guy. The festival near Phoenix just ended so I’ll have to remember the “breasteths of an oxen” line for next year.
Sake: Philomath is 20-30 minutes south of Portland. I’ve been to Shewsbury a couple times. It isn’t a huge event, but it is a lot of fun. They usually get the Seattle Knights to come down and joust, and there’s a belly dance troupe that…
(We now pause as MadPoet drools on his keyboard)
Anyways, as far as the SCA goes, there is an event just about every weekend. The bigger ones are coming up though, Egils being the biggest. A complete list of events can be found at http://www.antir.sca.org/