I’m good friends with the wife of one of the KC actors (I think he’s going to be Sheriff of Nottingham in the Robin Hood show this year) - we get out there a few times a year, and almost always for the Scottish weekend.
And for DH, 
No, I have no idea why all the jewelry vendors know me by sight…
Oh? You should definitely make a short trip out to the Greater St. Louis faire this year, in Wentzville… cuz I’m a jewelry vendor there. 
Dangerosa, I’m kind of surprised to hear that your experience shows Rennies and SCAdians to be so different from one another. In general, I think SCAdians take thing a bit more seriously, but my experience has been that the two groups intermingle and get along just fine. This summer will be my 25th at Bristol (I’m a “playtron” there, vendor at other faires). I have some friends who do the Shakopee faire (as performers and staff); though you’ve been away from it for awhile, we may have acquaintances in common.
I can count on one hand the people I know who have done both. I have to take off shoes and socks to count the number of disparaging comments from both sides when one side heard I’d done the other. But, I’ve been out of both a number of years, and was never “into it” on either side.
I’m sure we have acquaintences in common. Particularly if you’ve done the Minnesota show for more than ten years. My own circle started dropping about ten years ago.
I’m one. Southern California Rennaisance Pleasure Faire in Agura, then it moved to the desert, did a year there but got tired of the grind. Joined the SCA and moved from the Kingdom of Caid (Western USA) to the Kingdom of MidRealm (Midwest).
From my experience the ones who do the disparaging are those who have to bust on others to build themselves up.
Thouroghly enjoyed both experiences and there is a lot of crossover. I concur with the previous poster who said that the Renn-folks tend to be more theatre types and the SCA people are more into it as a serious hobby. However, differences aside, both crowds are into fun, costumes and hanging out with their friends.
Definately give the Faire a try.
Sca ???
Larp ???
SCA= Society for Creative Anachronism
LARP= Live Action Role-Playing
My experience is that the “sides” (if there are such a thing), just don’t “get it.” It isn’t a self esteem issue, its a “I don’t understand why anyone would…” issue. The SCAdians don’t get that the idea of RenFest is performance art - nor do they really understand why anyone would WANT to do that. The RenFest people don’t “get” that anyone would put real scholarship into something and consider it fun. Sure, they’ll go to great depths to develop a “character” (which they will bore you with the details of during some party), but looking up to see if such a person could have existed - alien to them, and boring - its about the plot, not the history.
Broad brush again - there is some crossover. But people don’t tend to join Fest because they are interested in History. Most people don’t join SCA because they want to perform.
And different Festivals are different - I understand SoCal was always much bigger on historical accuracy than most festivals.
As you’ve probably learned by now–no, you don’t need to “dress up.”
But you may end up buying from the merchants. And when you get the items home–you realize that they will only look good at the next RenFest!
Thanks. 
I like it myself. I usually use it to try to explain the SCA to people I meet because most of them know what a Ren Faire is.
It varied from guild to guild*, some were more focussed on studying textile differences from various regions, some were more concerned with putting on a good show, some were just looking to party after hours, some were a mix. As the Faire was sold and moved that care-free sense of fun and study has mostly been replaced with a more commercial focus.
Sorry, but that’s a brush so broad it’s unuseable. Your description fits practically none of the many SCA and Renaissance Fair folks I’ve known since the early 1980s (and a great many people do both).
There’s your problem then. Bristol (my home Faire as well) is more SCAey and more “authentic” than any other Ren Faire I’ve ever been to around the US. Did you know some Faires ENCOURAGE fantasy costume from their WORKERS?! 'Tis true! They have elves and fairies and Robin Hoods (damn, scratch that last one- Bristol unfathomably added Robin the last two years, didn’t they?) and even Drow (dark elves) and wizards…not to mention the godsdamned bellydancers! While you’ll find all those among the patrons of Bristol, employees and vendors aren’t even allowed to wear KILTS!
When Bill (it was Bill, wasn’t it? I’m drawing a blank) sold the place to REC (what was it, four years ago now?) the dreaded Costume Nazi went with him, but Bristol is still one of the most “authentic” Faires around. Except for the garbage cans, as I like to point out to patrons. If you want real authenticity, we’re going to have to ask you to wade through raw sewage.
What **Dangerosa **describes is right in line with my experiences in Florida or Michigan or, Og-forbid, California. Fun as all hell, but they wouldn’t know a farthingale from a codpiece!
And…hey! We have to hang out this summer!
Drat, I won’t be in St Louis at faire time this year. I go to a convention in St Louis every year and wanted to go to the faire as well, but it was pushed back to July this time around. Ren Faire and Dopers to meet (and buy stuff from)…what could have been better?
Odd. When RPFN* was unde REC’s misguidance, we had a wicked Costume Nazi. Now that we’re our own company, we no longer have such a finicky person.
*Renaissance Pleasure Faire North, now known as NCRF, or Northern California Renaissance Faire
Oh, for the puzzled, REC is Renaissance Entertainment Corporation, a company with a history of mystery meat accounting. They apparently managed to glide charges that were related to their acquisition of the New York ski resort :rolleyes: onto RPFN and carpet-bombed the newpapers with free admissions and 2-for-1 coupons, resulting in the average admission per person to be about $8.50 (an un-discounted adult ticket was $20) to make us look extremely unprofitable so they could justify dropping us.
God bless you gotpasswords, for making yourself understood and not posting just a bunch of abbreviations assuming we all know what you’re on about.
You are a shining example to all!
Hey! I had a footnote too ya know.
They are true in my experience - but I’ve been out for a while and local - as I believe I’ve said repeatedly. I didn’t mean for them to apply to everyone - which is why I’ve been using terms like “broad brush” and “in my experience.” YMMV, but I can only talk to my experience and perceptions.
I’ve known a few bitter SCAdians/Festies with low self esteem, but they weren’t the ones busy ‘dissing’ the others. I never felt there was that level of malice in it. More of a “I don’t know why you’d want to do THAT.” I didn’t want to give the impression that the disparaging comments had that flavor. Overwhelmingly, both groups of people were open, kind and generous - but in my experience, they weren’t the same people and didn’t like to be mistaken for one another.
It occurs to me there may be a regional difference; aside from the occasional Pennsic, my SCA experience is all in the Southeast, so maybe there’s more of a separation of SCA and RenFair folks elsewhere. (And, believe me, within the SCA there are endless discussions about our internal divisions – the authenticity fanatics, the stickjocks, the politicians, and most people who are casual weekend hobbyists. It’s amazing how there’s no club to small to have sub-groups and cliques.)
If the OP is still here – just go and have a good time. Don’t worry about any of this stuff.