Do Faires need Rennies?

[Anna Iram]

I agree with what's been said, but I think too, that what is forgotten is that faires *breed* Rennies and Playtrons and so forth. We were all, Merchants included I would guess, at some point Danes, and evolved from there. We are a natural part of faire. As natural as Cast and Crew.

[Lady Rebecca]

I agree with what's been said, but I think too, that what is forgotten is that faires *breed* Rennies and Playtrons and so forth. We were all, Merchants included I would guess, at some point Danes, and evolved from there. We are a natural part of faire. As natural as Cast and Crew.

I would slightly disagree. I think Rennies also breed Rennies (both literally, and just through friends). I went to my first faire, already having made myself a full garb outfit. One of my friends had commissioned garb from me, and I tagged along. And though I may not be a full-fledged "rennie" with a home faire and all that, I absolutely love faire and go every chance I have.

And to stay more on topic, no I don't believe faires can exist without Rennies. There would be so much of a faire's atmosphere missing without all of the paytrons coming in dressed up, whether they have characters of their own, or no.

[Anna Iram]

I knew that would be a bit "outside of the box" for some, but don't dismiss what I said so lightly. Not off topic in the least. My point was, and using you as an example if you don't mind Rebecca, although you may have worn garb to your first event and so forth, and made garb for a client, you were still, more or less a dane. Perhaps I'm wrong and you were already more invested through other clients. I'm sorry if I'm mis representing your particiaption here. Anyway, It's not just about what you are wearing, garb or no, I went once a year every year in garb, but still was more a less a "dane".  I think it's about having a sense of "home" and ownership in some way when you walk through the gate. I think faires strive hard for that illusion and those that continue on to become Playtrons or even Rennies participate year round in some way, and are a natural extension of that.

Could faires survive. No. We help keep it alive even when the gates have closed for the season. Through our purchases, even in the off season, and through communities such as RF. Some more than others I suppose but still, I think we are essential.

[Rowan MacD]

With out you, Renn Faires would be little more then a local carnival. 

This is it in the proverbial nutshell, Captain.  If I wanted to be a passive observer I would go to a movie or a theme park. 
   Ren faires and historical festivals; such as Celtic games, reenactment encampments and heck, even ComicCons and the occasional Rocky Horror Midnight Revue are unique in that they actively encourage people to be part of the show, instead of just watching. 
   Audience participation is probably one of the most uniquely successful and enjoyable  forms of entertainment, and if the 'cast' is willing to help make the show better for everyone, I say:
Huzzah!

   

[Nighthawk]

4) Rennies give a Faire its sense of community. I;ve seen Rennies pitch in and help merchants who are in a hurtin way,  organize monetary help for folks who get hit by illness. Heck one Faire we performed at, they helped us drag all of our equipment from stage to stage.  They are the heart of Faire.

And there it is! I can't tell you how many times I've gone to a Highland games or Celtic festival and camped at a ground populated by Rennies, and was treated like an old friend come home. I'm deffinately a Colorado Ren Fest playtron, even though I only manage to make one or two weekends a year, so I don't know that I could call myself a Rennie (I'm too busy with all the Scottish/Irish/Celtic festivals!) but if I could go all 8 weekends, you bet I would, because the Rennies most certainly fill out the place. If it weren't for all the playtrons, the lanes would be a lot less interesting.

[Lady Rebecca]

Anyway, It's not just about what you are wearing, garb or no, I went once a year every year in garb, but still was more a less a "dane".  I think it's about having a sense of "home" and ownership in some way when you walk through the gate.

I definitely see and understand that. Though I guess in that case, I'm still sort of a dane. Because I've moved so much in the 1.5 yrs since I started going to faire, there's not a faire I've been to for more than one year. But I still love going, and someday, I do hope to have a home faire. (Right now I'll claim Sterling, since it's my favorite.

[Lady Mac]

Now that I think we have proved the value of rennies at faires, let me add to what was mentioned
before; our value to local communities. L'il Mac and I do 4 faires across the U.S. each year and we
spend alot of monies on the road. After each one, I tally the cost, everything per show; fuel,
maintenance and repairs to our trucks, repairs to the booth, booth fees, electrical fees, payroll
for our help, hardware stores, arts@craft stores, groceries, washeteria and dry cleaners, eating out,
entertainment, and one faire we can't live on site, so we have a motel bill for the entire run of the show.

These are not major marketplace cities we are in, but do draw crowds from them. A good chunk of our
monies spent goes to Corporate America, which helps supply someone with a paycheck. But as the
years are going by, with more traveling, both of us have found more and more mom@pop America.
They know us, we know them, their kids know us, they know when faire time is, they come to faire
and so on, the word and experience of faire gets spread. I have not a clue, all of us combined, what
boost we supply to a city, but surely, it's more than was there before we arrived.

[winterland]

The Festivals wouldn't be a Festival without Rennies. 

[crazyrennie]

A heartfelt yes-
I have been working as stage crew for 14 of my 16 years here at AZ-
and I have seen faires without stage crew-true I am biased about this.
But I believe that Fairs need Rennies-

Crazy

[Queen Maggie]

As someone who has studied the business... sorry, folks. NO.
Rennie playtrons are great to have, but the bread and butter of faires is the once a year mundane. They are more numerous, spend more on beer and food (the biggest source of income to the producer) and have no attitude problems about "But you OWE us for the way we enhance your atmosphere!
Now, I'm not down on "Rennie Playtrons" as a group: a lot of friends and fans have come from that group, because you know I respect you. But some playtrons are the ones with the greatest sense of entitlement (we were here first. It's OUR playground. You're just a dane. We know the actors! etc, etc) and they tend to make their garb, not buy. they bring picnics from home. they congregate and block access to the front  seats at the best shows.
Of course, most people who consider themselves rennies aren't like this...but I'd also say (looking back to the query I posted about assumptions of what pubsing OUGHT to be) that we all have assumptions that we carry unconsciously.
And the numbers of cold hard cash brought in, show that 'danes are the lifeblood of faires.

[Anna Iram]

Maggie, I agree there are certainly plenty of playtrons/rennies that fall into that category, those that bring all their own drink and food and rarely make a purchase or see a show. I do though think there are many who consider themselves patrons and go out of the way to leave generous tips and purchase favorite vendors . I certainly learned from a long time rennies how to properly tip, and while Playtrons may make their own clothing, accessories, shoes and weapons purchased from faire vendors would more than make up for the difference. I'd think ,all said, playtrons would spend far more than the average once a year mundane. I suppose I could be wrong. I know you've been in this biz long enough to know.

Just speaking for myself, and I'm sure for many others, but I certainly don't feel any faire owes me anything other than a good show. In fact I feel it's my pleasure, when I can manage to attend, to support the faire financially as well as in spirit.

[GirlChris]

I think it's interesting that everyone seems to have a different definition of "rennie."

Judging by context of various different posts (not all in this thread), rennies are:
-people who "get into the spirit" of faire
-the backstage crew
-the people who come to faire dressed in costume
-people who travel from faire to faire living on the road
-people who are regular patrons at faire
-people who work at faires

So we can't really answer the question "do faires need rennies?" because we don't have a definition that everyone everywhere in the world is going to agree on.

[Anna Iram]

There's a very good article floating somewhere around here. It was written, I believe, for Scarby and well describes the differences between Playtron and Rennie, etc.

Here it is:

http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=9044.0


Apologies to the originator of the thread if this is off topic, but I think it's an interesting read.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

But i've also noticed that the term "Rennie" means different things in different parts of the country... everything from a carney to a well dressed playtron.

[will paisley]

As someone who has studied the business... sorry, folks. NO.
Rennie playtrons are great to have, but the bread and butter of faires is the once a year mundane. They are more numerous, spend more on beer and food (the biggest source of income to the producer) and have no attitude problems about "But you OWE us for the way we enhance your atmosphere!

I would say it depends on the faire.  There are small faires out there that do "need" regulars/playtrons/what most people here consider "rennies" to be.  For a faire the size of Maryland's, however, I would agree that they are not "needed".  While I do think it'd be a different faire without them, the faire would hardly go down the tubes if they were all gone.  I don't even see their absence affecting the majority of garb vendors - although a much lower percentage of danes and day trippers are likely to buy a corset or cavalier hat, their numbers are so much greater that they probably still represent a majority of their business.  I'm guessing that the vendors of nobles garb would probably miss the die-hard regulars, but I'm not even positive about that.  Certainly they're negligable on the radars of food and drink vendors (at least as far as their bottom lines are concerned; they may be far more visible to the individual salespeople and more meaningful in terms of tips).  While I've certainly "helped out" at faire, doing privy duty and giving directions, I realize my unsolicited, voluntary services, while presumably appreciated, are hardly indispensable.