What was your initial impression of faire?

[Valiss]

Remember all that time ago when you first went to faire? What was it like?

Maybe a friend talked you into buying a ticket with them so they would have someone to go with. Perhaps it was one of those "family outtings" that your folks dragged you to. Or maybe you just went yourself out of curiosity. And when you got there, do you remember what it was like; the sights, smells, sounds? What did you think of faire as an 'outsider'? And what make you come back next time?

[Bob of the Lake]

I kind of backed into my first faire. One of my son's middle school friends had invited him to go and they needed me to drive them there. I went without many expectations and man, I was just blown away. I had such a blast wandering around, laughing at the comedy shows, enjoying the music, and taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells. I hadn't had that much fun in a long time and was instantly hooked. I've attended every year since and in fact have been going more times per season each year.

Well, my son is grown now but if he happens to visit during the faire season, we still make it a point to to to faire together.  And yes, I still drive.

[Dayna]

Home.  Pure and simple, Home.  As a lonely unattractive teenager with a warped sense of humour, it was like entering a dream world where it didn't matter what you looked like, and people understood your jokes and off-the-cuff Monty Python references.  I thought it was the most wonderful place on earth.  That's the first and the last time I ever attended in civies, it was garb all the way after that.

35 years later, I still think faire is the happiest place on earth, although now it's Bristol rather than MNRF.  I work/attend 5 or 6 faires a year, and one day I will have enough to retire from my daily civilian job, buy an RV, and travel the circuit.

[chainshot]

The first time I went to faire was in 1979 at Sterling Forest in New York, I was twelve and at the time I recently discovered the game Dungeon & Dragons with some friends and was hooked.  One day one of the guys told the rest of us about this place out in the weeds somewhere (we lived in NYC so every place out of the five boroughs were weeds to us) where people got dressed up in medieval clothing and did cool things.  Unfortunately after getting the rest of all excited over it the dumbass informed us that he didn't know any other details except to say that he overheard his older saying that he and his girlfriend and a few other people were all going to pile into his econo van (I'm sure some of you may know the type, beat up, with black light, posters and carpeting in the inside with no back eats and some fantasy artwork airbrushed on the sides) and take a trip there.  Well for obvious reasons there was no way on earth that his brother was going to let his kid brother and his friends come along with them but he did fill us in on where it was and when, so we begged my uncle (the kind that lets you do ANYTHING) to take us and he did.  Needless to say when we got there we all thought it was great and had a blast!  To a bunch of twelve years olds that grew up on really bad B rated fantasy movies, pulp fantasy comics and classic metal music, the place was magical for us, and since then even though most of my old gang and I live far away (two in the west coast, one down south and three in other countries), we've never forgotten our first experience at faire and have even gotten together a couple of times bringing along our families with us over the years to visit...  Thanks for listening.

[Lady Ellie]

With me it started with doing research for our wedding. I had an idea about  my dress but needed to find it. We went to four winds ( my first faire ). I loved it. Made me want to go to more faires. Went to TRF for first time that Oct. ( Our Honeymoon ) . I had a blast. We went several more times that year. Now I have to spend my b-day at Scarby and go to Trf in the fall. Want to go to LARF,CORF and one day MNRF.

I love the sights,smells,music and the people. It is a totally different world and I don't want to leave. I wish I could stay there. There is no better place to be than faire. If anybody wants to know about a faire they ask me. I try to keep up with what's going on so I can give them  the right answer.

Yep, I addicted and proud of it.

[LadyStitch]

Yeah, home that pretty much sums it up.  There were people who were as odd as I was, and I wasn't judged.  There were really performers who did it because they loved it. There was music I liked there and not the garbage on the radio. The clothing there was made by fellow seamstresses with love. It was... I was... home.  Since them I have been ribbed why I keep going to faire even if it is roasting out.  I saw because you would go back to your home town if it was hot wouldn't you?  This is a place where I can be me no more no less. 

[bran_gray]

I'd always wanted to attend one but my location always seemed the farthest point from any faire on the map.  Midwest Kansas and the panhandle of Nebraska aren't known for their ren faires.  I'd grown up reading my mothers dragonlance books, playing diablo, dungeons and dragons, and anything else fantasy related I could get my hands on.

All grown up and married many years later I had a wedding I had to attend in Dallas.  We were staying a few extra days to see the sights and my family had driven down to see me.  Wife was looking for something to do the evening after the wedding and mentioned there was a ren faire going on nearby.  So the next day we woke up bright and early and dragged my family to Scarborough.

I've never seen my mother or father as happy or enchanted as that one day we spent at Scarborough.  So now every year we attend Scarborough (just recently in garb), Sherwoods first year, and soon to be added to the list TRF.

And just like everybody else has said, I feel at home.  This is where I belong.  If I had the hands for a craft and my wife didn't mind the traveling I would be plying a craft all across the country at each ren faire.

[analise]

So I think the first time I ever heard of a renaissance faire was in Mercedes Lackey's Bedlam's Bard series. In fact, the first book I read out of it (by the same name) started out with the main character working as a musician at a renaissance festival. Her descriptions of it just sounded amazing and I remember thinking, "too bad there isn't anything like around here."

Then I moved to Maryland (in 2005) and, about a week or two after I had done so, a very good friend of mine came to visit me and check out the new place. It was Labor Day weekend and I guess my landlady heard us trying to figure out what to do for the weekend and she said, "why don't you go to the renaissance festival?"

I remember being like, "they have one of those here?!?!"

So, we went, and by the end of the day both of us had walked out of there in our first sets of garb and I've been going to MDRF most weekends during its run ever since.

It totally lived up to my expectations.

[Jinglebum]

The first time I went I was in the eighth grade. I remember I went with my middle school's history club, so we had to wear school shirts. Before we even got into the festival, it felt wrong NOT to be in garb. It was the first place I'd ever been where I could walk around and talk in funny accents and not get weird looks. When I left the festival that day, I knew I'd be back many more weekends to come.

[Lady Christina de Pond]

I'd been itching to go since i was a little girl and my friends and i finally went it was my first time ever but not theres one had been to the alabama ren fest and one had been to sterling so i was the newby of the three of us. i remember the sounds and the smells and thinking i didn't want to leave anytime soon i was hooked i even wished we had dress up. i remember asking my friends if they thought we should and they were like nahhh after that trip we started dressing in Garb
ofcourse i'm the only one whos gone every year since then.

[Drudonn]

I went to TRF for the first time when I was in 5th grade or so (give or take a year). My brother had some sort of project for one of his classes in Jr. High, and so my whole family went. I loved it--the costumes, weapons, music, food, atmosphere, everything. We didn't go back for years, as my mom thought it (and the people) "weird." In my freshman year of college, my two best friends and I decided to go and I absolutely loved it. I've gone every subsequent year, except for last year because I didn't have the money, but this year, I'm planning on camping at TRF with my fiance and a large group of friends.

Going to faire feels like going home. It's full of odd people in dramatic costume speaking in funny accents--my fiance and I both have said we would love to just live at faire, all year round. Just turn TRF's New Market Village into a working town, and let's get a place to live there, and dress in garb every day. Since that's not actually possible ('yet,' I want to add), we'll just have to settle for going as often as money allows.

[dbaldock]

My first impression that Summer day in 1995 was that I loved the music at Scarborough Faire!  So much so that I bought a Season Pass at the beginning of 1996, and for the next 4 or 5 years, until I was out of work for most of 2 years and couldn't justify the expense.  Then i moved to Houston, but I don't have the same passion about TRF as I did about Scarby.

Take Care,
David Baldock

EDIT: Fixed typo.

[brier patch charlie]

For me it was Disneyland meets the 16 century, this could be fun! I'm ready for a change anyway and no one's going come down on me if my garbs not 100%.  And it has just taken off from there.

[Lady Toadflinger]

Well. For me, it was not love at first visit.  I can't even remember who I went with, but somebody talked me into attending Northern Cal Ren Faire about 25 years ago. (when it was still at BlackPoint) I was suffering from depression, which made me really cranky about just about everything! The parking was too expensive, the gate fee too expensive, food too expensive, they expected to be tipped after shows, and people in funny clothes were too boisterous!! (I still don't know who talked me into going, and how they put up with me!) Many years later I saw a flier about a local Waldorf school putting on a Faire, and they needed volunteer help.  I  offered to run a petting farm for the kids, and that was the time that really got me hooked! I've been going for the past 7 years to all of the Northern California Faires within reach!

[bellevivre]

that picture has NO Rennies in it! shocking!

anyway, my first time to faire was after many years of convincing my parents I was old enough to go- they had gone to TRF several times when I was small and I was absolutely enchanted by the IDEA of it.

For me, it was all rolled into one feeling, which I still get every time I walk into TRF- a sight/smell/sound that just envelops you!

[Delireus]

I've always loved history and fantasy and I remember looking on the internet for hours at pewter dragon and fairy things, swords, crappy hot topic bodices, stuff like that and wishing there was something like a huge mall just for that kind of stuff. Then, my freshman year of high school, I saw a commercial for TRF on TV and I flipped out. I begged my parents to take my friends and I, I had no idea what I was in for and I rememeber sort of apologizing to my friend about how I had no idea what it would be like, the prices, size, anything and I hoped we would have fun

Oh. My. God. My first time at faire is literally in my top 3 happiest days ever. Especially being at TRF I was so overwhelmed but I think my friend and I did as much as we could being first timers. I loved it because we felt out of place because we did NOT dress up! We had another friend who was not able to go that year and we made her swear she'd go with us next year. Hah, I remember talking about renfest for weeks afterwards with both of them in class, getting in trouble for talking. Every year during high school we'd go over to each others houses the night before faire and make garb out of anything we had, old skirts, peasanty looking tops from Target or something. Once Charlotte Russe (a clothing store) had a sale on their "corsets" for like 15 dollars and we flipped and bought these got awful colored ones with cardboard boning To us they were amazing and we wore them with pride no matte how terrible they looked  (my choices in garb have improved, I promise)

But yeah, faire was magical and a place I never wanted to leave. 6 years later, not much has changed

[Merlin]

Fun.


It looked like it was going to be a lot of fun.

Then I felt out of place because we were danes. So we rented costumes and had a blast. The next 2 years...we rented costumes again and soon realized we were now rental-danes.

So we began to put together costumes and have been making costumes ever since.

Behind the wall of faire is a place that there are no nerds...no weirdos... no freaks. Only people wishing to escape reality for a day and have fun. I can't think of a place where I feel more comfortable.

I have made a living for 2 decades doing the unreal. My life is full of the unreal. I never do anything at faire to make someone feel uncomfortable. If they seem to be happy in jeans and a football jersey but apparently don't wish to be approached in the lane.... leave them be. I toned down my make-up because the dark wizard Merlin seemed to scare the children.

Faire is a happy place.


oh...and boobs.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

that picture has NO Rennies in it! shocking!

anyway, my first time to faire was after many years of convincing my parents I was old enough to go- they had gone to TRF several times when I was small and I was absolutely enchanted by the IDEA of it.

For me, it was all rolled into one feeling, which I still get every time I walk into TRF- a sight/smell/sound that just envelops you!

That's the same effect that i get, walking up to the gates of TRF... it almost reaches out to you, embraces you and leads you inside.  Like an old friend you haven't seen in a long time...

[LadyDracolich]

First impression: AWESOME!!!  Second thought: I have GOT to get some garb!!!!!!   And now, I've got some of the coolest friends in the world that I met at faire (including my BFF!) and tons of garb!   I love faire, it's so relaxing.

[isisdy]

My first time was at TRF in 2006. My husband at the time took me there on my birthday. When we first walked through the gate I was blown away by all the sites and smells and what caused me to really fall in love was the people. I'm not the most social person in the world because my whole life I have always felt like I was out of place. I've never felt like I really fit anywhere because my instrest in history and culture and just anything and everything exotic to the way I was raised has always pulled me in. Because of this I have always been the odd girl. It was the first time I didn't feel like I was out of place. Although I am quite slow to expressing myself among strangers I found it much easier for me to feel free around people with like minds. I must say though that I completely romantisied it after the first time wayyyy too much . I went back every weekend until it ended . I was almost ready to quit my job , home school my son , sale everything I owned to start a business there and follow Renfest through out the country. I was quickly pulled out of my fantasy and have since learned the realities of faire but i love it all the same as I believe I always will. But for me intially I thought i had found my Utopia. That it would be songs around campfire, conflict behind me forever and always, and friends that would be family. That was before I had ever camped!!!

[Ginette]

I guess my first impression was that I really didn't get it, any of it.  The people, the clothing, food, shows, any of it. 

My husband, daughter and I had gone with some cousins years ago.  They dressed in garb but we didn't, I personally was still in the mindset that it was a little to odd for me.  We ended up going the next year and my husband got his first kilt and wooden tankard, the season after that I got my first set of garb.  I stumbled across the forums in my attempt to understand the whole faire thing and fell in love.  My husband, daughter and I are bigger rennies then the cousins that introduced us to faire.  My rennie friends now outnumber my mundane friends and the family, we have turned a few mundane into rennies and our costumes turned into garb. 

[Lady Neysa]

that picture has NO Rennies in it! shocking!

I was thinking the same thing! 

What faire is this?  Beautiful pic!   

I first attended MDRF in 1993.  A friend of mine was having a ren wedding (outside of faire)  and was showing us what our bridesmaids dresses would look like.  Within the first few minutes of looking everywhere at once, I was completely hooked.  That was the first and last time I attended as a mundane.  Walking around Revel Grove for the first time in the chilly fall air was such an undescribable, amazing experience.  As much as I still love faire, and the feeling I get walking through those gates,  it doesn't compare to the magic of that first time.  I wish I could feel that way again. 

[Rikki the Trickster]

I'd have to agree with 'home'.

I'd been going to conventions for a few years when my chance to finally visit a renaissance festival came up. The first time I went to TRF, it was with an older friend who's aunt worked at a ticket agency of some sort and invited us along. Simply put, we got lucky. I felt a little funny walking through the gates in a dress borrowed from my school's drama department but I forgot that soon enough. My friend's mom didn't enjoy herself that much but my friend and I had a blast watching shows, looking at garb, buying weapons, and just exploring. As soon as I was in the car on the way home, I was already planning my first garb. Even though it was a few years until I was able to go back, it felt like home all over again as soon as we set foot on the grounds.

[DonaCatalina]

It was Scarby back in the '80's. I loved it. I rented a peasant dress and went barefooted in the mud all day.
(This is Scarby, you know?)
It took some time before we went more than once or twice a season. (Putting a daughter through school)
But now its our primary vacation.

[Mairte]

I loved it and felt at home immediately. I didnt want to and still never want to leave! 

[Merlin the Elder]

I'm not 100% sure which faire, TRF or Scarborough, was our first one. I remember it was a lot of fun! At the time, we were not financially able to make it a regular thing by any stretch of the imagination. That didn't come until 2001.  Now, like the Doña and the Don, it's become what we do for vacation. I didn't realize just how much a part of us it had become until we skipped a year (2008) because we were taking an extended trip to New York. I don't think we'll ever skip a faire year again.

[irishgirl]

I was pretty young, seventh grade if I remember correctly. I went to TRF with a small school group and we left really early in the morning. It was one if those beautiful foggy days in Plantersville and the gypsy camp used to be down in a muddy section that has since been expanded. That was my favorite part of the faire and I would just sit down there under a tree, mesmerized. The whole experience called up a strong feeling in me that I had been born in a world too modern and I was thoroughly enchanted. By the next year, I had found a friend who felt the same way and whose mother would take us to faire. That's when I started wearing the garb (and refusing to wear shoes!).