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Old VARF Faire Grounds

Started by kcdcchef, February 06, 2011, 12:31:32 AM

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kcdcchef

Since I have only been to the new VARF two times ( 2003/2004 ) and the old one twice ( 1995/1996 ) I can honestly say I am not sure which grounds I prefer more, however, I found these photos of the old abandonded faire grounds online. Wow, looks like they closed up preparing to open the next day, wow. If these have been posted before, sorry to waste everyone's time!

http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/virginia_renaissance_faire.htm

SirBlackFox

Big, full page versions are in issue #3 of Faire Magazine, if interested.
Publisher, Faire Magazine, The Concordium, & The Pyrates Way
Founder, FriendsofMDRF

Black'n McCrack

Xantrawler

Thank you for sharing this. It is sad to see a faire lost in time like this, but I have looked at the web site of the new and discovered it is populated with caring, fun loving people. I am glad that the spirit of the faire was able to continue, but sadden that the old faire site has fallen. Hopefully some year the wife and I shall make the trip to your faire and enjoy the fine folks to be found there.

GoldenGoose

The old Virginia Faire was part of Renaissance Entertainment Corporation. It's a shame that they built such a beautiful site, and then shut down just a couple of years later.

The current Virginia Faire is produced by an non-profit educational organization founded by some of the cast members of the old Faire. It's still mostly a soft site -- although much, much larger than it was in 2003-2004, that's for sure! We're still very small, compared to, say Maryland or Pennsylvania, but we have a big heart.

And our educational mission has enabled us to really focus on developing our cast and developing activities and entertainment that are very hands-on and participatory.

It's so sad to see those buildings abandoned -- but on the other hand, it's been a good reminder for us: don't grow faster than you can afford to!

daniel paul

VA fest is a good one. unfortunatly its quite a hike from me where i am in baltimore. my wife and i went for our 1st time last season. hopefully this year i will get to attend again. spring is a busy season for me so its kinda difficult but i would like and will try to attend atleast once a year.

SirBlackFox

I live in Delaware (Wilmington. . .  between Balt. & Philly). . .  I hit VARF every weekend and both days.


oh yeah. . .have a booth there that I camp at.
Publisher, Faire Magazine, The Concordium, & The Pyrates Way
Founder, FriendsofMDRF

Black'n McCrack

Master James

Quote from: daniel paul on March 02, 2011, 06:21:26 PM
VA fest is a good one. unfortunatly its quite a hike from me where i am in baltimore. my wife and i went for our 1st time last season. hopefully this year i will get to attend again. spring is a busy season for me so its kinda difficult but i would like and will try to attend atleast once a year.

We have quite a few vendors as well as cast members from the Baltimore area.  Come on down and enjoy our faire!
Why can't reality be more like faire?
Clan M'Crack
RenVet
Royal Order of Landsharks #59
FoMDRF
RFC #51

BLAKDUKE

I can suggest this since I obviously don't know what I am talking about, but would it be possible to take any of these buildings down and move them to the new site and reconstruct them.  I know it would be expensive and time consuming, but all I'm asking is it possible.
Ancient swordsman/royalty
Have Crown/Sword Will Travel

daniel paul

Quote from: BLAKDUKE on March 16, 2011, 01:20:55 PM
I can suggest this since I obviously don't know what I am talking about, but would it be possible to take any of these buildings down and move them to the new site and reconstruct them.  I know it would be expensive and time consuming, but all I'm asking is it possible.

possible...yes...but probably not worth while. your better off skipping the potential trespassing charge and just buying the materials and building new. the pics would make a decent reference to copy the buildings. however last season i noticed that VARF being out in lake anna was a soft site. i just assumed that was because it was owned by the winery there or whatever and they didnt want permanent structures.

Master James

Quote from: daniel paul on March 16, 2011, 01:51:18 PM
Quote from: BLAKDUKE on March 16, 2011, 01:20:55 PM
I can suggest this since I obviously don't know what I am talking about, but would it be possible to take any of these buildings down and move them to the new site and reconstruct them.  I know it would be expensive and time consuming, but all I'm asking is it possible.

possible...yes...but probably not worth while. your better off skipping the potential trespassing charge and just buying the materials and building new. the pics would make a decent reference to copy the buildings. however last season i noticed that VARF being out in lake anna was a soft site. i just assumed that was because it was owned by the winery there or whatever and they didnt want permanent structures.

Well the reason we are a soft sight is because we don't want to pour tons of money into a site and then be forced to charge a ton of money to make it up and if we don't make it up be forced to close.  That unfortunately is what happened at the original site.  So we are building slowly.  We add new structures every year.  No they are not the full blown hard site buildings but we will hopefully be headed in that direction in the next couple of years.  Idea is to keep the faire running rather than turn it into a hard site that can't be supported by the funds we currently have.  We do however plan on becoming a hard site as soon as funding will support it, not before.  Hope that explaines things.
Why can't reality be more like faire?
Clan M'Crack
RenVet
Royal Order of Landsharks #59
FoMDRF
RFC #51

BLAKDUKE

Absolutely.   Makes sense.  Good luck
Ancient swordsman/royalty
Have Crown/Sword Will Travel

Becky10

Those are amazing photographs. Our faire (SoCal) doesnt have any permanent structures so its so bizarre for me to see abandoned faire buildings.

Right when I was thinking i would love to live there I read
Quotehomeless freaks hiding out here.
;D
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on

daniel paul

Quote from: Master James on March 16, 2011, 04:38:05 PM
Quote from: daniel paul on March 16, 2011, 01:51:18 PM
Quote from: BLAKDUKE on March 16, 2011, 01:20:55 PM
I can suggest this since I obviously don't know what I am talking about, but would it be possible to take any of these buildings down and move them to the new site and reconstruct them.  I know it would be expensive and time consuming, but all I'm asking is it possible.

possible...yes...but probably not worth while. your better off skipping the potential trespassing charge and just buying the materials and building new. the pics would make a decent reference to copy the buildings. however last season i noticed that VARF being out in lake anna was a soft site. i just assumed that was because it was owned by the winery there or whatever and they didnt want permanent structures.

Well the reason we are a soft sight is because we don't want to pour tons of money into a site and then be forced to charge a ton of money to make it up and if we don't make it up be forced to close.  That unfortunately is what happened at the original site.  So we are building slowly.  We add new structures every year.  No they are not the full blown hard site buildings but we will hopefully be headed in that direction in the next couple of years.  Idea is to keep the faire running rather than turn it into a hard site that can't be supported by the funds we currently have.  We do however plan on becoming a hard site as soon as funding will support it, not before.  Hope that explaines things.

that could also be another explanation...makes perfect sense to me.