TRF Press Release On The City Of Magnolia

[Rani Zemirah]

I do know that when I'm headed to Faire my only real focus is getting there!  Of course, by the time I get to Magnolia I've already driven 500 or so miles, and all I want to do is get out of the van and HUG some people!!!    And, you know... set up camp and relax.  We usually stop for gas and food on the way out, but I seldom leave the grounds unless I find that I've forgotten something crucial, because we're pretty much self-contained, and everyone I want to see and everything I want to do after Faire is right there in the campgrounds, anyway.  

I do know lots of people who live much closer go back and forth from home both days, though, and I don't doubt that many of them stop at various businesses along the way.  The ones that make them feel welcome, at least...

[Zardoz]

Rani, if I drove that far I'd feel the same way! 

I'm not really talking about campers, or other folks who tend to be self contianed or at least organized.
I'm talking about the 'average' daytripper, be they platron or 'dane, who drive there and leave during the day.  It would be fun to see the actual numbers on this, but I'd bet the vast majority of the 25-30,000 folks who come to TRF on a given day drive in from somewhere within a hundred or so mile radius from the faire, mostly from the  Houston area.  These are the folks that jam the roads, but in the context of this discussion I see them as ready made customers Magnolia needs to lure in, get them to make a stop at a local resturant or shop part of their day out.

[Rani Zemirah]

Oh, no doubt!  I can imagine just the restaurants alone would profit hugely from a more active participation in the event, say with a discount coupon handed out at Faire, itself... and if the local liquor stores wanted to get in on that, they might even be able to pull some customers away from the huge Spec's and such along the interstate leading in.  Convenience stores could offer a free soda to people who show their tickets, which would surely sell all sorts of impulse items, as well... and grocery stores could offer last minute camping and picnic items sales during those weekends, with the "loss leaders" generating even more impulse purchases. 


The revenue opportunities seem pretty wide open, from the point of view of an advertising graphic designer, anyway...

[ravic]

Magnolia itself is dry (or was). There are several liquor stores in the surrounding area tho.

The aforementioned Magnolia Diner is very ren-friendly & they stay open later during faire. A lot of the others stick to their regular closing times & IMO lose out on our coin.

Traffic is not the only reason they don't like us. A large minority of the older folk have a small town religious attitude about it & don't want to associate with faire folk lest they be tainted. Fine, don't want them at my party anyway.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

Magnolia itself is dry (or was). There are several liquor stores in the surrounding area tho.

The aforementioned Magnolia Diner is very ren-friendly & they stay open later during faire. A lot of the others stick to their regular closing times & IMO lose out on our coin.

Traffic is not the only reason they don't like us. A large minority of the older folk have a small town religious attitude about it & don't want to associate with faire folk lest they be tainted. Fine, don't want them at my party anyway.

Yeah, i've always heard it was the "old timers" that really stir up the grief about faire... it's not like it hasn't been there for more than a few decades... 

[Rani Zemirah]

Well, I can see that... I face that a lot in my own family.    It seems to be based mostly on a huge amount of misinformation, unless I'm mistaken, but there's no real way to combat that unless people are willing to listen... but you would think business owners would want to encourage as much commerce as possible.  Of course, as odd as it seems, there are owners who would rather turn certain people away rather than do business with them, and I guess those businesses will just have to be satisfied with whatever percentage of the market share they end up with.  In this economy, though, that could be the difference between a profitable quarter... and dancing with chapter 11.

[LadyStitch]

Hey if I had a hunting and camping supply store that was near the faire you would bet I would be welcoming Rennies.  Do people realize how much money camping rennies would be willing to spend if you hand in stock proper fire pits?  extra wood?  Tents? canopies? tent stakes?  Heaters?  Heck generator rentals?  I would be willing to spend a little more than drive 45 minutes to Conroe to go to the Academy in order to get a replacement item.  Especially in the current gas crunch.
If I had a cafe I'd welcome rennies, even offer a place for them to store their 'stuff' if they don't want to leave it in their car.  Hey my mum might be a jerk at times, but if you know your customers preferences you can make ALOT of money by giving minor concessions. 
Heck, my mum's old deli would make what they called picnic packs.  They would have a deal where they had cold friend chicken, cole slaw or potato salad, rolls, plates, silver wear, cups, and 2 liters of sodas, and sometimes even apple or cherry pie, all packed in a Styrofoam cooler. All you had to do was add ice.  All for say $25-30 bucks, feeds 4-6. You just run in grab it from the cooler, there is a voucher for you to pick up the ice as you leave.  In and out of the store 5-10 minutes tops.  How much would hungry families pay for that? Have it in the car for lunch, or waiting at the camp site? 
On cold days, would take longer, but have 3 hot meals ready for pick up.  3 main entrees, 3 possible sides, sodas, and with picnic wear,  packed for you in a thermal tote.  How much of a headache saver would that be?   Then again, you would have to take the time to think about your customers.

[Rani Zemirah]

Maybe someone should point this thread out to the TRF/Magnolia liaison...? 

[BLAKDUKE]

"Then again, you would have to take the time to think about your customers."

It seems there is very little of that kind of thinking going on any more.

It's more like "here's what we have if you don't like it go somewhere else"  

[Merlin the Elder]

...
Traffic is not the only reason they don't like us. A large minority of the older folk have a small town religious attitude about it & don't want to associate with faire folk lest they be tainted. Fine, don't want them at my party anyway.

Would they have a problem with me being Druid? Has anyone determined if any Magnolians were taken in the recent rapture?

[Bonny Pearl]

...
Traffic is not the only reason they don't like us. A large minority of the older folk have a small town religious attitude about it & don't want to associate with faire folk lest they be tainted. Fine, don't want them at my party anyway.

Would they have a problem with me being Druid? Has anyone determined if any Magnolians were taken in the recent rapture?

LMAO!!  Well as a 'Magnolian' I have not read any news about Rapturees LOL!

As someone who lives in Magnolia and close to faire:

I try to get everything I possibly can before we head to the campgrounds so we don't have to go to the stores in town.  Personally I think the grocery stores here are awful!  I go to Tomball so I can at least buy food at the Kroger there.  As a Magnolian, I say "Welcome all Rennies!' and phooey and the complainers.  I know the businesses here count on the surge in sales.  The ones who complain or act stand-offish are not worth the effort in my opinion.

'Urban Sprawl' is making its way to this northwest end of the town.  There are plans to build an over-pass at 1774/1488.  1774 should go over the intersection.  Not sure when this will be finished, but all of the old buildings on the railroad side of 1774 are gone now, even the BBQ place has moved.  The BBQ place was the last business to relocate and it happened earlier this month.  On 1488 coming from The Woodlands, the road expansion is still underway, creeping closer and closer to the founding portion of the town.

With Urban Sprawl in mind, the attitudes here from the locals is probably going to change quite a bit.  Sure there will be some cranky people, always are.  But with growth coming from the south and the east all heading this way, the town is going to be busier, more housing, more people, etc.  It will probably look completely different about 7 years from now.

[ravic]

I'm curious about many of the new subdivisions that are close to the more problematic traffic routes. Someone new to the area that is not that aware of TRF would probably be unprepared for those 8 weekends.

Cause you know that real estate agents never lie.

[Zardoz]

Well, I would not expect the "new locals" to have better attitudes. As has been said, the real estate agents likely didn't include the annual traffic mess in their pitch. So come their first traffic jam they'll be hollering "I moved out here to get away from this! " etc... 

[Rani Zemirah]

Maybe everyone living along the immediate traffic route should get discount tickets... might even create a few new rennies!  

[Bonny Pearl]

Well, I would not expect the "new locals" to have better attitudes. As has been said, the real estate agents likely didn't include the annual traffic mess in their pitch. So come their first traffic jam they'll be hollering "I moved out here to get away from this! " etc... 

Welll, it's sort of too late for that ideal, being away from it all.  The volume of weekday traffic has taken that away over the last few years.  It's not really true 'country living' in this area anymore.  You have to go farther out.

I'm of the thought that a lot of the people buying/building homes out here are probably going to be from the general area (Houston/Conroe, etc) and are already aware of the festival and the traffic.  We were.

Can't confirm, but I have heard talk of a hospital being built in the area and a couple of large retail stores.  We'll have a whole new set of pics to post on 'The People of Wal-Mart' site lol!