Not what it used to be...

[Lucid]

I'm looking at the daily writ for this weekend (Wine Harvest), and I have to say I'm pretty underwhelmed.  Practically all of my favorite acts are now gone.  It used to be that there were so many things I wanted to see that I had to choose what to circle, and leave things out.  Now I have no idea how I'm going to fill all the time.  To me 2008 was the last really good year for PARF.  After that Tartan Terrors left.  Now Barely Balanced.  I discovered Bells & Motley by a recommendation in here, and loved them.  Now it appears they're gone too.  I don't see the Archery Demonstration.  The only things I really want to see anymore are Giacomo the Jester, both Jousts, Royal Falconer, and The Boarshead Brawl, but the latter takes place at the same time the Joust does, so I even have to axe that.  If it weren't for the fact that it's gonna be a beautiful day and a good friend called me wanting to go, I probably wouldn't bother this year.  And I haven't missed a faire in over 10 years.

Did some of these people simply retire?  Disband?  Or is somebody in an office somewhere too cheap to pay them what they deserve and they found greener pastures?  Nothing you can do about the first two things.  The latter would be a travesty, and I fear accurate in at least 2 of the cases.

So enough sulking... I'm looking for recommendations here.  What are some new acts that will help fill this gigantic void?  Doc Volz looks promising.  I think I'll check out "The Amazing Alchemy" act.  I thought I heard that some new acrobat act was supposed to be filling in for Barely Balanced?  If so, who are they?  I see nothing like that on the writ.  Is this Artillery Demo going to be like the Archery Demonstration?

PARF circa 2008... I miss you!  What an amazing Wine Harvest finale that year.  Silk Road Gypsies fire dance.  Empty Hats playing "Happy Man", Barely Balanced, Tartan Terrors.  That was one of the best days of my life.  With a pint up on the table, and another on the way, I was a happy man that day.  Will PARF ever get back to that level again?  Or are those simply "the good old days" now, and relegated to nostalgia?