Question from Maryland Renfest regular...

[keithbarrow]

First off, I'd like to say hi and introduce myself to everyone. My name's Keith, and I've recently rediscovered the fun and and fellowship of attending the Maryland Reniassance Festival.....I initially started going at age 15, and it instantly became a mandatory event for 15 years where I attended at least 5 or 6 weekends of each years schedule. I dud sory of lose interest for awhile, but revisited it again last fall and it felt like I had never left.

Here is my question......I'm sure everyone here knows that Revel Grove, the village where the MD Ren Fest is held every year, is a permantant standing town built in the woods that is solely used for two months a year and stands idleotherwise. Do most of the ren fests in the US have this kind of dedicated area used just for them, or are they more temporary structures? I want to start checking out what other states have to offer. Any info is appreciated!

[Merlin the Elder]

Welcome, Keith!

The faires that have permanent structures are known as "hard" faires, and there are MANY across the country. Faires with only temporary facilities, i.e., only tents, are called "soft" faires, and there are many of those also.  You have a number of hard faires in the eastern states. We visited the one near Charlotte, NC just this past October.  It all depends on how far you are willing to travel to visit other faires.

We live in central Arkansas and have also traveled to the Colorado Ren Faire, between Denver and Colorado Springs, our home faire is Scarborough, south of Dallas, TX, but we also go annually to Sherwood Forest, near Austin, TX, and Castleton (OKRF) in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  These are all hard faires.

We have a couple of startup new faires in Arkansas, both soft, but we haven't had the opportunity to visit them yet because they have conflicted with other things.

Hope that helps. If you go to the main forum page, you'll see all of the larger faires listed individually, with each region having a batch of smaller faires.

[Norfolk]

Welcome, Keith!

My wife and I are familiar with the following "hard" faires:  Colorado (home), Minnesota, Kansas, Arizona, Scarborough (Dallas, TX) and TRF (Houston, TX).  If I could visit only one festival each year (other than home, of course), I think it would be TRF.  It is by far the largest, and seems to have the most enthusiastic patrons, although the latter comment could start a real food fight. 

There is also a smallish, "soft" festival in September each year in Santa Fe, NM.  It has a Spanish theme; Ferdinand and Isabella are on the throne.  The thing that makes it both fascinating and unique is that it is held on the site of a Spanish living history museum, El Rancho de las Goladrinas. 

All of these are a goodly distance from your home in Maryland, but if the opportunity should arise, I would recommend any of them.

[BubbleWright]

Welcome Back...   My home Faire is the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (PARF for short) and it is a hard Faire on the grounds of the Mt. Hope Winery. Originally started to bring people to the winery, it has developed into its own entity. Besides the Faire run from mid-August to the end of October, it has a number of non-Renaissance weekend events in May, June, and July. During the winter months it has theatrical happenings in the vein of Poe, Dickens, and Murder Mysteries at the Mansion. The wine store is open year round while the brew pub is open selected weekends. I do believe that a full time restaurant is in the works. Although MDRF runs concurrently with PARF, it would be worthwhile to come North for a visit. See link below for more info.
............................................................Felix the Bubble Wright

http://parenfaire.com/

[Bob of the Lake]

Welcome back, Keith! My home faire is the New York Renaissance Faire (NYRF) and it is a hard faire with permanent buildings and grounds. The faire season is 8 weeks in August and September and the grounds are unused for the rest of the year. I also visit some soft faires in the area including the New Jersey Renaissance Faire (NJRF), the Connecticut Renaissance Faire (in 2 locations), and the Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire (also in CT).

[PollyPoPo]

Hello, Keith.

There is also Sherwood Forest Faire, central Texas (www.sherwoodforestfaire.com).  Sherwood is a newish faire (this is the fourth year), but it started with permanent structures and also tents, as well as a campground for patrons.  It grows each year. 

The Faire itself is during Feb-March, but there is a Celtic weekend in the fall, a summer camp for children started last year (maybe a themed camp for adults in the future), and the grounds have been utilized for large groups such as SCA and Girl Scouts.  Not sure what they have planned this year other than the Faire, summer camp and Celtic weekend. 

There are also periodic Gatherings for volunteers to help out and just get together. 

[arbcoind]

Hi Keith.  Travel north to The Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival.  It is a hard faire running 6 weekends August 24 through September 29. 
www.pittsburghrenfest.com
Gina

[keithbarrow]

Thanks for all the info from everyone! I'm definately making plans to spend a weekend at the PA faires. Actually, I'll be visting PA quite a bit this year.....two other interests of mine are 1960s-1970s horror films and the Civil War, and I'm making a trip to Gettysburg and also attending a 2-day drive-in horror festival outside Pittsburgh......

I've taken cameras to the MDRF every year and have over a thousand pics from 1988 to 2001, so I'll be posting them in batches in the designated area.

Yrs, Keith

[Alaric]

Pittsburgh and PARF are both great faires. You will have a great time at both of them

[BLAKDUKE]

PARF  also affectionately as the renne faire from hell due to its long run.  I only visited twice, once in 1983 and 1985.