How do you decide?

[Orphena]

So, every year, m'lord and I take a road trip to a faire in the states. We drive from Ontario, Canada, ending up at a "big" faire for the weekend, and then drive back home. Since many of the faires in Ontario are temporary sites, this allows us to get our faire fix!

So far, we've visited St Louis (on our honeymoon), Michigan - several times (which we love!) Sterling, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York.

Every faire has it's own flavour, or feeling, and we love to explore the new surroundings, interact with a different cast, and perhaps catch a show or two that we haven't seen before, but mostly we love the wander, encoutering things as they happen!

This year, we are in a quandry as to where to go. Due to budget constraints, we don't want to fly (although eventually we will try it!),  and because my husband works for a school (not as a teacher), we cannot roadtrip in September, so our plan is October.  We are currently looking at Ohio or Carolina, but haven't made a choice yet.

What I want to know is how do you decide which faire to visit? Do you flock to where you have friends? Do you go to see a particular act? Or do you enjoy the familiar lanes and playtrons of your home faire, and have little inclination to wander elsewhere?

[Merlin the Elder]

On three occasions, our choice was based on where the R/F RenDezvous was being held--Colorado, Carolina, and Kansas City. After making so many cyber-friends here, we wanted to meet them face-to-face. We also like to sample new faires, and other choices have been by recommendations.  Sherwood Forest Faire in McDade, TX (Austin area) was so highly praised, we had to make the 8-hour (one-way) trip for its opening weekend of its second year to see for ourselves. We haven't missed opening weekend since.

A couple of trips to The Castle at Muskogee have been fun, and we're planning a return this year.

So, it's partly about the fellowship, and partly about adventure.

[Rowan MacD]

 We tend to stay close to home, but try to to see a new faire every so often. 
   Time, rather than budget, is the deciding factor for me-I don't have the time to spend on a drive over 3-4 hours one way, and I get maybe 2 weeks each month that I don't work 6 days. Asking for vacation time after the 20th of the month is frowned upon, since we have deadlines to meet.
  When we go further afield, we prefer either smaller venues with a strong Renaissance feel to them-or larger ones with stronger historical rather than a carnival atmosphere.   Most of our friends like this too, so we tend to gravitate toward the same venues. 
 

[Craigmeister]

I usually pick events that are within a day's drive.  If I'm on a business trip or visiting relatives and there is a faire in the area, I'll go then.  Sometimes, I pick training in cities that I know have a nearby faire going on.  I too prefer a good Ren vibe.  I don't like to visit a place that is too commercialized or just out for my money.

To get me to go back to a faire, I need trees.  A faire without trees just seems wrong.  I also love working trebuchets.  They are a guaranteed attraction, as well as good hammered dulcimer music.