Getting Ready For Faire. What do you do?

[Will Gamwell]

So every year I know that I have certain things that I do to get ready for Faire.  I am interested to know what you all do to get ready.  Any "rituals" that you have?

As for myself, aside from the usual sewing, purchasing new items, organizing my camping equipment..etc.  I have several things that I do that may differ from others.

Having work Safety Services (Security) for the past couple of years I began to do several things before Faire starts.

I start wearing my Fest boots Sometime around June or July in order to make sure that they are broken in & comfy.  I begin to "workout" more with my legs.  Some strength/lifting exercises, but mostly a lot of cardio, bike riding, and walking.

Most people at Faire end up being on their feet for many, many more hours than they usually are in their mundane lives.  Doing SS at MNRF, I am upright and walking for 11 to 12 hours a day with a 1 hour break in the middle of the day.  Even with everything that I do to prepare for it, my feet still hate me for the first two weekends.  Most days for that hour break, I stay on my feet.  Because I know if I sit down, they are going to swell like an SOB!!

This year as things are, I will not be working Security, but I am still preparing as if I were going to do that much walking.

Cheers,
Sean

[robert of armstrong]

I start planning our trip routes for possible weekend trips early, determine what weekends people will be available for travel during the RenFest season here in the Northeast, and what Faires we will be able to visit.

Beyond that, go through all the garb and determine what will be worn this year and what will be left out, secure weapons and their frogs that will be worn,  and make sure I have all the pieces of my armor.

I also start wearing one of my maille hauberks around the house for a few hours a day just before going off to a Faire to get used to wearing the extra weight.

[maelstrom0370]

Hmmmmm...rituals?

Nothing terribly special here.  I take an extra day off work to grocery shop and pack the RV. 
We both make sure our garb is packed. 
No extra walking required though.  My job keeps me on my feet 10-12 hours a day normally 

[Athena]

Not much here. For me it's mostly sewing/mending garb, and getting things out of storage.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

We play all our faire CDs to get us in the mood and to make sure we remember the lyrics so we can sing along when we're supposed to!

Also, I take out all our garb, try on mine -- it's really an excuse in the dead of winter to put on garb.  Under the guise of seeing if it's still ok, any rips, etc.  There usually is nothing wrong with any of it, but hey, I'm getting ready for faire (even if it's 8 months away!).

Before we go, I take a big box and put in whatever we need for the day:  belt & pouch, the tickets, the hat, our material with the favors on it to hang from our belts, mug with frogs, weapons, camera, custom water bottle carriers.  Make sure the cell phone is charged, get the Ipass for the tolls, also the GPS, the googled directions to faire, state maps.  All go in the box which goes on the back seat of Chiquita or sometimes in the trunk.  Garb for the day is laid out, anything we'll put on in the parking lot is laid on top of the box.

Since we have a 3 hour drive,  we leave really early in the morning and it's nice to pick up one box and put it in the car.

[theChuck]

We play all our faire CDs to get us in the mood and to make sure we remember the lyrics so we can sing along when we're supposed to!

Also, I take out all our garb, try on mine -- it's really an excuse in the dead of winter to put on garb.  Under the guise of seeing if it's still ok, any rips, etc.  There usually is nothing wrong with any of it, but hey, I'm getting ready for faire (even if it's 8 months away!).

Before we go, I take a big box and put in whatever we need for the day:  belt & pouch, the tickets, the hat, our material with the favors on it to hang from our belts, mug with frogs, weapons, camera, custom water bottle carriers.  Make sure the cell phone is charged, get the Ipass for the tolls, also the GPS, the googled directions to faire, state maps.  All go in the box which goes on the back seat of Chiquita or sometimes in the trunk.  Garb for the day is laid out, anything we'll put on in the parking lot is laid on top of the box.

Since we have a 3 hour drive,  we leave really early in the morning and it's nice to pick up one box and put it in the car.

Any recommendations on pub song CDs?

[Athena]

We play all our faire CDs to get us in the mood and to make sure we remember the lyrics so we can sing along when we're supposed to!

I listen to mine while sewing! Gets me all excited for faire!

[Lady Elizabeth]

Well Saoirse and have faire fever all year long. When it gets especially bad we grab our garb and have renfest night at my house with festive music, dancing and movies. My mom thinks we're absolutely crazy for wearing our bodices when we don't have to but to us it feels natural. We talk about "home" and the like and how we can't wait to go back. It's an addiction and little things set us off and we must have a renfest night. There really isn't anything I do in regards to preparing but I must have my renfest fix or I go mad.

[Master James]

Well aside from the making of garb, which is an all year process (something is ALWAYS on my wife's project table) I start my faire year by rehearsing for VARF starting in February.  Then I am wrapped up in that until the middle of June, about 2 months off then MDRF starts and its a dead run from there until the middle of November going to one faire or another.  Then a short winter break and we start up again.  And this year I was the Guilde Manager for the VARF Court so I started working faire around December and I'm still doing it now.  I guess I'm never ever really out of faire mode all year long so no ritual needed to get in the mood.  I'm in the mood all year!   

[Merry]

Our fair season is pretty long too so I should count my blessings. 

We are lucky enouigh to have a Symposium in February to get our juices flowing.  It's a weekend conference filled with classes and workshops.  Vendors come to show off new wares and everyone has a blast.   There are workshops on music, dance, history, swordplay, improv, costuming, marketing for vendors...you name it!  There are even master classes for production teams and guildmasters.  It's an awesome way to get ready for the season.

After that, our first fair is in March and it goes until end of October early November. 

The amount of fairs we go to really depends on how far we are willing to travel.  I prefer to stay within 3 hours of my fairs, but I have friends to visit one about 5 hours away.  I hear it's a great fair, so maybe next year....  Northern CA is really lucky to have so many small fairs.  Casa de Fruta is our large multi-weekend fair and it's in the fall.  If I had to wait until then to get my fair fix.....shudder...not an option.

[Lady Christina de Pond]

i start wearing my sword a few hours a night.
i pull everything out. the gown the boots i also make sure if i've added new accessories i make sure they look good together. i start packing things in my bag that i know that i will only be carrying around that day.

[Charlotte Rowan]

I begin to "workout" more with my legs.  Some strength/lifting exercises, but mostly a lot of cardio, bike riding, and walking.

That is a really good idea! Why didn't I think of that? Of course, since I typically only work Saturdays and for 6 hours, I am not on my feet that much at the chocolate cart, but since I have a desk job in real life it is way more than I'm used to. Plus all the walking around I do at Fest after work!! I think I will start trying to go on some long walks over the next month...

[AnyuBoo]

Hubby and I began our Faire preps practically a day or so after Faire ended last year.    But seriously, we started several months ago by getting our passports (we don't actually need them yet, but figured having them will make for less hassle at the border).  For me, I plan on wearing high-heeled boots with all my outfits this year, so I've been wearing heels every chance I get to get my feet used to it.  I also make a list of what garb hubby and I will wear/bring on Opening Day, then I go around the house (our garb likes to migrate) collecting the various pieces of said garb.  And, as usual, there's always something I'm sewing and it seems like there's plenty of time to finish it, but I always end up having to go into sewing overdrive the last few days (currently, it's a corset I'm making for a friend, an umbrella I'm slowly transforming into a parasol, and I still want to make a couple new pouches).    I also set aside things I plan on carrying in my bag/basket.

[Molden]

For TRF - we usually go through the camp gear, clean, repair, re-stock and then stage it for pack out. There is much inebriation, tall tales and evil schemes hatched in these meetings.

For faire in general - I'll put on any of the POTC movies, Monty Python's the Holy Grail, Princess Bride, and the Lord of the Rings movies...usually on a loop while I clean, polish, repair, and pack my garb.

Being that my head scarves are Wiccan altarcloths, I wash them with the addition of Dead Sea salt to blessed waters. They are dried in the moonlight. This is done on the nearest full moon to faire. They lay folded on my altar until it's time to pack them.

For those that know me best - this is when the FaireWolf in me begins to overtake. I'm more aggressive in my interactions with others, flirting is off the charts...and then there's the "Captain Howdy" moment - which can freak out my apartment neighbors as I stomp around in my shower - bellowing shanties, swearing oaths and curses, and laughing maniacally. By the time I'm at the gates...there is no Mike...there is only ZOOLLLL! Or actually, Molden.  

[Dayna]

Starts in mid-may, preparations for Siouxland in South Dakota, find all my garb and accessories.  This is my Tryout faire for new bits, brush up the GFA (good faire accent), saddle soap and goose grease my boots.  Dig out the songbook and run lyrics.

Since I drive between 4 and 6 hours to all my faires, packing properly is essential.  I start with an open empty bag and "get dressed".  Socks, bloomers, smock, skirts, bodices, dresses, sleeves, headwear, boots, belt and pouch and hanging things to match.  Paperwork, IDs, meds, toiletries, sunscreen, 'things to do', mending kit with thread to match clothing.  Doggy bag for Nixie with fresh food, treats, blankie, toys, pee pads, spare leash, sweater.  Clean mundanes for the drive home, nightie, pre-marked performance schedule.

Dayna