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Full-Time Renn Park??

Started by Anomalous44, August 08, 2013, 03:13:52 PM

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GryffinSong

Quote from: PollyPoPo on August 14, 2013, 09:09:37 AM
Hey, GryffinSong, did you see the PM I sent you?

Yes, sorry ... thought I'd replied.  :o  Off to do that now.  ;D
"Be yourself, everyone else is taken." - Oscar Wilde

Rowan MacD

Quote from: Dinobabe on August 14, 2013, 09:17:42 AM
Quote from: GryffinSong on August 13, 2013, 08:29:40 PM
Are you a member of the SCA, Adrian Empire, or any of the other medieval re-creation groups? They would LOVE to have a good site for events. That way you get "living history" for a long weekend at a time, and could see how well it works for you. It would also give you another group of people to poll, because, honestly, you've not really gotten enough feedback here to be statistically significant. SCA members, and similar groups, are people who really enjoy living primitive. The Pennsic War, for instance, is two solid weeks of medieval camping, with lots of vendors and classes and so on.

Whatever you decide, best of luck with it!!! :)

Great idea!
Also consider Civil War, Mountain Men, craft and heritage, and Native American events.
I second that.
  Something else to think about: 
  If you want to get your feet wet starting a small faire or an artisan village, check in to an existing rustic party venue and see about time sharing the site for a  few years.
  Commercial U-pick Pumpkin and berry farms are good places to start looking for a turn key, already developed venue.
  They are usually glad of a money making opportunity leading up to their fall harvest events, Halloween haunted houses, and harvest  corn mazes.
   These events are notoriously crowded and popular, and are generally located close to population centers and paved highways. The best thing is-People know where they are.  All you need to do is advertise.
  As for overhead- The owners of the site will frequently work something out in lieu of a rental fee for a percentage of the gate, and/ or some sort of proprietary vending agreement. 
  For example: our hosts have 2 food kiosks which they make tons of money from during the fair, using  their professionally equipped on site catering facilities, and in turn they maintain the bathroom facilities, parking lots, access roads and security, etc. at no additional cost.  They also advertise our faire on their website. ;)  Win Win.  They make money off a site that normally wouldn't be making any money for them for a couple of months, and we don't have the day to day maintenance headaches. 
   The party (mostly weddings) venues are next door,  overlooking the faire, but the events don't interfere with each other because each has it's own parking lot and access road.  Recently we have offered free gate to party guests-many of which have never been to a Renaissance faire or didn't know we were there.
 
What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt

Dinobabe

Quote from: Rowen MacD on August 14, 2013, 06:27:38 PMRecently we have offered free gate to party guests-many of which have never been to a Renaissance faire or didn't know we were there. 

Creating future customers!!! 8)
Natasha McCallister
Bristol Faire 1988-2005
The Wizard's Chamber/Sir Don Palmist
59.2% FaireFolk Corrupt
midsouthrenfaire.com

Rowan MacD

Quote from: Dinobabe on August 15, 2013, 09:12:31 AM
Quote from: Rowen MacD on August 14, 2013, 06:27:38 PMRecently we have offered free gate to party guests-many of which have never been to a Renaissance faire or didn't know we were there. 

Creating future customers!!! 8)
Who are a little overdressed for a dusty faire, but it's fun to watch bridesmaids and groomsmen stroll about, looking at the vendor stalls. ;D.  They don't stay long, but the guests with young children like having a distraction for the kids.
What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt

Anomalous44

Sorry to leave this thread hanging for a bit, I've been busy. Lots of great feedback and suggestions on how to obtain more feedback. To be honest, the dream is to have a community where people can live a simpler life and the business side of it would be purely to maintain the needs of the community and educate others. I hadn't thought of doing different periods and groups but that might be just the ticket to making this happen. I will continue researching and researching...

PollyPoPo

Anomalous44 - see PM sent today.
Polly PoPo
(aka Grannie)

GryffinSong

I have a friend who owns a large piece of land out west. He built his own home with his own hands. He has several vegetable gardens. He knows people who hunt. He builds almost all of his things (including his home) with local and recycled materials, most of which he found or bartered for. His dream is to build a variety of sustainable homes on the property, and live simply. He already does that, and he'd like to add to it. Although he isn't building a medieval village, he belongs to a medieval re-creation group, and he hosts events there, both for them, and for several blacksmiths to demonstrate their craft. I love his ideas, and for some of us, he is an example of a simpler, more ecologically sound community.
"Be yourself, everyone else is taken." - Oscar Wilde

Johnwolfe

I think this is a wonderful idea  and am interested in it...