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How Do You Keep Faire "Going" When the Season Is Over?

Started by Lady Renee Buchanan, October 17, 2015, 09:54:35 PM

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Lady Renee Buchanan

If we were independently wealthy, how much fun it would be to spend the year travelling around the country visiting different faires.  Alas, it is not going to happen for us!  So we have come up with other ways to recreate the "faire feeling" after our local faire circuit is over.  Here are ours. 

We usually buy a few CDs from different faires we visit.  Play them in the car and at home so we can enjoy the music we love.

Use our mugs and pottery goblets for everyday use, not just to carry at faire.

Have Ren Dinners.  A few friends get together every so often,  all in garb.  We do a potluck, usually trying to have something that is kind of what would be eaten in that time period  (pasties, shepherd's pie, etc).

Sometimes plan a winter vacation to somewhere warm where there is a faire going on.  We did that in Arizona and also Scarby.

Whenever there are dress up days at work, if it can be construed as remotely historic, I wear garb.


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Hoowil

Out in this part of the world, besides the big NorCal faire, we've generally got something going on, at least one soft faire or event a month from March thru November. This year we've hit five different faires so far, one for two weekends, with one last one in the works for November. In between I've got garbing for the family to do (why do kids have to grow so fast?), working on my archery equipment, and doing some basic woodwork and related research for all the amenities to put in the yard, and whatever other projects come to mind.
We do also tend to "forget" to put the tankards back in the trunk for our gear after washing out, and leave them on pegs with the rest of the coffee cups.
I've also done presentations on faire folk for school, and done some talks at my kids' old pre-school. Its fun to go in dressed up with all my equipment and talk to the little ones about Robin Hood.
And of course, even though I've been in lurk mode the last few months, I check in here at least a few times a week.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup.

Craigmeister

During the winter, I try to add new things to my website or work on upgrading something for my tent.  I make plans for which faires I want to visit the next year.  That's kind of fun looking at a map site to see how long it will take to get back and forth, looking for nearby motels and contacting friends I will see at those faires.

Next week for Halloween, I'm going to set my tent up on my driveway like I do at faires.  I'll be handing out candy and flyers as well as setting up my maps showing where faires are in nearby states.

Things I do all during the year to keep my faire blood pumping are listening to a Celtic cd almost everyday at work, watch a Ren or fantasy themed show each weekend, update the faire dates I have listed each month, shoot my longbow when I get the chance.  I also enjoy getting into the faire spirit by not just reading these forums but also contributing to their content.
Providing faire information for over 10 years (updated monthly).  Visit www.meistersrealm.com to find all the Renaissance & Celtic-type Festivals in North America.  There's much more to see and do in 'The Realm' as well.

Pharmar Greybeard & Maria

As I type this I am drinking from a mug made at faire.  I have several renfaire podcasts on a thumb drive to listen to on long drives.  I also have several "friends" on the book of faces who perform at various faires from January to December.  I get to "see" these faires in their writings.

Craigmeister

A couple of weekends ago, I kept faire going by driving 8 hours to the Sherwood Forest Faire in Texas.  This gave me a 5 week jump on the start of faire season in Oklahoma.

This was my first trip to Sherwood.  I highly recommend it!  The layout is great with tons of things to do:  archery tournaments, jousting, sword fighting, glass blowing, camel rides, battles in front of the keep, a maypole, lots of stages and talented cast.
Providing faire information for over 10 years (updated monthly).  Visit www.meistersrealm.com to find all the Renaissance & Celtic-type Festivals in North America.  There's much more to see and do in 'The Realm' as well.

Merlin the Elder

Craigmeister, we've made the 8-hour trip for every opening weekend at Sherwood, save the inaugural year. It's part of our annual tour. It is totally worth the annual long trip!

Next up is Scarborough, and it appears we'll be making the trip to Scarby from central Arkansas each of the first two weekends of that faire. Second week, RefMom3 will be meeting us here, then riding with us to Waxahachie on Friday. Lots of traveling for her! She went with us last year, too.

End of April, we're planning to visit the Castle for opening weekend.

The past few years, we've added a fourth trip to some faire somewhere... KCRF, Colorado, Bristol, and North Carolina. No definite plans as yet...
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I've upped my standards. Now, up yours.
...and may all your babies be born naked...

RefMom3

Quote from: Merlin the Elder on March 08, 2016, 05:01:45 PM

Next up is Scarborough, and it appears we'll be making the trip to Scarby from central Arkansas each of the first two weekends of that faire. Second week, RefMom3 will be meeting us here, then riding with us to Waxahachie on Friday. Lots of traveling for her! She went with us last year, too.

End of April, we're planning to visit the Castle for opening weekend.

The past few years, we've added a fourth trip to some faire somewhere... KCRF, Colorado, Bristol, and North Carolina. No definite plans as yet...
And she is looking forward to it! It was a fine time. I'm planning on the Castle opening weekend, too. And several trips to Bristol, my home faire. I have a cousin in Philadelphia, and she has invited us many times to visit during their faire time in the fall. Her husband is a Scot, and he just doesn't get the whole American fascination with  faire, but he's a real sweetheart and comes to play, anyway ;)
I also listen to the cds, and I love the Renaissance Festival podcast, and have worn my dress to work (I'm a librarian in a public library), but I love to look at the pictures and the YouTube vids that people post all year.
(See you in a few weeks, Merlin...hugs~)