Florence market

[Zardoz]

Let me say up front that this is in no way a criticism of the vendors themselves, some of which I know personally, They had little control over the details after they paid TRF for the opportunity to sell their wares to a large crowd of people, and in fact they are suffering from TRFs inadequate maps and marketing of this project.
But... Looks like the critics were on the money about the Florence Market thing ..  While most are quite nice, in my opinion the temporary looking booths look out of place, and their location,  basically wrapped around the gardens/wedding chapels just destroys the garden area. I'd be really pissed if  I'd planned a wedding there and my view and indeed the backgrounds of my photos is the  back of those hovels. And there's a gazebo setup in the middle where some guy was hollering loud as hell on a PA while I was there. As someone who used to enjoy doing a lot of photos in the gardens, its a complete clusterfuck.  And for what its worth this opinion was shared by basically anyone that saw it, patrons, cast, other vendors, etc..

[Breandan]

I think it was an attempt to use what was seen as dead space and to duplicate the success of Sherwood's "gypsie market" area with the tent booths. Unfortunately, it kinda flopped. I'm pretty sure Terre's been getting an earful on it, and it IS problematic, so the question is what can be done to fix it? I think spreading the temporary booths out a bit around the faire- using up dead space in other locales- and giving the wedding venues some breathing room would be a good start. Obviously not something that can be done halfway through the season, but something to add into the planning for 2016.

[Zardoz]

Well, last year I was under the impression that the market was going to be in an expansion over by the elephants..though I honestly think that hiding them back there would have been worse for the vendors

[PollyPoPo]

I was there opening weekend and felt the same as others here - it's just a bunch of new partially built shops, nothing at all Florence or European at all.

It definitely took away the respite that was the garden area in the past.  Back then customers could sit and be still for a few minutes away from the cacophony and the tiring onslaught of visual movement of the people, customers and workers. 

TRF has grown so big and has so many customers each day that perhaps it is time to rethink the entire concept of one giant festival and explore the options of separated entertainment/shopping themed areas (unfortunately aka Disney World).  Make actual distinctions with walls (either manmade or vegetation) to separate groups of similar shops/entertainment, so customers can pick one area and truly explore that area rather than just wandering around. 

The way it is now, many customers just walk and don't go into shops because the shops all start to seem the same, repetitive.   Stages seems further apart and fewer in number, even though they have not changed locations (mud pit moved, but still in what was a stage area). 

Perhaps management already has plans for the future to address the concerns customers and workers are expressing. 

[scarletnyx]

So, I like to be balanced in all things, so here's my take.

PROS

NEW VENDORS!

The biggest complaint I hear from old timers is how TRF has "sold out" and has cheap crap for sale ( among other things ). Well, now we have vendors selling bonsai trees, leather wares, and services. I didn't stop by all of them, though I walked by all of them, and I really liked what I saw. Also, Alex and I found a woman from SENEGAL who MAY BE ABLE TO GET US AFRICAN GARB! BIG deal guys, for us and her. She was thrilled to see Alex wearing his African garbset, and beamed like a little girl while we talked to her.  She is far from home, and seeing something that made her think of home... Well, it seemed like a big deal to her. This is good, I guarantee you she will be back ( and we told her about Sherwood, so here's hoping!)

New people!

People " age out of " vending, going, and just being involved in faires every season. I saw all new faces manning the booths, and more people visiting them. These vendors will hopefully attract new people into faire, and more people to get involved with the community.



CONS

Placement.

The placement of the Market is, really, the best place they could put it. If you put it in sherwood, it's too far for most people. And there is not enough open shops for the number they installed. However, I used the Gardens to kinda.... place myself. Numerous times I walked past where I needed to turn and, since there was no open space, I had no idea where I was. It does feel abit closed in and cluttered. I can't speak for the " Florence" part of the look, but if they don't look Florence like they should change the name,

I actually can't think of any other cons... if I do, I'll come back and update this post. Overall, husband and I liked it. Placement threw me off, but Alex was fine.

[Breandan]

Speaking of that, I've also been reading that the placement puts the temporary booths in the path of the Sprinklers of Doom, which are shredding right through the tarps and hosing the booths and everything in them.

[scarletnyx]

Speaking of that, I've also been reading that the placement puts the temporary booths in the path of the Sprinklers of Doom, which are shredding right through the tarps and hosing the booths and everything in them.

Did not know that TRF has sprinklers. That kinda sucks - I imagine people aren't happy about being sprinkled on.

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[Breandan]

That kinda sucks - I imagine people aren't happy about being sprinkled on.

Naaaah, as participants it was fun doing the D-Day invasion runs from cover to cover to avoid the sprinklers (I'm being serious, not sarcastic, it was sort of a game for us  ). Working over on Industrial Row at Wyrdsmith's and then the Blacksmith Shop (where I was the ONLY sober person >.< ) and having to hoof it all the way across well after close to get to the showers, I learned where every one of those things were on that half of faire and turned into a damn ren-ninja avoiding them while carrying my 'dane clothes and toiletry kit. For tent booths, however, those things are effing nightmares. They are designed to fire off a high-powered jet about 80-100 feet, and I am hearing that some of them are less than ten feet from the tents in Florence Market. That's like getting hit with a low intensity firehose at that range.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

That kinda sucks - I imagine people aren't happy about being sprinkled on.

Naaaah, as participants it was fun doing the D-Day invasion runs from cover to cover to avoid the sprinklers (I'm being serious, not sarcastic, it was sort of a game for us  ). Working over on Industrial Row at Wyrdsmith's and then the Blacksmith Shop (where I was the ONLY sober person >.< ) and having to hoof it all the way across well after close to get to the showers, I learned where every one of those things were on that half of faire and turned into a damn ren-ninja avoiding them while carrying my 'dane clothes and toiletry kit. For tent booths, however, those things are effing nightmares. They are designed to fire off a high-powered jet about 80-100 feet, and I am hearing that some of them are less than ten feet from the tents in Florence Market. That's like getting hit with a low intensity firehose at that range.

Nice...