Greetings! I have a friend in Thornton who I will be visiting in a few weeks. We hope to attend your wonderful shire, and I am wondering if you can give us a few pointers. In particular--
How would you describe the land? Is it flat or hilly? Are there enough trees to provide shade?
Is there VIP parking close to the grounds? Or is it strictly first come first parked?
What ales will we have to choose from?
Thank you for any guidance you can provide!
Its first come first park. Get there like 9ish or later for sorta better parking.
Our hills have hills so wear comfy shoes lol. There is lotsa shade and a misting area.
I cant remember what ales there are but the faire is sponsered by coors so there is coors products.
But most of all its sooooooo fun
My virgin ending tour was just last weekend ;D
As noted already:
*It's hilly. My calves are still hurting.
*Parking was already backed up when we got there at 9:30 (part of that was a train crossing that backed up traffic anywho)
My other suggestion is to catch shows in the morning and then hope for a afternoon shower to cool things off or just wander when it's hotter in the afternoon. Most of the back-side of the faire cleared after the last shows were done.
Ratio of booze to H2O should be 1:1 IMHO.
It is a very nice RenFest but I've only done Scarborough and TRF. Enjoy!
The beer selection is pretty good, though all Coors products. Coors, coors light, killians red, blue moon, woodchuck(?) cider, a stout, and a couple of others, IIRC. Not every beer stand has the same selection, though most have four or more. There are a couple of places with margaritas. I think the stand by the pirates pub may have captain morgan.
We try to get there by 9:30 and that's early enough to get into the close lot. There's a bus that runs to the further away lots.
Hilly, rocky and lots of tree roots. The Mrs. has a nasty scar from an encounter with the terrain.
Plenty of shade, though plenty of sun, too. If you want a shady spot at a show, get there early. The lawn in front of the jousting field makes a nice place to find a shady spot and take an afternoon nap.
It is commonly said that everything at our faire is uphill, even when you're going down hill... it feels like you're going uphill.
Yes the Pirate's Pub does carry Captain Morgan, but they do not serve shots. The Pirate's Pub also has mead (I say that... they used to), ciders, beer, soda, and even lemonade. There is also a stand that sells Mike's Hard Lemonade in different flavors. There are lots of trees around to provide shade, the down side is that the seating areas for most of the shows are out in the sun, so keep that in mind.
Feel free to stop by the Pirate's Pub. We are always willing to show newbies around.
Also, just a tip... last weekend I put ice on my feet, then about an hour later, soaked them in hot water with epsom salt. It REALLY helped!
If you're not used to the mountain elevation, sunscreen and water are critical. It's REAL easy to burn. Even the memory is still painful of my first "bodice burn" the first year I moved here - and that was only a few hours of sun!
I do a LOT of hiking and biking and my calves were still sore on my first weekend at faire. Took 2 days to recover. So it can be a workout especially to flatlanders not in comfy shoes and not used to it
And don't be fooled if the weather happens to be overcast, you can still be burned quite easily through the clouds at this elevation. UV rays still go through clouds....
Quote from: Zoë on July 01, 2010, 12:12:12 AM
And don't be fooled if the weather happens to be overcast, you can still be burned quite easily through the clouds at this elevation. UV rays still go through clouds....
Even through the rain. I got a sunburn the first weekend.
Thank you SO MUCH for all the very helpful input. My friend and I will plan on doing a lot of SITTING while we are there, either watching the performers or just doing a little people watching. Being from Ohio myself (ie, not used to the elevation!) I will be sure to drink more water than beer, although I do like the Coors choices.
Thanks again for taking the time to share some tips about your faire! I look forward to my visit in a few weeks.
also, note this thread http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=11934.0 (http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=11934.0)
Quote from: Tanda on July 01, 2010, 11:02:34 AM
Quote from: Zoë on July 01, 2010, 12:12:12 AM
And don't be fooled if the weather happens to be overcast, you can still be burned quite easily through the clouds at this elevation. UV rays still go through clouds....
Even through the rain. I got a sunburn the first weekend.
The misconception is that the clouds mean the sun is not out....it is out, and it's still shining UV rays through them. Especially at this elevation. The only time you can't get a sunburn is after dark - and I've heard after 4pm, because of the angle of the sun, but I'm not sure about that one.
We had a lovely time in your shire this past week end! Many thanks to those kind enough to post tips and pointers here. My friend and I shall make this an annual visit--we're already planning to bring some friends from Great Lakes next year.
I will be in Colorado Springs this weekend... My trip may include a trip to faire! :) If so, look for me in my danes! I'll be try to remember my RF pin.
Hope I get to see your faire!
~LD
Why would an RF'er such as yourself commit sacrilege by attending Faire naked when there is a costume rental right outside the front gate?
Thank you Baron.
Yes come to my shop and dress up right.
Quote from: Baron on July 21, 2010, 09:00:04 AM
Why would an RF'er such as yourself commit sacrilege by attending Faire naked when there is a costume rental right outside the front gate?
Because I don't wear costumes, I wear garb. ;) And I'm not going to rent something at the front gate. (Yes, I'm being a bit of a garb snob. But I've got some great garb, I'm just not bringing it.) I'm going with a friend of mine and she's not going garbed, so I'll feel kinda crappy if I bring some of my garb and she doesn't play with me. :/ So, I'll go naked and enjoy none the less. Besides, it'll give me an opportunity to check the place out for RenDezvous next year. :)
You can hang out with me at faire Lady D. I don't care if you are in garb or naked.
OK, gotta say...... and PPUUULLEEEAAASSSE don't take this wrong..... all possible respect intended. :) :) :-* :-*
I noticed a long time ago, playtrons always refer to their faire clothes as "garb". it was once so with me as well.
actor/participants call them "costumes"....because we are playing a role complete with accent, history & persona.
that being said, I probably wouldn't rent one either. (Sorry Avan... Love ya Bro!)
I would promptly buy one.
cuz the tourists just don't get out of your way when you are not in costume.
I bet they'd get out of your way if you were naked though....
I don't know how to respond to that. ::) :o ;D :-[ :-X ;)
Quote from: Zoë on July 21, 2010, 04:30:15 PM
I bet they'd get out of your way if you were naked though....
I bet they would... but somehow, I'm not sure I'd be getting through the front gates. :-\ :o
Quote from: Hey- Arent You? on July 21, 2010, 05:00:34 PM
I don't know how to respond to that. ::) :o ;D :-[ :-X ;)
You always talk about the people who don't get out of your way when you are walking Paige through parade...you never know, it might help....