we would like to hear from yall on any ideas, critiques, praises, suggestions yall might have on how the 2013 season progressed and what should we change, add, delete, correct, improve upon for 2014.
The mulch was a blessing and a curse.
My Lovely Lady gave up coming out because it hurt her feet to much but at the same time it was great for keeping the mud and dust at bay.
Please keep Arthur Greenleaf Holmes. That boy is hilarious!
Better sound for the Jerusalem pub. Very difficult to hear anything there.
Honestly, I rarely have a critique for you guys. Just a whole lot of praise.
*as always, a rum bar would be awesome*
the Mulch Killed my legs as well when coupled with the hill. As a veteran, i like challenges, but the disabled veteran in me would try to limit the hill to 2 trips. As a result, i frequented the lanes between the trip and stags when i made my ascent and rarely went around to the other side of the fairegrounds. I also saw a lot of mobility assisted folks have a lot of trouble in the mulch as well (as well with the loose sand/dirt in other areas as well). Is it possible to make some dedicated lanes for us less mobile folks to make it easier to get around? No concrete or anything (unless you wanted to that is) , just something much more hard packed and easier to walk/push/drive on that has no obstructions. You could even market it as a Handicap Friendly Faire :)
At the beginning of the year, i loved seeing Saxon Moon at the Stags, however as the season progressed, i saw more and more people milling about outside and was concerned for how much tips they were pulling in during their shows. There were times I could hear them all the way out in the Camp Ground at Trash Tribe so their Sound Carries quite well, however I wonder if maybe they should have a better stage next time. Granted i don't know how well they actually did but it seemed like they could have done better at a larger stage but who knows.
Exit Surveys should have been at the back gate for the whole season. With as many campers as you were getting.... I heard quite a bit of them frustrated that there wasnt one back there and that they had to go to the front to fill one out, or just didn't bother. Hopefully their concerns/kudos found their ways to you somehow but I feel that you could be getting more feedback on both the inside and outside if they were posted with bill.
Only other observation was the dust storms blowing directly into the stags area. During the windy days, this was getting to be a real problem as people would leave the area when this happened. (my camera is also in need of a serious cleaning from that area as well lol) I think mulch would help with that area but see the first comment. :)
Lord Bud wants Budweiser at the Stags. :)
Side note....
When can we expect to see the Gatherings for the summer posted on on your facebook events?
In case you are curious, I consider Sherwood to be my Home Faire even though I live in Dallas and am very close to Scarby. Scarby/Trf cant touch the magic that yall are producing right now. I burn Most of my yearly Vacation on you guys for either the season or the gatherings later in the year... So Thank all of you for what you do. :)
SQiRL
Sometimes the solution to one problem creates another. To control the dust, I can't think of another solution besides grass, which won't hold up to the foot traffic. Hardpack and gravel, like most other faires "enjoy" is extremely uncomfortable as well. A solution for all will be elusive!
I would like to suggest a wider variety of food, especially for those who are with Celiac disease or at the least gluten-intolerant. I know of someone who will not be able to eat pretzels nor bread bowl soups...
As for the dust, not much to be done about that. It's part of the semi-arid climate that Sherwood is close to. Just think of what people had to deal with in the Medieval/Renaissance periods. Why don't we deal with that in the same fashion? We need to get off asphalt and concrete. I don't mind dirtying up my four-buttons, as that's what they were made for.
I can't think of anything else at the moment. As always, an AWESOME time!
Deafdrummer, with all due respect, the menu choice will be more driven by profit potential than anything, and to be clear, not the profit of the faire owners. As I understand it--and please correct me if I am wrong, Rengypsy--food is provided by vendors, and the vendors ARE totally driven by profit, because it is how they make their living.
Now, with that said, if the market would support more focused dietary needs, and the VENDORS were aware of those needs, there would be a chance. It might also be a great niche market for some upstart entrepreneur, if you catch my drift. Fortunes are built on a foundation of ideas...
Actually there are quite a few food varieties at Sherwood that might be okay for gluten-intolerant. Like at any restaurant, people would have to ask what is in many prepared foods, such as shepherd's pie (meat and veggie mix topped with mashed potatoes and a slice of American cheese, bubble and squeak (potato and cabbage pancakes), scotch eggs that probably have a flour binder, etc.
For more identifiable offerings, there are Mediterranean/near-east foods such as hummus, dolmas, falafel, meat shish kabob; other places have salads (green, fruit, veggie, Caesar, etc.), various meats on a stick, frog legs, veggie kabob (with rice), octopus.
Of course, everything at a faire has to be a version of fast-food due to the nature of the setting, as well as being able to be consumed "out of hand." There are a few longer cooking-time offerings, but they may contain gluten (again, I'm not sure), such as lamb stew, vegetarian Irish stew, etc.
As Merlin said, the vendors have to offer what most faire-goers have come to expect from faire; we're lucky that those at Sherwood do sneak in a few new items each year.
regarding the dust at the stags area, this could be curbed a bit with some mulch down there. What i was trying to point out is... the dust was pushing people away from the stags which overall isnt good for either the stags or the bands playing there. Wasn't really a belch about having to deal with the realities of mother nature or anything.
Next year or at some point in the near future, a walking trail around the pond would be nice. And I'm talking about the one that currently is outside the backside of the faire grounds. Benches, gardens, maybe a gazebo would be a nice. Nice project during some of the weekend gatherings......hint hint.
This wasn't my idea, but rather one I overheard.
There's a marked lack of water fountains, forcing people to rely on bottle water to stay hydrated. While it makes more money for people selling drinks, it also leads to lots more empty water bottles and some people being less hydrated than they probably should be.
If you can't do water fountains, maybe you could have water refill stations throughout the faire where people could refill their own drinking vessels or buy one from any of the many vendors. You can even sell reusable plastic/metal water bottles at the front with the Sherewood forest logo on them.
It's my understanding that Scarborough Faire has refreshment areas for people with season passes. Sherewood could try something similar, providing yet another incentive.
You can also point out to patrons that this option is more enviromentally sustainable than lots and lots of bottle water, a fact that I imagine many Austin area residents would be quite receptive to.
*Do something about Old Potato Rd for us day-trippers. That road is rough enough in the truck but when we come in the econo box I loose the fillings in my teeth.
*Honey-wine variety. There are several good meaderies in close proximity. Be nice to have something other then Thorin's.
*Washing Well Wenches were an excellant addition this year. More acts like them would be nice.
The only suggestion I Have is for Sherwood to be open ALL YEAR ROUND FOREVER AND EVER!!!!! That is all
I really enjoyed seeing The pride of bedlam. I love those pirates and always make sure to see there shows at TRF was was super happy that they had shows the weekend I went to sherwood.
no real complaints, a couple suggestions though.
I too wish something could be done about Old Potato Road. I know it's not really up to the faire, but what do we need to do to get the county to surface it?
The dust! yeah, it's just what the soil is like up there, but I think a good application of some moisture retaining mulch (synthetic if need be) , and a morning water truck tour would be a start.
and oh yeah, bring back Circa Paleo
Quote from: Zardoz on April 09, 2013, 03:55:22 PM
and oh yeah, bring back Circa Paleo
I second this.
I have a lot of pent up feedback since I'm never around for exit surveys. Hopefully this is constructive, and I'll try to alternate between positive and negative. This was my first season as a Friend of Faire. 8)
- The mulch was killer, but everyone knows that the sand can be too. Plenty said about that above. Suffice it to say that I felt particularly bad when I saw people struggling with all their might to pull someone in a wheelchair up the hill.
- Vana MaZi was amazing, and I was constantly impressed by the energy levels they kept up throughout the day even when some of their performers were playing without any significant break for the entire day due to doubling with Wine & Alchemy and/or Wino Vino. With that said, I'd still love to see Circa Paleo again as well.
- I don't want Sherwood to become a daylight hours only faire, like Scarborough. I really didn't like that the closing fire show had been moved up to happen before dusk on the last couple of weekends. People being able to find their way to vehicles in the parking lot after dark is a very valid concern, but one which I feel can be solved through just adding a bit more light as was done with the tiki torches lighting the way along paths within the faire. Sherwood is magical after dark. Please let people continue to experience this magic.
- Pride O' Bedlam needs to come back... a lot... with more audience seating. They had one of the most raucous standing room only performances I've ever seen at Sherwood, and could add a lot to Pub Sing I think.
- The new jousting group was a bit of a letdown after previous seasons with Knights of Mayhem. It's still above average compared to most other faires, but it's not something I would be bragging about all over the place like I used to. The new group shows promise though, and things would be much improved if their shows just had more actual jousting in them. They could also use more riders, as an early unhorsing can make the actual jousting portion of the show extremely short.
- Gypsy Eyes were outstanding, and need to come back for more weekends. They've already outgrown the Plum Tree stage.
- Pub Sing has lost its mojo. The main problem is that the band shell at the Trip seems to actually absorb most of the sound somehow. Two tables out from it, I can barely hear what they're playing. At some points I was standing ten feet in front of them and still struggling to understand words being sung. Apart from that though, I think it could also use more group participation songs. And there needs to be some space made for dancers.
- Obviously the Washing Well Wenches were a huge hit. But I think you already know this.
- I don't feel like the faerie/elf performers are integrated well enough into Sherwood. You have a huge performance group there, which includes a few very good improv players. Please look for opportunities to use them in other shows (particularly any that are oriented towards children, of course).
- Three Stags Pub was a fabulous addition. I really liked the vibe in there for the Saxon Moon and Bedlam Bards shows, in particular. Also, thank you for having more Bedlam Bards dirty shows.
- The parade is... fast. Slowing them down a bit would be good. As would getting more participation. Perhaps invite some of the patron clans that wear matching group garb to join in (like the knights of the round table). Getting more entertainers involved would also be good.
- Sherwood could really use a good pipe band. Jason Gunn's solo shows were always a bit awkward and Drones & Drums was an improvement, but they're still not there yet.
- The decision to have amplified sound this season was a good one. One of Sherwood's biggest strengths is the huge and varied music scene. With amplified sound, there was music practically everwhere you went. Huzzah.
- The autism horse boy guy seemed like a good cause, but the long presentation right before a joust took me out of the ren faire experience more than anything else. It just didn't fit.
have questionnaire at the camping gate. The biggest complaint is that its Sherwood yet there is no archery tournament for patrons to compete in. Biggest suggestion is to add an archery tournament that is open to the patrons. I would suggest that patrons be allowed to shoot in a qualify round during the day using their own longbow and arrows and if they qualify they be allowed to shoot with Robin at 6pm. A fee of $10 or so would seem reasonable for this. Either that or base it off the patron ran archery tournament at Scarborough.
@ SirRichardBear
I was told that we could participate in the archery tournament so long as we had the right style bow, and wore garb.
Did somebody specifically state to you that you couldn't attempt to qualify and shoot in the tournament?
was told could shot with the merry men over by the Pirate stage but that the 6 oclock was for cast and participants only.
Noted on the exit survey at the campgrounds gate. Thought about that around week 4 of this season.
Remember exit surveys mostly concentrate on the Faire area and not the campgrounds.
yea, but the people in the campground also go into the faire area lol. Their opinions/observations should be just as welcome.
1) Another exceptional season. Brian, Eric and George, as well as your entire staff, you do a fantastic job. I appreciate that you had the means to bring your dreams to reality, and I thank you for allowing us to play in your play ground. Best danged play ground I've ever had the opportunity to dream in.
2) I don't want to see the taco shop in the camps driven out of business, but it was a detriment to our faire camping experience. The lights caused much light pollution and the generator was very noisy. Perhaps it could be moved closer to the general store, forming a quasi camp ground town center.
3) The Washing Well Wenches are much beloved and our entire group (Clan P.) hopes to see them in seasons to come.
4) Surveys, I forgot to fill out my survey. It probably would have been easier if there had been some at the back gate (o:
5) Rios on Friday night and Season Closing Sunday night. I'm not a fan. Perhaps this could be moved further from the camp grounds. If not perhaps the sound could be engineered to stay in the participants campground so that we don't have to hear about topless karaoke at 330 in the morning (Closing Sunday).
6) I foresee a future bricked or stoned path. My family is now in a position to donate some time, sweat, tears and the almighty dollar to get this built. However, we're not part of the elite echelon of society so we can't fund the entire project, but would love to contribute as much as we can. I see this as being a necessity. I'm not a historian but I have a good feeling that stone masons existed in this time period. EDIT: The wife has suggested using tree ring slices in place of stone or brick. Perhaps with the help of Terry there could be a path of tree trunks. Just another idea with a resource that is somewhat plentiful at Sherwood.
7) Gatherings: Please plan gatherings around NON public holidays. I understand this is not part of the faire season, but it is part of the faire as a whole. Our clan is made up of great people who would love to come out and help build something new in the faire, but we can't do that when the gatherings are around holidays that are customarily spent with family. We really want to spend more time with our fairemily, but it can only happen if we get our own faire time holidays.
8) Again, Sherwood has been a great joy for my family. We sing it's praises to everyone who stands still long enough. It's because of forum threads like this that we love you and everything you do to make sure that the community as a whole stays involved. And if you're Chinese, this list ends on a lucky number (o:
Michael Wrenn
Lorde Charles - Clan Procrastination
Re: paths, stone or brick
Please don't do the fake cobblestone look that TRF did. The curved surface actually creates a tripping/ankle turning surface that puts people back onto the grass.
Alas, it may be necessary to come up with a modern solution, such as crushed stone on road base. Otherwise, people will continue to make their own paths around obstacles such as muddy ruts on hills last year and the mulched areas this year.
This may not be in keeping with the past nor the idea of keeping the forest as natural as possible, but the continued increase in people traffic during faire calls for positive action to encourage people to use designated pathways, rather than trample down all the vegetation under the trees.
we are reading all your comments and suggestions. keep them coming...
Here's an ( obvious ) second to the water fountains. The only really two big things I make sure I have on me at any fair is sunscreen and water - I burn easy, and I have this fear of getting dehydrated even when it's not hot outside. I have a gourd and so does Alex, so those are usually our water vessels. Also, I would love some Sherwood water bottles! A nice little faire reminder that you can take with you all through the year :)
Dust is dust, I completely understand that. Mulch got pretty compacted down by the end of faire though there were still some large pieces. Over time ( and with more rain methinks ) it will pack into the loose sand - by closing you could definitely tell it was on it's way.
I loved the glass blower. He was smart, intelligent, and worked a crowd well. I've always wanted to see glassblowing, but I've never made it to the one at TRF. Overall, a fantastic year with many, many fond memories!
Quote from: rengypsy on April 15, 2013, 09:53:32 AM
we are reading all your comments and suggestions. keep them coming...
Rengypsy.........Any chance we could get some feedback on your end about some of the suggestions that have been offered up? Being more specific, what has caught your eye as something that is do-able, what is on the "in the future list", etc...... I'm seeing some great ideas!!
Another idea about the surveys: how about one that can filled out online from the web site? Make it time specific, 4-5 days following a weekend. Just another way to gather data over the course of the season.
Quote from: scarletnyx on April 15, 2013, 01:05:21 PMI loved the glass blower. He was smart, intelligent, and worked a crowd well.
Agreed. I've never seen a craft demonstration so fully engaged with the audience. My parents were drawn in to it the day they visited, and we all loved it. He had standing room only for his demos every single time I ever walked by one in progress.
we are having our post faire business meeting next weekend. will present all of yall's recommendations...and will report back after the meeting on what's been decided. fair?
You guys are always MORE than "faire!"
I've been trying every time I look on this forum to think of something to improve.
It's tough. Sherwood is about as close to perfect as I can imagine.
I do have to echo one thing, the sound in the Jerusalem pub can be better. The back tables can barely hear anything at pub sing.
*how about a rum tasting weekend along with the wine tasting?*
was just thinking about something else that i thought was a bit odd....
The End of Parade at the seven sisters. When the circle of vendors are sounding off, I didnt see a lot of patrons around the circle. Most of the times I attended it looked kinda odd to see them sounding off to each other. :)
Just curious as to if the vendors/cast saw the same thing.
Quote from: rengypsy on April 17, 2013, 02:31:48 PM
we are having our post faire business meeting next weekend. will present all of yall's recommendations...and will report back after the meeting on what's been decided. fair?
Thanks for the response...........that is totally reasonable.
While I have never had the honor of attending Sherwood, every year I hope to do so. Other than conflicts with Mudania, the main thing that holds me back is concerns for handicapped access. In the first few years, I heard that the sand was loose and it was easy to get bogged down. This season it seems that the mulch was a concern. So the only recommendation I can suggest is that at least one major path be wheelchair, scooter and StudMuffin friendly.
It might be nice to mention lane performers in the program or online. Who we are, what we do and where we can be found. Both my evil twin Sister and I and many of the other lane performers would bless you!