Do you wish you had started faire as a teen or younger?

[Tink]

I think I was in third grade when I went to Scarby for the first time (over 20 years ago) and had no idea what it was.  The only thing I remember from that trip is picking out pretty rocks in a blue velvet bag (which I still have!)  My second first time was as a Sophomore in HS, and I LOVED it!  I've been going ever since.

[Delireus]

I started going to TRF my Freshman year of high school and I've loved it ever since. I've been to 4 different festivals now. Each time I'm at a faire, I see children with parents who are all dressed up and I wish my parents had been as accepting as theirs are. My parent's didn't really like renfest too much, and my dad considered it weird and bad. I always felt embarrassed when my friends would come pick me up for the festival. That's all I wish I could change, I wish my parents were more into it and they had gotten me into it sooner. But, I feel fortunate to have discovered the amazing thing that is renfest as a freshman and I've been several times ever since for about 6 years now  

[wyckdblyss]

I can honestly say my very first year to attend TRF, I was 9 years old...I am glad I have an open minded mother.

[Trillium]

I'm lucky to have an open minded family!  We all love going, in costume!!

[Rapier Half-Wit]

I started as a teen; 15 years old, TRF in 1978. Thank (whatever deity you acknowlege) that my parents never went, they would have never let me go back. Would I change anything? Not a single thing. I wouldn't be who and where I am today if I did.

[Celtic_Fae]

I don't.  I went to TRF on a fluke but having an old soul, i fell in love at once.  It took a bit longer for the Rennie Bug to bite me... an ice cold, rainy, Thanksgiving weekend in 07.  TRF was empty except for staff and a few die hards... was one of the best days of my life.  Fraser of Lovatt was born......

Thank you for sharing this. I was working there that weekend and hearing what you just had to say made camping in that weather and doing the show all worth it!

[Bonny Pearl]

I will turn 44 next month.  My first visit to faire was in '82 or '83 with my parents and I was around 16.  We went to TRF and I fell in love with faire then.  I went to a few faires here and there as a young adult while living in southern California.  Moved back to Houston in 91' (I think it was) and started going to TRF again but didn't really start garbing and so on until a maybe four/five years ago.

I always admired the outfits and so on, but never felt confident enough to wear them myself.  Now I garb and don't care if I'm HA or not.  I go and garb because I love faire and don't fret over the garb nazis.

So while I may have started faire young, I do wish I had had the self confidence to garb at an earlier age.  Just think of the collection I would have in my closet by now!    *sigh......*


Oh and Fraser, I remember that cold, rainy Thanksgiving weekend you are talking about.  I and a group of ladies were pretty much planted in the POW lol.  We prolly crossed paths at some point that day!

[Ginette]

I wish I had gone to faire as a kid, I think I and my brothers would have liked it.  But I think my mom would have never even heard of us going back then when we were younger.  My dad has gone with us once and keeps saying he'll go again but work (he's self employed so you work when you gotta) picks up and he can't go.  I've made my dad garb so he doesn't have to go naked.   

[Finnian]

I think I've been going to faire since our local faire started. I think it's been around for 18 years? So I was exposed as a young kid. Supposedly my mum said I asked to go and my parents took me. I don't remember much (I'm 23 now so I was pretty young the first few years) but I remember loving it. My parents were not into it beyond the point of taking their kid to make them happy. My older brother doesn't like it at all, and naturally once I got into my teen years I started making my home made costumes and trying to find friends who would go with me, since you can only hang out with mundane parents for so many years as faire, while trying to make a character. XD

I'm definitely glad I got into it when I was younger, I play a fantasy role at faire, so the young kids who come up to me subconsciously rely on me to help suspend their belief for the season, and because I remember being a kid at faire, I can handle it much better then going in with no experience with the surroundings and audience.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

I
Oh and Fraser, I remember that cold, rainy Thanksgiving weekend you are talking about.  I and a group of ladies were pretty much planted in the POW lol.  We prolly crossed paths at some point that day!

That's funny because that's where i ended up almost every time it started to pour!  My good friend, Broadside McGuinness, told me to come by for the pub sing... soaked to the bone and just as lit up, i found myself joining in with the Pirates of Bedlam.  Yeah, the rennie bug bit me HARD that day. 

[Queen Bonnie]

 I think they had dinosaur faires when I was a kid! LOL! I wish I had found faire early in life- but enjoying it for all I can now!

[Lady Christina de Pond]

i didn't get to garf until i was in my twenty five and i remember a few times in my early teens i had seen it advertised and wanted to go. i would have loved it then that would not have changed

[dbaldock]

Yes.      

[crashbot]

I'm 36 now and have always been a history geek. First time attending I was 28 or 29 I think. Went with some friends to I had met through work who were long time rennes. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't until more recently that I actually putting together some outfits, etc.

I was born in Europe and spent most of my formative years back and forth between the US and there and then another 12 years in the Army, so I got kind of late start .   . There are festivals of a sort in Europe, but not very many. Most are living history exhibits.  

[MMario]

well - if I had lived in California I could just barely have started as a teen; early 20's would have been the earliest I could have here on the east coast; and I did start attending on a regular basis in my late 20's