First visit impressions, Oct. 2011

[Archer]

A first visit ( 2 days ) impression of KCRF gets an overall good rating.

Easy to locate/access in spite of the competition race going on this past weekend.  The sounds from the race cars carried over from time to time but it was not overwhelming to the point of annoyance.   On arrival, the parking workers did a good job to make it easy and quick.  Security for vehicles seemed quite adequate.

On entry KCRF, management should consider putting some musical entertainers on rotation at those locations.  It sets the mood to transform to a new environment.  As a period music fan that was probably the one thing there didn't seem to be enough of for this visitor.  There were musicians and musical entertainers but they were sparse to what I'm used to from my home faire.  When musicians or musical acts were located, they were adequate and several were familiar, from attendance at home faire.

Vendors get an outstanding rating.  Selection and shopping, ease of access all get good marks.

Interaction gets some low marks.  That is probably because it was much less than what I've experienced at my home faire.  Some of the vendors I know from my home faire indicate that is intentional.   If it is intentional, it may be due to some local customs or preferences that are not similar from my home venue/faire.   Some that are working KCRF as vendors are main acts at the Castle of Muskogee,  OKRF.   Just an opinion of course, but KCRF is failing to take advantage of some real talent with the choices and decisions about street interaction or rather, lack of it or near absence of it.

The music in the form of choir type presentations were very good and get high marks.  Its seemed odd to have the main royalty characters engaged to that degree but for KCRF, it works and the royalty had good singing voices and performed well even though it seemed odd or different from what I'm used to.   It may well be that we become accustomed to our home faire norms and standards and use those as a measuring stick of sorts. 

The most negative thing were the toilet facilities in both male and female areas.  Wet floors, clogged toilets.   The second most negative was lack of attention to trash containers on the second day.  First day that was not a problem but second day, some of them were way neglected and spilling out onto the grounds.  Some of the seating and railing needed some maintenance and loving attention. 

The most positive thing was the beauty of the grounds and structures.  The leaves changing colors and falling with wonderful weather for the event.  The food was good and reasonably priced.  The lack of free water access goes down as a negative.  My home faire provides a few free cold water stations so again, I'm partial on that count.

My favorite character/employee there was the man with the long pole with tickle feathers.  I watched him at work giving the confused helpful information and he did a great job with the visitors.   He had me in stitches a few times with his antics.  He did interact in a playful and friendly way.

Security did a good job.   I watched them nab one fellow who was a loner, taking shots of small children.  Their catch on him was spot on and he wasn't an innocent, in spite of his denials. 

The smoker was good and worth ten bucks.  The Lord Mayor's Company are acquaintances from my home faire.  Lets face it, not all faires can have a Shamus as we have at Castleton so,  I have to say our smoker would beat out KCRF but that is partly because they didn't use some of the great talent they had on hand for the Smoker.  The Jolly Rogers should have been at the smoker.  Their songs for the smoker show are great but unfortunately, they had the Jolly Rogers busy on other stages in lieu of including them at the smoker.  Their smoker ticket prices are cheaper but, I'd have to say our home faire's smokers are worth the extra for the quality, variety and delivery.

Again, it was an enjoyable first time visit to KCRF.   I'll most likely visit that faire again in the future.   I"m not nor have I ever been an employee of any faire so, my opinion is just that of a playtron of some half dozen years or so.

[Butch]

Hey, brother, next time tell us you're coming!  I would LOVE to meet up with you!  There are a few of us that are season pass holders and could take you around.  Which is your home fair?  Tulsa?

[Archer]

Hey, brother, next time tell us you're coming!  I would LOVE to meet up with you!  There are a few of us that are season pass holders and could take you around.  Which is your home fair?  Tulsa?

Thanks.  Will do that, next visit.  Home faire is OKRF, Castle of Muskogee to some or,  also known as Castleton.

[Merlin the Elder]

I'm curious about the crowds. I'm somewhat sensitive to being in crowds that are tightly packed, and I've heard mutterings to that effect about KCRF. A couple areas of Castleton are about as congested as I feel comfortable. Since that is a common experience for both of us, would you say that KC is more or less congested?

Sounds like you had a great weekend! We would have loved to have joined you there. Butch would have made a good guide.

[kcdcchef]

I'm curious about the crowds. I'm somewhat sensitive to being in crowds that are tightly packed, and I've heard mutterings to that effect about KCRF. A couple areas of Castleton are about as congested as I feel comfortable. Since that is a common experience for both of us, would you say that KC is more or less congested?

Sounds like you had a great weekend! We would have loved to have joined you there. Butch would have made a good guide.

Merlin, having been to both, I can tell you that KCRF is more crowded in certain areas. Of course, KCRF is just bigger than OKRF, but not overwhelminlgy bigger. More grounds, stages, etc. BUT, since there are more grounds, there are more areas where one can hang out and not be in the HUGE crowds. For example, Yorkshire Harbour, where all the bawdy entertainment takes place, as well as Three Lions Grove, can get flat out congested and be hard to even walk. But by comparision, upper areas of faire ( upper in terms of higher elevation ) such as Wildewood, Canterbury Hall, etc, can be much less congested all day and do indeed have quailty entertainment.

Now I will also let Archer comment too since he was who you asked and probably has  LOT more experience at OKRF than I do, I have only been a few times. But it IS crowded there! I have always felt you guys should expand your run, too few weekends!

[Archer]

I'm curious about the crowds.

I'm not much on tightly packed crowds either.  Saturday seemed to be a larger crowd than Sunday but I'd say that it was not overly congested except at a few choke point intersections.  The lay out of the grounds makes it easy to flow away from any areas that seem overly congested but I didn't experience the six flags type of congestion at all.  I experienced no incidents of bumping by by-passers or incidents of people stepping on your heels due to crowd volume.   No drunkards of excess.  We didn't find the shops too crowded to see what we wished to see and easy to spend such time as we wished as vendors politely lightened our purse for the return trip home.   At lunch time the seating was shy but a short wait provided what was needed in that regard.  For the weekend of my attendance,  I think you'd find it acceptable brother Merlin except for the tight indoor quarters of their smoker and FIVE to a bench (with not enough waitresses to serve the crowd).    Not as many in garb by a long shot of what you saw at Castleton.   Just a sprinkle of those in garb by comparison.  

[kcdcchef]

Archer, as a faithful representative of KCRF, it IS my home faire, I love your review of our fair faire. And to comment to some of your criticisms and musings.............

Bathrooms, amen to that. I have always hated using the facilities at KCRF. There is basically no light in there, very dark, and almost always dark, stuff all over the floors, toilets clogged, it's the one bad thing about KCRF I think. Although I will say I always see people going in and out of the privies changing toilet paper, opening clogs, they do their best to make them usable, that is for sure. But they need to be so much cleaner. PARF has privie attendants that take tips, and their restrooms are the cleanest at any faire I have EVER been to. EVER!

Beauty of facility - couldn't agree more. There is no faire I go to anywhere in the country I find that marvels KCRF in terms of how amazing it looks. The landscaping, the effort that goes into making the structures look period, the signage, the stages, it is pretty crazy how awesome they do at this. Other faires have went the way of vinyl banners with ads, paved walkways, etc, and KCRF still pulls off the "feel" like no other faire.

I also agree on the entrance to our faire. The gate is awesome, very asthetically pleasing, however, going to PRF this year one thing I thought to myself was, why isn't there more interaction going in? On your way out at KCRF, over 1000 people tell you faire the well. But on the way in, not as much.

Great review of KCRF, thanks for coming, and for such kind words. If I ever make it to OKRF again, I will say hey!

[Merlin the Elder]

Clarify one point, if you would, Archer... Are you saying that KCRF has fewer garbed playtrons than OKRF?

[Stalkwell]

Security did a good job.   I watched them nab one fellow who was a loner, taking shots of small children.  Their catch on him was spot on and he wasn't an innocent, in spite of his denials. 

Maybe I shouldn't go to this fare.  I enjoy shooting small children, some are adorable.  I enjoy shooting everything, if it moves or doesn't, alive or dead, people or landscape.  What's more, I have spent most of my life shooting alone.  Whether this counts as a 'loner' or not, I don't know, but even a single person has the right to photograph, even 'children'.

Now if you mean he was doing something inapropriate towards the children, that is entirely different.  If he was shooting them in compromising situations, that can be construed as illegal.  You REALLY don't want to go there with the 'shooting kids is wrong' line of reasoning. Photography of children in and of itself is in no way illegal or immoral.

FWIW, a friend of mine was accused of this same cr@p at a rather large Minnesota faire.  I'm sure most of you have heard of him, and admire his photography on this forum.  It screwed up his entire weekend, and that of his accomplice, who is now his wife.  He, his wife, my wife and I will NEVER set foot in that faire for that reason.  That is unconscionable to slander someone in that way.

I was considering hitting KCRF this coming weekend, maybe I need to reconsider in light of this?

Stalk well...

[Merlin the Elder]

I've long admired yours, and you wife's, photo of children. They are absolutely magical!

[Archer]

Archer, as a faithful representative of KCRF, it IS my home faire, I love your review of our fair faire. And to comment to some of your criticisms and musings.............

Bathrooms, amen to that. I have always hated using the facilities at KCRF. There is basically no light in there, very dark, and almost always dark, stuff all over the floors, toilets clogged, it's the one bad thing about KCRF I think. Although I will say I always see people going in and out of the privies changing toilet paper, opening clogs, they do their best to make them usable, that is for sure. But they need to be so much cleaner. PARF has privie attendants that take tips, and their restrooms are the cleanest at any faire I have EVER been to. EVER!

Beauty of facility - couldn't agree more. There is no faire I go to anywhere in the country I find that marvels KCRF in terms of how amazing it looks. The landscaping, the effort that goes into making the structures look period, the signage, the stages, it is pretty crazy how awesome they do at this. Other faires have went the way of vinyl banners with ads, paved walkways, etc, and KCRF still pulls off the "feel" like no other faire.

I also agree on the entrance to our faire. The gate is awesome, very asthetically pleasing, however, going to PRF this year one thing I thought to myself was, why isn't there more interaction going in? On your way out at KCRF, over 1000 people tell you faire the well. But on the way in, not as much.

Great review of KCRF, thanks for coming, and for such kind words. If I ever make it to OKRF again, I will say hey!

Glad you enjoyed the review and if you do visit OKRF again, let me know and will be glad to serve as guide. 

[Archer]

Clarify one point, if you would, Archer... Are you saying that KCRF has fewer garbed playtrons than OKRF?

It seemed to be only a sprinkle in garb in comparison to the masses of mundanes.  That is from a two day impression without having counted actual numbers in garb.  The feel was more a sprinkle of those in garb among masses in street attire.  As you often see, there are some with bits and pieces, a hat for example.  I don't count those partially in garb with mostly street attire.  It seemed a small number percentage in comparison of the two faires.  That tends to change the feel of a faire to some degree (for me)  but the bias for home faire on the garb percentage in attendance is acknowledged. 

[Archer]

Security did a good job.   I watched them nab one fellow who was a loner, taking shots of small children.  Their catch on him was spot on and he wasn't an innocent, in spite of his denials.  

Maybe I shouldn't go to this fare.  I enjoy shooting small children, some are adorable.  I enjoy shooting everything, if it moves or doesn't, alive or dead, people or landscape.  What's more, I have spent most of my life shooting alone.  Whether this counts as a 'loner' or not, I don't know, but even a single person has the right to photograph, even 'children'.

Now if you mean he was doing something inapropriate towards the children, that is entirely different.  If he was shooting them in compromising situations, that can be construed as illegal.  You REALLY don't want to go there with the 'shooting kids is wrong' line of reasoning. Photography of children in and of itself is in no way illegal or immoral.

FWIW, a friend of mine was accused of this same cr@p at a rather large Minnesota faire.  I'm sure most of you have heard of him, and admire his photography on this forum.  It screwed up his entire weekend, and that of his accomplice, who is now his wife.  He, his wife, my wife and I will NEVER set foot in that faire for that reason.  That is unconscionable to slander someone in that way.

I was considering hitting KCRF this coming weekend, maybe I need to reconsider in light of this?

Stalk well...

Call it as you see it.  That's what I did with the review.  I spent more than a decade in law enforcement including training and supervision level and now coming up on two decades as a counselor at law so,  I suspect my observation skills do play a roll in forming my own perceptions of events going on in my surroundings.   That profession develops a situational awareness not common to the average Joe.   For all I know,  ( a guess)  their security may have had a briefing with photographs of perpetrators or recently convicted persons who engage in certain prohibited activity.  The suspect they took charge of may have presented a problem in the past and/or  some off duty officer working security recognized him and pointed him out or was watching him engaged in his favorite activity.  The denials were something people in law enforcement and legal professions develop an ability to guage for truth and/or bull snot.  Either way, security gets high marks for the way they dealt with the situation,  from this evaluator.  Nuff said on that.  Photographers have the obligation to use common sense and good judgment to police themselves.  Those that know their business and who are sensible in the way they behave do not seem to have contacts of the type under discussion.   They do their thing and secrurity does their thing and so it is and so it shall be.  

[kcdcchef]

It seemed to be only a sprinkle in garb in comparison to the masses of mundanes.  That is from a two day impression without having counted actual numbers in garb.  The feel was more a sprinkle of those in garb among masses in street attire.  As you often see, there are some with bits and pieces, a hat for example.  I don't count those partially in garb with mostly street attire.  It seemed a small number percentage in comparison of the two faires.  That tends to change the feel of a faire to some degree (for me)  but the bias for home faire on the garb percentage in attendance is acknowledged. 
[/quote

I know when I go to other faires, I am biased towards KCRF regarding many things. I have never noticed more or less in garb there than others, but, some of the others I hit, PRF, PARF, VARF, and NYRF tend to suffer lower attendance at times so it's hard to make the opinion. When I compared it head to head with MNRF, I felt it equal. But who knows. Everyyone has a love for their home faire that makes it hard to look at anything with the right color lens!!

If I do hit OKRF ever again, I will look you up. Hard since I live 1000 miles East nowadays, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW!

[Merlin the Elder]

Interesting how perspectives differ. We thought OKRF was "lightly garbed" in comparison to Scarborough. It will be even more interesting to see your comparison when you come to Scarby for the first time next April. There could be a psychological component going on here, like you hint at.