Day of Wrong: Your feelings but keep it polite

[xed]

I'd like that as well, but that would be one hell of a trip to swing.

[lys1022]

For when Scarborough's DoW falls, I wonder just how much damage, if any, is done by it. It happens on the final Sunday of the faire's run, and when we were there, it was a rather light crowd. Temps were 100+...

That actually tends to be one of the busier weekends because it is final weekend.  People who have spent the whole season saying, "We should go..." realize that it is their last chance to do so.

[CecilyWilkins]

I have always encouraged free expression, but also at the same time personally remember lines between genres. Sometimes I worry one day I will open up a site and it says "Opening this weekend!!! The biggest RenTrek Steam Faire ever seen!"

You do have a point. I'd never thought of it that way.

I confess I have a bit of a double standard with seeing "wrong" costumes... things like LOTR, Harry Potter, or SteamPunk I don't mind at all and actually kind of enjoy as long as they are still the minority. Things like that often incorporate earth tones or styles that don't readily jump out of a dense crowd. But things that really stand out like storm troopers, etc, do kill the mood a little bit for me.

And I've never looked into Dragon Con, but it sounds like something I would love!

[Lady Gryphon]

I'm going to preface this by saying this is ONLY my opinion, from my experience and feelings.

I am fairly new to Ren Faires, unlike my Lord Dragon who is the one that got me hooked.  I looked forward to attending Scarby this past May.  I spent weeks getting our garb together, making sure everything we needed was packed, baking scones for all the early birds, and just anticipating the excitement.

Saturday was wonderful,  even though it was as hot as Hates outside. I loved meeting the many people we have talked with on the boards at the fair. I enjoyed passing out my baked goods, and sharing in the morning revelry. The day was a pleasant diversion to our normal weekends which I enjoyed very much.

Sunday morning when we came into the parking lot and someone told us about the DoW I felt kind of let down.  I didn't say anything because everyone there was in on the fun, but I felt left out.  Scarby isn't our home fair, we drove 10 hours one way to get there for the weekend. Hotels, food, gas, dog boarding, a big expense to participate in a fair we've never attended, and it felt to me like someone took a pin and burst the bubble.  Lord Dragon didn't seem to mind, and we had a great time, there weren't many participating that day, probably due to the temperature.  But if this had been my first faire, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much seeing garb, that to me, was out of place. 

My first Faire was TRF in Oct./2009, I know I'm spoiled, but it was the atmosphere that hooked me. By the end of Day One we had Lord Dragon garbed, and by the end of Day two I found mine. And we've been building our wardrobes ever since.  The idea of being able to join in the fun and adding to the illusion is addicting and I like having the ability of doing that for someone else who might be there for the first time.

Like Lord Dragon has stated, we are far from H/A, but we try to add to the feel of the period. If a Dane saw us, they would think we are part of the atmosphere if not a cast member. We do our best to stay in period so the illusion is there for anyone not in garb.  It's part of the fun of faire and why I got involved. Maybe I'm not bored with it yet, so I don't  need a DoW to make it fun or silly.  But my point might be this:,  I knew what was going on before cannon and felt let down, what did someone who never attended before feel when they saw the out of place garb.  Will I attend Scarby again? In a heart beat, will I ever participate in a DoW? I have learned never to say never, but I will say it is very doubtful.  I love the illusion of Faire too much to spoil it for someone else.

[Lady Rebecca]

Granted, I have never been to a faire with a Day of Wrong, nor have I ever seen storm troopers at faire, but for me, it's waay more distracting to see people dressed in super ill-fitting clothes (no boning, spilling out on top, super short shorts, chain mail bikinis etc) than to see people dressed up in inaccurate garb. I enjoy seeing the few random Steampunkers that always seem to pop up at every faire. And at the norcal faire, when I saw someone dressed up as Russel from Up, I absolutely loved it! To me, costumes like that are no more inappropriate than the random people who dress up in leather monster-like outfits. And at least they're having fun, which frankly, is what really counts.

[Athena]

I have no problem with it. What I don't like - and this is not aimed as an insult to anybody because I firmly believe if you pay to enter you can wear what you want - is when the faire itself has a steampunk weekend (totally out of period) or a costume contest where any costume can enter. I guess it's all in the presentation and how it fits a particular faire. For example, my home faire had a Time Travel Weekend last year, and at first I was like, WTF?? But GLMF is a smaller, fantasy based faire, so it went over a bit better than it would elsewhere, and a lot of people had fun with it. Still not sure how I feel about it, but if it brings more people out and generates more $$$ for the faire, who am I to argue?

As for DOW, why not? It's clearly presented for what it is, and sometimes wrong can be so right, haha.  I've been to the one at MIRF and saw some cool costumes, but the one at MDRF really blows me away. Haven't been to that one myself, but I've seen pictures and video on YouTube, and it looks like so much fun! People get really creative with what they wear, and it's close to Haloween, so you've got the revelry of closing weekend and the upcoming holiday. I'd love to go and experience myself someday!

[DonaCatalina]

....related but different.
I have heard some suggestions for using DOW as a protest day for entertainment changes. A day of naked. Personally I think the protest would be lost in the sea of mundanes.

[lys1022]

....related but different.
I have heard some suggestions for using DOW as a protest day for entertainment changes. A day of naked. Personally I think the protest would be lost in the sea of mundanes.

Entertainment changes are going to happen.  This is the 31st season of Scarborough Faire.  There is no way that the entertainment would have stayed the same for the entire existence of the faire.  Acts come and acts go.  Some don't return because they have moved on to other areas of their professional life, some don't return because the Faire chooses not to renew their contracts, and some just can't come to a financial agreement with the Festival. 

It is one thing to let the faire know that you really enjoy a particular act and would love to see them return should everything align correctly.  It might tip the balance if the Faire is deciding between two acts as it lets them know that an act has a built-in audience already.  But while we all have certain acts that we would love to see there every year, year after year, it just isn't going to happen.

Someday Don Juan and Miguel will retire from the stage.

Someday the members of Queen Anne's Lace will decide that they are done.

Someday Noobler will want to expand other areas of his artistic abilities and just won't have time for the Festival circuit any more.

Someday the Mud Show guys will go their separate ways...oh, wait...

But if the Mud Show guys hadn't gone their own ways, we wouldn't have Dr. Kaboom now, or Arthur Greenleaf Holmes.  If The Corsairs hadn't retired we wouldn't have The Ramblin' Sailors.

Change is part of what keeps the Faire so vibrant and alive.  And while I will miss the folks who are not returning for whatever reason, I will welcome the new acts and performers to our home and gladly share the joy that is the Scarborough season with them.

Those are my thoughts, anyway.

[Merlin]

The first time I saw the DoW, I was like..WTF? I'm pretty much a weirdo.... will fit in anywhere and really can't be offended or effected by actions of others.

I see both sides to this thing.... hard core rennies really want the ren faire to be exactly that. I've seen people in kilts wearing Air Jordans... my thoughts were... "They look like they are enjoying themselves....good." I've seen people in horrible Halloween knight costumes... my thoughts were "At least they are trying".

Steampunk.... they have a Time Machine so what can you do?

Darth Vador.... meh. Sucks to be that guy!

Point is... I never take it personally or feel the atmosphere is dampered by others... UNTIL they actually interfere with the faire.
I'm referring to one year when a Dr. Who invasion showed up and tried to march in the parade. No problem with the cast of Dr. Who being there...but to assume you belong in the parade is wrong...IMHO.

I've never participated in the DoW and frankly I make a very ugly girl...(not that Brian O-Farrell isn't a handsome man....but he too is scary as a lady...lol) Do I have a problem with it? Not at all.

Inside the walls of faire is my happy place. All worries of the real world are left outside. Seeing drunken roudies being escorted out by the Sheriff is sad and off-putting but my day returns to a happy one. Seeing someone in non HA garb.... no negative effect on me or my day.
Other than slightly losing my appetite.... the guys participating in the DoW have no effect on me. Some of the girls participating make me question myself at times.... "Wow! That guy is hot!"

[Merlin the Elder]

Lys! I think you lost count...if I'm not mistaken, this will be season 32! But, I, for one, agree. Change is inevitable, and good for the faire.

Let DoW be when everyone can be funny (like the dudes in prom dresses) or totally out-of-place (like the lovable Darth Vader). The rest of the time, I would prefer that there be some attempt to play along, but I wouldn't butt heads with anyone over it. I'm there for a good time. The number on the restroom wall didn't pan out.