Favorite new thing/ what did you not like? at TRF 2012

[Autumn Blaize]

What is your favorite new thing at TRF this year?

Since I did not get to camp the first weekend I would have to say....the new shops! I was surprised to see so many new shops and the fact that all the ones I saw are faire related! Last year I could not believe you could buy pet clothes! This year I found a shop that sales hand carved wooden dragons that was AMAZING! It is their first year and I love to find shops that hand make what they sale! Also Love the fact there are so many new beer choices. I am not a huge beer drinker but nice to know if I want something different (which when I want beer I am picky lol) it is there. 

What did you not like this year?
So far the only thing I did not like was I could not get Thorin's mead in faire. He is the campground sponsor which is fantastic and come Pirate weekend I will be thankful. I was really wanting his mead when we arrived and had to settle and did not really drink any because I really do not care for what they had, thankfully my sis in law drank my bottle so there was no mead abuse lol.

[PollyPoPo]

New like:  The new restaurant with Brazilian style food (of course, some is Americanized for many of us).  Everything we had was superb.  Gonna be a have-to-do from now on. 

Dislike:  The distance between stages keeps getting longer and longer.  Just cause I'm getting old doesn't mean they have to move the stages further apart!

[Riot]

What is your favorite new thing at TRF this year?

Since I did not get to camp the first weekend I would have to say....the new shops! I was surprised to see so many new shops and the fact that all the ones I saw are faire related! Last year I could not believe you could buy pet clothes! This year I found a shop that sales hand carved wooden dragons that was AMAZING! It is their first year and I love to find shops that hand make what they sale! Also Love the fact there are so many new beer choices. I am not a huge beer drinker but nice to know if I want something different (which when I want beer I am picky lol) it is there. 

What did you not like this year?
So far the only thing I did not like was I could not get Thorin's mead in faire. He is the campground sponsor which is fantastic and come Pirate weekend I will be thankful. I was really wanting his mead when we arrived and had to settle and did not really drink any because I really do not care for what they had, thankfully my sis in law drank my bottle so there was no mead abuse lol.

Did you try the Greek Agora? That has been the only place you can usually get his mead.

[<Alex>]

 

What is your favorite new thing at TRF this year?

   1) The new restaurant and dancers were great.  After hearing that the structure took the place of the museum and fighting school, I was worried that they were both gone for good. I was pleasantly surprised to find they had just been moved.

   2) The work done on the Sea Devil and Barbarian Inn turned out great.

  3)  This was our first time camping.  We camped with a clan and loved the location.  I'd heard a lot of horror stories about camping at TRF, but experienced none of that- probably because security was highly visible. When we had a medical emergency at our camp site, the response was quick and the manager himself showed up to make sure everything was okay.

 

What did you not like this year?

  1) I have a newly acquired fondness for the hookah. I looked all over but couldn't find a hookah lounge, any hookahs, or even any shisha. I was informed several times that there used to be one, but that it was now gone.

  2) The Kwik-E-Mart at the campgrounds was charging 35 bucks for a 12 pack of beer. 

  3)  My wife was very much looking forward to a hot shower only to learn that they weren't operational yet.

[Strange]

What is your favorite new thing at TRF this year?

Since I did not get to camp the first weekend I would have to say....the new shops! I was surprised to see so many new shops and the fact that all the ones I saw are faire related! Last year I could not believe you could buy pet clothes! This year I found a shop that sales hand carved wooden dragons that was AMAZING! It is their first year and I love to find shops that hand make what they sale! Also Love the fact there are so many new beer choices. I am not a huge beer drinker but nice to know if I want something different (which when I want beer I am picky lol) it is there. 

What did you not like this year?
So far the only thing I did not like was I could not get Thorin's mead in faire. He is the campground sponsor which is fantastic and come Pirate weekend I will be thankful. I was really wanting his mead when we arrived and had to settle and did not really drink any because I really do not care for what they had, thankfully my sis in law drank my bottle so there was no mead abuse lol.

Did you try the Greek Agora? That has been the only place you can usually get his mead.

Riot, you know my perspective on mead, and how it pretty much doesn't acknowledge Thorin.
I've not tried his "Knightly" mead, but if it is like his "Viking"... whatever it is, I'd prefer to keep my inside intact, TYVM.

Personally, I usually direct people to the Agora, but not for Thorin's.
From what I've had out there, the Redstone mead they carry is probably the best in that price range.
Otherwise, Indulgences has some nice ones. I haven't tasted/shopped at the tasting booth yet.

[Strange]

Things I liked/disliked at Faire, based on opening weekend and some time spent there in the off season:

Likes:
1)Participants are finally allowed to openly visit patron camping. I have a ton of friends that camp, and it was kinda not good that a visit required me to be sneaky.

2)New merch designs at Dragonslayer. The tshirts and mugs no longer look like they are left over from the 70's. Really like the celtic design.

3)The look of the faire in general. During the off season, many of the food stands and buildings got new paint, other shops upgraded, and there are more signs around.
   I also like that there are more nice kiosks built in the lanes, plus the new Globe this year and the improved Tower from last year... It all looks great.

Dislikes:
Hard 8pm closing time. It felt a bit late this weekend, particularly when it got cold.
I'm not sure how things will go after Saving Time hits, and we have patrons wandering in the dark for more than an hour or so before closing fireworks.
Most of the last shows are done by 6, so that's a lot of idle time.

The sponsorship overload really worries me.
I realize that it is a business, and wants to make money, but it seems bizarre.
The last thing I expect to see when I enter the grounds of a Ren Fest is a 2013 Camaro and some other cars at the gate.
Feels like next season the cast will have to interrupt the morning proclamation for a commercial break.
Surely there are more subtle ways to handle it.

Overall, I think it's a net win so far.
Looking forward to a good season and time with friends.

[nolekhan]

Liked:

Fresh look to many shops.
Several performers and shops were cross-promoting later events or related items.

Disliked:

Did it seem oddly dusty compared to all the greenery still around?
The return of smoking throughout the Faire.
Sponsored cars on display and the people badgering you to "Enter to Win" at the gate. (Glad to know I'm not the only one:)

The sponsorship overload really worries me.
I realize that it is a business, and wants to make money, but it seems bizarre.
The last thing I expect to see when I enter the grounds of a Ren Fest is a 2013 Camaro and some other cars at the gate.
Feels like next season the cast will have to interrupt the morning proclamation for a commercial break.
Surely there are more subtle ways to handle it.

Dislikes:
Hard 8pm closing time. It felt a bit late this weekend, particularly when it got cold.
I'm not sure how things will go after Saving Time hits, and we have patrons wandering in the dark for more than an hour or so before closing fireworks.
Most of the last shows are done by 6, so that's a lot of idle time.

I heard that vendors not in the main circle could close at dusk still, it was just those serving the crowds on the way to the exit who had to follow the hard close. Is that not the case?

[Autumn Blaize]

The Greek Agora was the first place I went and was told it was sold out inside the faire. It was only 10 am so that is just crazy to me. 

[JackGonzo, MD]

I spent all the money but I now have new leather and Sandolars...and gloves...and a belt...and I was only there one day. I forget who suggested the Greek Noodles but finally had some and they were quite delicious.

LIKES

The new paint really made a difference.
Never got down to the Barbarian Inn but the new deck at the Sea Devil was great.

DISLIKES

No, I do not want to win a FIAT thank you.
Too many things ending early. It felt like everything ended at 6 and that was that. Maybe it's the old Maryland Rennie in me but I wouldn't mind seeing a Pub Sing say at the Sea Devil.
Lack of signage. If you don't buy a program you may not know where things are. I kept looking for the new Barbarian Inn but never got deep enough to find it. Maybe I just grew up too much on cartoons and like signs with Location and Distance...so if this ever does happen include Albuquerque
That Saturday's tailgating and game took such a toll that I drug weed puller all Sunday morning and didn't get to Faire until 1

[Strange]

Nolekhan,
The only real exception is for shops that do not have electricity.
If you have power, you are expected to have some sort of lighting to stay open.

Gonzo,
The pirates do a pub sing later in the evening, but it is up front at the Prince of Wales pub.

[iain robb]

No, I do not want to win a FIAT thank you.

Win a FIAT? That's an oxymoron, isn't it?

When I was in college, a friend was selling his 124 Spider. I asked him how much he wanted. He refused to even tell me. "I don't do that to a friend," he said.

[PollyPoPo]

You know, I walked right by the tent thingee outside and never even looked at the signs or listened to them calling.  I guess that was the Fiat thing the kids were talking about in the car on the way home, like, what would you do with it, sell it?

Seriously I never see the advertising stuff at TRF, so focused am I on what I do enjoy.

But that's just my selective seeing/hearing that developed with having kids and grandkids.  Others in my party were complaining about the commercialization aspect. 

[Bonny Pearl]

Love the new deck at the Sea Devil.  It was rather fun being taller than our favorite barmaid lol.  She had lots of new randy things to say about the new 'position' lol! 

Didn't get a chance to see the Barbarian Inn, plan to hit that and the Brazilian place this next round.

[Riot]

What is your favorite new thing at TRF this year?

Since I did not get to camp the first weekend I would have to say....the new shops! I was surprised to see so many new shops and the fact that all the ones I saw are faire related! Last year I could not believe you could buy pet clothes! This year I found a shop that sales hand carved wooden dragons that was AMAZING! It is their first year and I love to find shops that hand make what they sale! Also Love the fact there are so many new beer choices. I am not a huge beer drinker but nice to know if I want something different (which when I want beer I am picky lol) it is there. 

What did you not like this year?
So far the only thing I did not like was I could not get Thorin's mead in faire. He is the campground sponsor which is fantastic and come Pirate weekend I will be thankful. I was really wanting his mead when we arrived and had to settle and did not really drink any because I really do not care for what they had, thankfully my sis in law drank my bottle so there was no mead abuse lol.

Did you try the Greek Agora? That has been the only place you can usually get his mead.

Riot, you know my perspective on mead, and how it pretty much doesn't acknowledge Thorin.
I've not tried his "Knightly" mead, but if it is like his "Viking"... whatever it is, I'd prefer to keep my inside intact, TYVM.

Personally, I usually direct people to the Agora, but not for Thorin's.
From what I've had out there, the Redstone mead they carry is probably the best in that price range.
Otherwise, Indulgences has some nice ones. I haven't tasted/shopped at the tasting booth yet.

She asked of his mead, and I know in the past that was the only place to get it so I thought I would help.

[Autumn Blaize]

I only drink Thorin's because so far it has been the only one I like. I can not stand Chauncers and that was all I could find Sat so I bought a bottle of that just so the others in my group could try mead for the first time. I am open to mead suggestions and locations I can try new ones!!