opening weekend was a blast!

[laedyfaire]

How great it was to be back in the shire. RAIN and all. I personally love te rain and the rain on Sat was fun. It stopped after a bit and it kept the crowds low. Sunday's weather was perfect. Crowds were larger, which is good, I know, but not shoulder to shoulder.

It was wonderful to see old faces again also.

I did not see anyone from the board here. I was keeping my eye out here and there, but I do get caught up in the moment and kind of zone out everything but faire

Will be there again this coming Sunday. Anyone else?

[Brother Robert of Essex]

I had a lot of fun on the opening weekend, I have to say. I was totally soaked down to my skin just from the walk from the car to the gate.   But as you said, after a few hours the sky got clear. By afternoon the sun was out. And the rain and mud drove off many people so it was great to be able to get on a line and get service right away!

Is Sunday a better day to go than Saturday?

[laedyfaire]

it used to be that sat. was a less crowded day, but i am not so sure anymore. sunday afternoons get pretty crazy crowded.

glad you had a good time...will you be going again?

[Brother Robert of Essex]

it used to be that sat. was a less crowded day, but i am not so sure anymore. sunday afternoons get pretty crazy crowded.

glad you had a good time...will you be going again?

Yes I'm going to go Saturday morning, now that I understand there is this entire R/F following, things will make more sense to me than last time lol!   

I'm still debating if I should be brave enough to put on some garb, because while I might be able to LOOK the part I doubt I'll be able to sound the part lol!  I'm thinking something simple - maybe a Monk - will work for me the first time around. I have also seen people create these elaborate "biographies" for their characters too. It's starting to sound to me like one of those LARP's.

I also discovered there is a "pin" that people wear, I have to look into that. As I said I'm totally new at it all.

I do want to look up this "friends of faire" group, so thats one of my agendas.

Maybe I'll go Sunday too..lol

[theChuck]

sniff, i can't go this weekend; too much to do down here. i was thinking of going again, maybe sometime in september. laedy, do you go every weekend?

ps - the blue boar ran out of mead on sunday afternoon. i asked the bar chick about it, and she said that they get a shipment of mead every wednesday, so they're more likely to run out on sunday. if you want mead, then, it's probably best to go on saturday.

[laedyfaire]

Greetings..Yes, theChuck, we try to go every weekend. Yay! vacation days are needed, as is putting away money, so we make it work.

Sir Robert, I would not be too concerned about "staying in character". It is just more fun to go in garb. Then you really feel as if you are in another time/place. We dress but do not really have a set persona ( although I am working on one.. )

Did you make the pub sing? If you like that music the Mystic Minstrels go on at 6, right before the pub sing and they are very good.

[Brother Robert of Essex]

Greetings..Yes, theChuck, we try to go every weekend. Yay! vacation days are needed, as is putting away money, so we make it work.

Sir Robert, I would not be too concerned about "staying in character". It is just more fun to go in garb. Then you really feel as if you are in another time/place. We dress but do not really have a set persona ( although I am working on one.. )

Did you make the pub sing? If you like that music the Mystic Minstrels go on at 6, right before the pub sing and they are very good.

I did indeed make the pub sing!  It was great fun!  I was actually trying to eat my chili in a bread at the table just outside because it was so full by the time we got there the benches were all taken.  I have been hearing that song in my head all week too LOL

I am looking forward to Saturday. Got my ticket again and ready to go. Though I'm wondering if I'd save more just getting the season pass, I think going each week is going to add up quickly.  I didn't expect to be this hooked on it, I thought it would be like any other carnival/faire I have been to in my life.

[laedyfaire]

well, as you now know, faire is NOT like any other fair..esp. if you get bit by the faire bug as it seems you have!

we were at the pub sing. we get there early and enjoy the Minstrels. we are usually in the front or second row in the front.

yes, if you are going to go often, you should get the queen's pass. if you had ordered before july 21, you would have gotten 4 complimentary passes too.

are you planning on going every weekend? which shows have you seen?

[Brother Robert of Essex]

well, as you now know, faire is NOT like any other fair..esp. if you get bit by the faire bug as it seems you have!

we were at the pub sing. we get there early and enjoy the Minstrels. we are usually in the front or second row in the front.

yes, if you are going to go often, you should get the queen's pass. if you had ordered before july 21, you would have gotten 4 complimentary passes too.

are you planning on going every weekend? which shows have you seen?

Right now I'm planning to go every weekend - finances may eventually dictate otherwise at $7 a turkey leg LOL

So far the only show I have seen is Lysistrata - which I loved. Oh and I did catch the belly dancer act.  For the most part though by the time I found my way back to where the stage was, the show as over or half over so I missed the rest lol.  I was lost for a while there going in circles!

[laedyfaire]

yes, it can get confusing in the beginning. it should not take too long before you are fully aware of where you are going. my husband still gets confused sometimes..after 11 years!

if you want to see a specific show, i suggest getting there 10 minutes early. especially the final joust..you should actually get there 1/2 hour early, esp. if the crowds are large. a lot of folk head that way at the end of the day and then head home.

we get there pretty early for the preferred parking and then we tailgate, b/c we just cannot afford to eat and drink there all day.

what time did you happen to get there? did you go alone?

[Brother Robert of Essex]

yes, it can get confusing in the beginning. it should not take too long before you are fully aware of where you are going. my husband still gets confused sometimes..after 11 years!

if you want to see a specific show, i suggest getting there 10 minutes early. especially the final joust..you should actually get there 1/2 hour early, esp. if the crowds are large. a lot of folk head that way at the end of the day and then head home.

we get there pretty early for the preferred parking and then we tailgate, b/c we just cannot afford to eat and drink there all day.

what time did you happen to get there? did you go alone?

Excellent advice I didn't realize that I should be extra early and by the time I got to the joust, I was sort of way off on one side on an angle and had the sun in my eyes so I didnt see much of it.

Tailgating is another idea! Will have to give that a try next time around lol.  Somehow I went through $100 just in drinks and food and for the life of me I can't figure out what the heck I bought - though the drinks were $5 I think, and I did tip a lot so maybe thats about right afterall.

I got there at quarter to 10 in the morning and left at the end of the pub sing, maybe 10 to 7.  I brought a friend of mine from Long Island who had also never been to a Ren Faire - since going alone is a bit of a drag. Walking around alone and eating alone is rather boring especially when others come with family etc.

I'm not sure my friend will be going every weekend, she is entertained by it but not as deeply intrigued as I got lol

If the weather is nice I'm guessing it will be way more crowded than that rainy Saturday was. I was spoiled by being the only one on the beer line at times!

[laedyfaire]

well it is more fun when you have the company of people who enjoy the faire. we have many times been encumbered with non rennie types and it is a drag. so it can go either way.

hopefully you will find a person who is really "into" it

the drinks went up a buck...6.00 for beer. crazy..plus tips.

i recommend blackshear the magician, dextre tripp, and daniel greenwolf  ( very funny guy..his first year here ) and the music. all of it is good.

any more questions?

[theChuck]

i recommend blackshear the magician, dextre tripp, and daniel greenwolf  ( very funny guy..his first year here ) and the music. all of it is good.

we saw greenwolf this weekend, and he was great. dexter tripp is supremely talented, but a little too chatty sometimes. then again, ive never seen anyone juggle a chainsaw. :/

[laedyfaire]

juggling chainsaws..i never get tired of seeing that one !