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

[dbaldock]

I like the cast proclamations at the Globe at noon and 6 pm. The lighting and sound add to the show! Am not convinced patrons passing by understood what was going on though.
The Health to the Company song ending is touching as is the procession to firwirks with bagpipes and drums. Nice way to close down a fun day!

The new thing that I liked on my visit last Saturday is the New Globe Theatre - it looks good and it has a fairly large stage and a nice balcony for the performers.


However, I have conflicting emotions about the Evening Proclamation being held there...

What I liked -
1) The shape of the stage and the PA System helps the performers to be heard.
2) The four lights at the front of the stage helps some of the performers to be seen.
3) There are benches to sit on, which are nice after walking around all day.

What I didn't care for -
1) As a photographer, I preferred being able to move freely around the circular area where the Proclamations used to be held.  At the Globe, the side-walls of the stage limit the angles of photography by about 50%, and with people sitting on benches all across the front, it makes it hard to move around and get a good angle for photographs.  Trying to stand up on a bench at the back can end up with the view being blocked by the arbor of vines over the seating area.
2) Having the Evening Proclamation up near the Front Gate, in that area where other performers don't perform, seemed like it had more attention drawn to it as a "Special Event" and people could see it no matter which lane they were coming up on their way to the gate.  Since the Globe has other performers there all day, the Proclamation may not stand out as a "Special Event."
3) The stage of the Globe is smaller than the area where the Proclamations used to be held, which limits the dancing.  The groups have to be "tightly" choreographed, making it hard to see past the two or three couples across the front, and it also makes it harder to isolate and photograph the dancers (since they're crowded together).


Take Care,
David Baldock

[Queen Bonnie]

 I had a drink at the New Brazilian place. The dancers were beautiful and entertaining- but so out of place at TRF. The place looks like the Rainforest cafe in Galveston. It was a strange experience.Perhaps better to keep with the faire theme?I feel a bit of the magick being sucked away.

[KeeperoftheBar]

I didn't try the Brazilian place when I visited TRF, and I agree that it does seem a bit out of place.  But then I got thinking, what sort of food could they offer that was not served elsewhere or that wouldn't steal customers away from established food vendors?
Frankly, I can not think of anything so I will accept the premise of a Brazilian themed restaurant and rejoice that new venues are being explored.

[Chris B]

I'll ask this with an open mind considering my favorite food in the entire world is Tex Mex.  What kind of food is actually on the menu within the restaurant?  Is it true Brazilian food which makes me personally think of "Americas" or another restaurant which name escapes me that was downtown Houston when I worked for Arthur Andersen?  Is it more like the other food in the Spanish area except for it being sit down?  Is it more Tex Mex like any limitless number of restaurants in the Houston area?  I am a bit picky with what I eat so would appreciate clarification before deciding to try it myself...

[Lady von Engestrom]

I thought I'd throw in my two pence as a first-timer to TRF. 

My sister and I visited for the first time ever on 1001 Dreams weekend (go figure!) and we had an absolute blast!  I loved the grounds and look of the shops.  Aesthetically, the faire is very appealing!  I also found -everyone-, from shop owners to food vendors to other patrons, to be very friendly and approachable.  I made several new friends in that weekend alone!  It also seemed to me that there were fewer obnoxious drunk people than I've seen at other faires.  I had been warned that TRF wasn't very family friendly, but honestly, I didn't see anything that would have offended me if my son had been with me and, in fact, I'm going to be taking him for his first visit on Celtic Christmas weekend.

As a pescetarian, food choices can be slim for me at faires.    Boy, was I excited to find coconut shrimp, which was delicious, and really good fish and chips at the Prince of Wales pub.  Again, service was great wherever I went.

The white tent out front was a distraction, I admit.  Fortunately, I have a knack for sneaking past the people who want me to sign up for contests, take surveys, etc., so once I was past it, it was forgotten.  The advertisements inside the grounds didn't go unnoticed, but I'm able to tune that stuff out pretty efficiently, so it wasn't too much  of a bother.

For the dislikes, there aren't many...

I did not visit the Brazilian place, but I did find it to be very out of place and garish to the point where I didn't want to visit it.  Like others have said, maybe a more tribal influence would do more for it.

I didn't like some of the aggressive vendors at some of the shops.  It just makes me very uncomfortable and will guarantee that I won't buy anything from you.  I don't mind a non-physical nudge, that's to be expected, but don't bully me into coming into your shop.

Finally, I was not impressed at all with the jousting/games.  To be fair, I didn't stay for all of it because I lost interest, and maybe I'm biased because I enjoy competitive jousting tournaments, so I can only comment on what I did see.  Visually, the knights and horses were lovely, the ladies in attendance were lovely, but the action was weak.  It just was too hokey for me. 

Anyhow, I think that about covers it.  The things I liked about it were wonderful and the dislikes won't keep me from adding it to my yearly faire rotation. 

[PollyPoPo]

I'll ask this with an open mind considering my favorite food in the entire world is Tex Mex.  What kind of food is actually on the menu within the restaurant?  Is it true Brazilian food which makes me personally think of "Americas" or another restaurant which name escapes me that was downtown Houston when I worked for Arthur Andersen?  Is it more like the other food in the Spanish area except for it being sit down?  Is it more Tex Mex like any limitless number of restaurants in the Houston area?  I am a bit picky with what I eat so would appreciate clarification before deciding to try it myself...

I am not familiar with actual Brazilian food so cannot reply on that.  The restaurant does have a Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/HaciendaSanJorgeAtTheTexasRenaissanceFestival

There is a link to their menu there.

On the day we were there they had a special of veal shank, with asparagus, and yucca cake that looked much like mashed potatoes, but had a slightly different, yet delightful, taste. 

One member of our group had the salad both Saturday and Sunday.  The menu has some Tex-Mex, so our picky 10 year old could find something he could recognize before ordering.  We kind of share everything and found that meals were of sufficient size that we would order perhaps 3 meals and a salad for five people.

Several of our group went back later in the day for the desserts.   

[Chris B]

Thanks.  I will check it out.

[AngieT]

This was my first time at TRF, so I can only comment on my overall likes and dislikes:


LIKES:

Cast:  The cast was amazing.  It was HOT last weekend.  At times it was MISERABLY HOT.  As far as I could see, never did the cast ever seem hot, or bothered, or annoyed.  Everywhere I looked, there was a cast member interacting with patrons.  At one point, I stumbled upon the Queen and her fool in the middle of a conversation.  I was so excited to see her for the first time, that I interrupted their conversation to beg for a photo.  Both of them acted as if they were only having a conversation because they were waiting for me.  The French King and one of his men stopped my husband and gave him a good thrashing for not holding my hand, and we ended up having a fun, bawdy conversation with them.  There were many more fun encounters throughout the day, and the cast was always gracious and amazing. 

Prices:  I'm sure there will always be people who complain about the prices of a festival, but I thought that the prices of both the food/drink stalls and the shops were for the most part reasonable.  I think one of the reasons one can end up spending so much (and we did) is because there is SO MUCH to spend money on. 

Food:  Great.  Delicious.  Excellent.  Heavenly.  Queens Pantry and Pavilion were my favorites, but everything we ate and drank was amazing. 

Grounds:  Everything was clean, always.  I never once saw trash on the ground.  The bathrooms were awesome.  The landscape was truly breathtaking. 

Seating:  I have bad feet, and can't walk for very long periods of time.  I was not sure if I was going to be able to handle the giant festival, but was determined to try.  There was never a time, no matter where we were, that an empty seat was not a few feet away, in the shade.  This allowed me to be able to walk the entire festival over the weekend, and we hit a few areas more than once. 

DISLIKES:

Car Giveaway:  I thought it took away from the entire look of the front.  At night, during the mass exodus, the entire tent made everything even more chaotic. 

Brazilian Restaurant:  The outside was a little loud, but I didn't mind it so much.  We went inside to see the dancers.  The music was almost shocking.  It might as well have been a blend of country/western and rap.   It was so out of place.  We didn't stay long.