How much money do you spend on faire?

[SirRichardBear]

If I and the cost of the FoF or the discount tickets in the case of TRF and Sherwood around $60 for food and tips.  More at TRF and Sherwood for camping fees.  Considering that a ball game ticket can be over $60 it a pretty good deal.

[Aniroaldawen]

I've already spent probably $150 for St. Louis Ren Faire this year (went with a vendor friend, who drove and we camped on site, so no gas or admission!).  That went to tips, food, and a new chemise.  I'm saving for the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, my home festival, because I'm getting a season pass this year. My spending plan:
$75 for the season pass
$8 in tips for the Jolly Rogers/Musical Blades per day ($4 each) plus $5 for other acts=$21/weekend in tip $= $147 for tips over the season
$8 a day for food (I'm planning on bringing either lunch or a snack each day...we'll see how this one goes because I looove faire food!)=$112 over the season for food
$200 for garb/accessories (I want to buy my first bodice and possibly an overskirt, and/or a belt)
$121 "extra" cash ($17 extra per weekend...lets me get at least one treat every weekend, ie a CD, a gift, something from the artisans. Could also probably go towards tipping.)
I'm planning to have $580 saved total by the beginning of faire. That figure doesn't include the season pass, so my total on KCRF this year will be around $655 for all seven weekends.  That doesn't include gas, but I'm about 20 minutes away from faire, so it shouldn't be that bad.  I could end up adding to that total and I probably will as I get my paychecks over the festival season. Add that to my St. Louis spending and my total for faires this year is $805.  It's the most i've ever spent on faire--but it's so, so worth it!

[Ronald the Bald]

So far this year around $3500. That is 8 weekends of Scarby, 1 weekend at Sherwood, 1 day each at Four Winds and Norman. The biggest expense was a pair of boots for over $1500. That one shouldn't have to be repeated. Still expect to go to Middlefaire at least one day and 1 or 2 weekends at TRF. Also am getting a bunch of new garb made so I expect to spend around $7000 this year. This is an exceptional year because of all the new garb.

In a normal year it should be around $3000 for the 2 of us. Back when I was much poorer I could do a full season of Scarby for under $500. Biggest expense are garb and motels. I don't camp. I need my sleep.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

I'm afraid to add it up.

So far this year:

Airfare for 2 from Chicagoland to Florida.  Rental car in Florida for 5 nights, hotel for 5 nights, 2 people, 2 days BARF admission, plus gas, food, drinks, gifts, tips, & my new WONDERFUL ghillies from Heart & Sole, Willin Sole & Lady Nicolette.

Airfare for 2 from Chicagoland to Dallas.  Rental car in Dallas for 6 nights, hotel for 6 nights, 2 people, 2 days Scarby admission, plus gas (including a side trip to San Antonio & Houston), food, drinks, gifts.  And my new Moresca bodice & skirt.

Gas, food, drinks, admission, gifts, tips for me both days, Steve one day to Janesville.  Ditto for Dubuque.  One day gas, food, drinks, & tips, plus admission for 2 people for Peoria (Jubilee).

18 tickets to Bristol, plus 2 Fof memberships, we've been 1 day so far, so gas, food, tips, drinks, and whatever catches our eye to purchase while we're there.

Coming up later this year in Sept.  I'm going to MN with 3 friends, so gas, bought my BOGO ticket already,so saved 1 days entry fee.  Plus 3 nights hotel, food, drinks, MAYBE another pair of shoes from Heart & Sole.

Also Stronghold, in Oregon, IL.  Two days for me, 1 for Steve, so gas, entry fees, food, drink, tips, & gifts.

People say to me, "Don't you ever go on REAL vacations?"  Well, for us, what we do, is BETTER than a "real" vacation.  Though we could probably spring for a trip to the Caribbean with what we spend on faire.  Don't wanna!

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

What you said, Lady B!  Faire IS my vacation... 

[Delireus]

I use to save up all year for faire. Not that I still don't, but now I have to feed myself and being a poor college student, money goes elsewhere now.

I can't remember what year it was, but it was the same year Katrina hit New Orleans. I had a good 300$ saved up for my season at TRF, I was ecstatic. But then the hurricane hit and there was a fundraiser at school to help people. I lived around Houston and a lot of families from Louisiana had to relocate to where I lived, and I had made friends with some of those kids. As much as I love renfest, I couldn't justify keeping the money so I donated it all. I'm not going to lie, that was hard, but worth it My mom paid for my admission and gave me food money so I could still go, which was nice

I remember I went to TRF once and spent less than 100$ including admission, food, and some fun stuff, and I was pretty proud of that. I'd say over every faire ever, I've spent about...I have no idea, between 800-1000$ over 6 years? Honestly I don't know, but I usually take about 100$ with me to every weekend :/ Thats a lot of books for school eh?

Oh, anyone ever measure money in garb? A friend said he made some amount of money in one weekend and I said "that's like 4 bodices!"

[Valiss]

I'm sure you know, but if you work the faire, you get in for free. That alone will save you some cash, you get to have a great time and you get to stay after hours for all the real fun. 

[Will Gamwell]

How Many Faires?
Just 1.  7 weekends @ the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.


Being a performer myself as well as the fiance of a Belly Dancer . . . On average, about a $1000 per year.  Give or take.  The most, we've ever spent, about $2300.

For next year, we'll probably hit the higher mark.  Need a stage combat sword (or two), new boots, adding to the outfit.  And the belly dancer always needs new shiny things.

[Valiss]

Doing really good this season, but now I need a new shirt AND pants.  Oi!

[Captain Teague]

We only have a couple single weekend faires close to us. And we try to attend 3-4 of the bigger ones per year.(Tampa, Georgia, Tn.,Scarby, LARF, and trying hard to get this Thanksgiving off for TRF ) With driving expense, motel and etc., plus we usually find some very well made items for our garb arsenal, I would say at least 1K per faire on average.

Faire is our vacation, yes. 

[scarletnyx]

So far, my husband and I have only gone to SWFF and TRF. At each, I would say I am averaging about $100-$150. That however, is not including gas. Also, this is the first year we will be staying in a hotel, so that will be another $100 for a two night stay about 30 minutes away from TRF.

I don't see myself getting any garb this year, as I'm still researching different kinds and types that I would like to purchase ( if anything I MAY get a nice skirt if I see it. Not feeling bodices yet, or noble stuff). I do however want to buy a -lot- of CDs and tip rather heavily, since I won't be dropping $200 on a bodice.

I just wanna have fun in my garb this year, and I can be a high roller in a few more seasons!

[DancingDogDairy]

Well, so far, I've spent close to $20,000. But that includes booth space, tent rental, insurance, materials, packaging, displays and garb for 6 people. See, it doesn't sound quite so bad now.

I'll need to spend at least $2,000 more, because I'm paying my middle daughter $100 a day to babysit my two youngest daughters. they will be the beautiful, well behaved girls in the matching blue brocade.

I need to be child free so I can help my oldest daughter in the booth.

We had sure better sell a lot of soap!

[Zardoz]

I can't say that I have ever spent as much as many of ya'll have in a day during a whole season at TRF...
I think I average about 50-60 bucks a day. I am a cheap b*stard  

I have 6 tickets for this TRF season I got on a half price deal a while ago, like $65.
It's about $10 for gas round trip.
I regularly survive a day at TRF with about $40 for chow, drinks and tips. I hardly ever 'shop' and even less likely 'buy' at all the vendors, unless I have something in mind ahead of time, for example I'll be bringing a little extra for opening weekend to get a music CD.

I only have a few items of garb that are only for faire, and my garb is simple- some shirts and vests, a couple hats, and some gillies. I guess over the last 5 or 6 years I've invested about 300 bucks in various items. I think the single most expensive piece was a leather vest I got a couple years ago that was about 90 bucks. I do not count the kilts and various items that go along with them, as I wear them pretty much all the time.

[LadyAsh]

Once the admission is paid for I usually spend 150-200 at faire, including tipping and if I find something in the shop to buy.

[Lady Rosaline]

I usually go to TRF 3 weekends a year, Sherwood Fair once or twice, and Scarby once. At TRF, I usually start the weekend with about 250 to 300 a weekend. Which has to cover gas, 400 miles round trip in a large truck 100 min., 2 tickets at 16 or 18 dollars each, food and drinks, and camping. So that leaves me about 50 or so for tips, trinkets, etc.

Sherwood cost about the same.

Scarby, I have to add hotel cost and a lot more gas. So it runs me at minimum 500.

And that doesn't cover the cost I spend on garb, which I either make or have been given most of, things for camping, and booze for camp grounds.

When I take the kids you can add 100 to 200 more per trip. I only get 1 trip a year alone most of the time.
So I guess in a year 2500 to 4000. And if I had more to spend, i would.