Faire circuit recommendations?

[WindChime]

You could go to the Kentucky Highland Renaissance Faire starts June 5 and goes to July 11, 2010.
www.kyrenfaire.com

[Steev]

Hello Steev,

I'm the one who created the Google Earth Placemark File, but I haven't updated it in quite a while.  Glad it was helpful to you in its current state.

Your .kmz file is awesome and has been a great help to me.  Thanks for posting it and if you ever update or convert, please let me know!

(to all who haven't seen this file, it's on the main (non-forum) page of renaissancefestival.com, scroll down a bit.  It's wonderful.)

[Lady_Glorianna]

How could I have missed VARF . Thanks Master James

[will paisley]

Yep, there's a lot.  I've been using the RenFest map and also the Google Earth map that was posted on the home page by (?David Baldock?).  Some of the info is out of date and many faires haven't posted 2010 dates but here's my *just for fun* itinerary.  Note that some of the MAJOR faires are not on this list tho I'd love to hit them, mostly because one of my aims is to have a more-or-less geographically and chronologically linear path through the faires.  Also note that there is one break in my schedule where I couldn't find a good jumping point from VARF...

mid-January: Kiwanis in Ft. Myers, FL
late January- early February: Hoggetown, FL
mid-to-late-February: BARF, FLRF
early March: Gulf Coast RF, AL
mid-to-late March: 4 Winds, TX
early-to-mid April: Scarby, TX
mid-to-late April: GARF
early May: NCRF Rocky Mount
mid-May: TNRF
mid-May to mid June: full season VARF!
*Break (whew!) close to home in MD...*, possibly a trip to Southern CT RF...
late July: Eastern Shore MD Renstock (our home-grown event)
late July to early August: Souvigny, France
early August: PARF
mid-to-late August: MDRF
early September: OHRF
mid-to-late September: KCRF
early October: Pittsburgh and OH RF (again), possibly PARF (again)
mid-to-late October- home for MDRF until closing day.

So I know it's not perfect, f'rinstance no northern or west coast faires, but wouldn't it be a ride?  I think we'll do an abbreviated version but I'd love to hear more thoughts!

1) Yep, the "no northern or west coast faires" is definitely a big hole.  Although the Arizona and Carolina faires are owned by the same people and are therefore somewhat similar (at least in terms of architecture and stage acts), RPFS is a must-see if you're doing a grand tour of US faires.

2) You should be able to fit Sterling in during July.  Hardly anything else competing with it, faire-wise, and it's a good show, with a trial and dunke in an actual pond, and the best mud show I've ever seen at faire.

3) Tux (NYRF), Bristol and Minnesota should be on the list, though they overlap with MDRF and PARF.  I've heard good and bad things about KRF in MA (though most of the bad things have to do with management, not the faire as a show). I'd also give CRF a try, as it's a weekend trip from your location.

[Steev]

1) Yep, the "no northern or west coast faires" is definitely a big hole.  Although the Arizona and Carolina faires are owned by the same people and are therefore somewhat similar (at least in terms of architecture and stage acts), RPFS is a must-see if you're doing a grand tour of US faires.

2) You should be able to fit Sterling in during July.  Hardly anything else competing with it, faire-wise, and it's a good show, with a trial and dunke in an actual pond, and the best mud show I've ever seen at faire.

3) Tux (NYRF), Bristol and Minnesota should be on the list, though they overlap with MDRF and PARF.  I've heard good and bad things about KRF in MA (though most of the bad things have to do with management, not the faire as a show). I'd also give CRF a try, as it's a weekend trip from your location.

Yeah.  The CA faires look intriguing but I think that's a trip in itself for another time.  I definitely want to hit MNRF but the problem is finding a faire at the right time, in the right area, that I can hit on the way so we won't be driving miles just to go to one faire...

I thought about Sterling and I'll probably take your advice and add a northern leg to the jaunt.  I've also heard that Southern CT RF has a nighttime candle-lit component to their faire- if this is true I'd love to see it...

I think I'll start keeping a revised dream itinerary in this thread...

*** This after trying to fit in northeast and central north loops:  Will P. is right, I could get Sterling, S. CT and NYRF (Tux) into my schedule but I've got my home-grown event falling in the middle of those schedules plus it's a loop with a whole lotta miles for those 3 faires... Maybe just a weekend trip to Sterling to see what that's about.  The north central faires are also problematic- there's nothing that "leads" over to MNRF and Bristol so it would be a big ol' drive to get out there (and all this while PARF and MDRF are running here).  I have the same problem with KCRF but at least I can bundle PARF and the OH faires in on the way out and back.

What is RPFS?

[Valiss]

Personally I think you are really missing out if you skip all of the CA faires.

[will paisley]

*** This after trying to fit in northeast and central north loops:  Will P. is right, I could get Sterling, S. CT and NYRF (Tux) into my schedule but I've got my home-grown event falling in the middle of those schedules plus it's a loop with a whole lotta miles for those 3 faires... Maybe just a weekend trip to Sterling to see what that's about.  The north central faires are also problematic- there's nothing that "leads" over to MNRF and Bristol so it would be a big ol' drive to get out there (and all this while PARF and MDRF are running here).  I have the same problem with KCRF but at least I can bundle PARF and the OH faires in on the way out and back.

What is RPFS?

1) Sterling reminds me of PARF without the asphalt.  It's compact like PARF (lots of narrow paths and hills), and their street is active (lots of cast in the lanes).  A lot of the circuit performers are there, though they seem to consider that faire "home".  Their pub sing is on a stage, though in spirit it's closer to MDRF's than PARF's Finale In Song.  There's much more emphasis on singalong, and it's pretty much straight singing, with none of the wildness of MDRF's (or even PARF's) end show. 

2) RPFS - Renaissance Pleasure Faire South. The granddaddy of them all, the original renaissance faire, the first one ever in the US.

[Escarlata]

There's also a brand new Faire the last 3 weeks in January in Miami. It's run by the same people that do FlaRF, so should be good. If you've got a free weekend in Jan, you might add that one since you're gonna be here anyway

[Lady L]

The north central faires are also problematic- there's nothing that "leads" over to MNRF and Bristol so it would be a big ol' drive to get out there.

Yes, but it is SO WORTH IT!! We have people that *drive up* from Florida, every year, just for our faire. We have people that *FLY* from other countries, just for our faire! I know of people driving from CA and PA, just to see our faire, as well as many surrounding states. Anyway, that's what they say, it's worth the extra miles.  

[Bossmare]

Bonjour!

For something different, drop by the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire May 15-June 6 and enjoy the French Renaissance in Petit Lyon. It's a smaller, nonprofit faire, but one of the friendliest festivals you can find -- and a beautiful, hilly wooded site!

And as long as you're planning to attend KCRF, put on your tricorn and visit us for the St. Louis Pirate Festival the last three weekends in September!

[Sir Michael Geare]

Like so many others...I too am jealous.  At least someone is living the dream of visiting the faire circuit.  Being from California, RPFS and NCRF (Northern California Renaissance Faire) are ones that shouldn't be missed but you should definitely check out the Colorado Renaissance Faire.  Quite a good faire.  If you can't hit all the California ones this time, do plan on it for 2012.  It will be the RPFS's 50th Anniversary.

[Lairde Guardn]

There is a schedule that I think would be a good run as in 4th July time frame you could hit the KYHRF and a week later be at the GLMF.....

[jcbanner]

Bonjour!

For something different, drop by the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire May 15-June 6 and enjoy the French Renaissance in Petit Lyon. It's a smaller, nonprofit faire, but one of the friendliest festivals you can find -- and a beautiful, hilly wooded site!

And as long as you're planning to attend KCRF, put on your tricorn and visit us for the St. Louis Pirate Festival the last three weekends in September!

Small when compared to many of the older or cooperate faires or there, but 12 years in, here at the STLRF we're probably too large to truly call a small faire any more. But Bossmare is right, if your looking for something different STLRF has something to offer, our large cast goes out of its way to make each person's visit something special.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Bonjour!

For something different, drop by the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire May 15-June 6 and enjoy the French Renaissance in Petit Lyon. It's a smaller, nonprofit faire, but one of the friendliest festivals you can find -- and a beautiful, hilly wooded site!

And as long as you're planning to attend KCRF, put on your tricorn and visit us for the St. Louis Pirate Festival the last three weekends in September!

Small when compared to many of the older or cooperate faires or there, but 12 years in, here at the STLRF we're probably too large to truly call a small faire any more. But Bossmare is right, if your looking for something different STLRF has something to offer, our large cast goes out of its way to make each person's visit something special.

We went over Memorial Day weekend this year and loved it!  Even joined their Friends of Faire for the 2 days we were there.  It is a remarkable small faire, and the RF members are friendly and wonderful and did so much to make us welcome and to make sure we had a great time.  Steve and I hope to get back in the future, and we definitely recommend it!

[Steev]

Again, all good information.  As I digest it seems like I've got three separate trips for consecutive years- a east coast south-to-north as the season progresses, a Texas to MNRF central trip, and a west coast trip for AZ, CO, CA, OR and hopefully up to BC.  How I'm looking forward to some cold weather faires- an excuse to wear those cloaks and layers!  Of course I'm also looking forward to seeing some of the Texas and California rennies- I suspect MD will seem pretty tame by comparison...

Looks like this year is East plus a jaunt to Souvigny, next year central, then CA.