sharing stories of first annual sherwood forest faire

[rengypsy]

i would suggest that we spend a bit of time sharing with each other some of the extraordinary stories/experiences we had together at sherwood this year--a kind of journal.

let's hear your stories...

what were your meaningful encounters/experiences?
when was your heart and mind touched?
how did something this season change you or make you look at life a bit different?
who found their way into your heart?
what moved your spirit and soul?

[KiltedPrivateer]

I can't say as that I has any life changing events this season, however, it was awesome just to see the faire change over the course of the season.

Unlike the "established" faires, coming in every saturday morning was a thrill to see how the faire had changed from the previous weekend.

My family thoroughly enjoyed our time at Sherwood and look forward to the many years to come.

My personal thanks to those who made this faire possible.  To those who shunned the norm and built something for the people.  (Sounds a bit like a country I know)  My prayers will be for the prosperity of this faire, and that it never lose its way.

Michael Wrenn
~KP~
Clan P.

[Blue66669]

The countless trips up the hill, late nights in the hookah bar with Circa Paleo...

Slingin a drum on my back and wandering through the dark woods with no flashlight. There's something magical about leading a group of musicians with various instruments to the evening party. Drumming and dancing at Valhalla till all hours, making new friends to last a lifetime.

Playing jokes on the cast and getting Robin Hood pardoned, freaking out when I met my husband's doppleganger (Barback Joe, please feel free to keep him on for next season, cause he's HAWT).

6 DRAMA FREE WEEKS OF FAIRE!!!!! It was one of the best seasons I'd ever had.

[Pascal]

This was the first time I've ever worked as a vendor at a faire (Tarot Readings) rather than attend as a patron.  My biggest surprise was to find that vendors don't really get to "see" the faire!  I mean, I got to walk around every now and then, but you don't get to really build up a good Guinness-buzz and meander throught the shops, see the shows, and visit with folks.

Not that I'm complaining, just something I hadn't anticipated.  To me, the Faire ended out being mostly the interaction with customers and with my vendor "neighbors" in the Upper Gypsy Encampment.  Great,fun people, and I really enjoyed it (and miss it already) -- so it was an unexpected and unanticipated pleasure.

Enjoyed the "family-friendly" part -- loved seeing the wild excitement in the kids when they saw a Fairie or a tiny pony.  The glee in a little girl as she found what I'm sure was the very last Easter egg on that last day.  Speaking to all the faire first-timers -- and then seeing them again a couple of weekends later.

[rengypsy]

for me...

wonderfully genuine people
phenominal music
reo's on sunday nite
valhalla camp on saturday nite
the seven sisters drumming circles
the bar scene each evening at 6pm
circa paleo--their music and their beautiful souls
wino vino--crazy gypsies epitomizing the spirit of sherwood
community among strangers
a thousand hugs
louie's fried eggplant (i am a vegetarian)
realizing every day -- every moment -- that the management team at sherwood consisted of my true family and we are so aligned philosophically and ethically
the wooden bridges
the flowers and trees and sand--yes, the sand
music everywhere
theatre
walking thru sherwood with tears streaming down my face because of the magic that was manifested every day of the faire from the love and hope and desire of everyone--vendors, entertainers, lepper trash folk, patrons, the wonders of the camp grounds
the fireworks at close
and each and every one of you who came to sherwood

[Blue66669]

This was the first time I've ever worked as a vendor at a faire (Tarot Readings) rather than attend as a patron.  My biggest surprise was to find that vendors don't really get to "see" the faire!  I mean, I got to walk around every now and then, but you don't get to really build up a good Guinness-buzz and meander throught the shops, see the shows, and visit with folks.

Not that I'm complaining, just something I hadn't anticipated.  To me, the Faire ended out being mostly the interaction with customers and with my vendor "neighbors" in the Upper Gypsy Encampment.  Great,fun people, and I really enjoyed it (and miss it already) -- so it was an unexpected and unanticipated pleasure.

Enjoyed the "family-friendly" part -- loved seeing the wild excitement in the kids when they saw a Fairie or a tiny pony.  The glee in a little girl as she found what I'm sure was the very last Easter egg on that last day.  Speaking to all the faire first-timers -- and then seeing them again a couple of weekends later.

I didn't realize that was you in the Tarot wagon! I was right round the corner, and was the "absentee" Foundry member. I always bailed before the Upper Encampment pot lucks.

[*Teach*]

This was the first time I've ever worked as a vendor at a faire (Tarot Readings) rather than attend as a patron.  My biggest surprise was to find that vendors don't really get to "see" the faire!  I mean, I got to walk around every now and then, but you don't get to really build up a good Guinness-buzz and meander throught the shops, see the shows, and visit with folks.

Not that I'm complaining, just something I hadn't anticipated.  To me, the Faire ended out being mostly the interaction with customers and with my vendor "neighbors" in the Upper Gypsy Encampment.  Great,fun people, and I really enjoyed it (and miss it already) -- so it was an unexpected and unanticipated pleasure.

Enjoyed the "family-friendly" part -- loved seeing the wild excitement in the kids when they saw a Fairie or a tiny pony.  The glee in a little girl as she found what I'm sure was the very last Easter egg on that last day.  Speaking to all the faire first-timers -- and then seeing them again a couple of weekends later.

I tried several times to stop and visit, but every time I was near you there was a customer with you. (Never interrupt a sale is my mantra)

*Maybe next time we can share a drop of rum or two*

[Queen Bonnie]

 The friendship and feeling of family from all there! HUGS!
The musicians were incredible!!!
Working for tips for the first time! ( They like me!- or was it my evil pirate twin they liked? LOL!)
The wonder and smiles on the faces of the children!
The magick of the site!
Pirates!
Fairies!
The Parade!
Merrie men and Robin and the great cast!
Hugs to Zane!
Friendly vendors with great wares!
This is the only faire with back up service for the Queen! LOL! I am NOT a great driver. Hugs and thanks to all who helped me park the MeowMobile!
   The gate show was awesome! Fun that it changed!
I loved all the plants!
I miss faire already.
Sherwood ROCKED!
Fab food too!
What did I miss?
It was all grand!

[deafdrummer]

It was a great time, a time when I felt like I was supposed to be where I was, even as I found out late Sunday afternoon that a great friend to many people had passed away the previous night...  I chose to stay because I wanted my friend to see where I was that day and get to see through my eyes what she could not see now.  

I met my neighbors right after I picked my camp spot.  I never really got the feeling that it was ok to meet people at TRF's campgrounds.  This was VERY different.  We even left camp Friday night, just before it was too dark to see anything, and did the loop around the entire campgrounds, and we saw from the main loop that clans had their spots picked out and saw some interesting beginnings of their home away from home.

The faire grounds are reflective of the human scale of construction, not these monstrously tall buildings of glass requiring large cranes and materials shipped by ocean freighters.  I imagined myself as "living in Sherwood" for two days.  The music, the shows, the atmosphere of being in simpler times.  The first day was over, and I was going back to my home in the rear of the camp grounds.  I did that for two days.  

I want to ask if ANYONE experienced this at the Ye Old Trip Pub Sunday night; something that I've never experienced before in my life...  There was the revelry of the final celebration of the closing with bands playing and singing together.  After it finished, I went to sit down near by the Golden Conquistador.  Only a minute later, I heard singing again.  I thought, "Oh, it's starting again!" and walked back there, only to find there was no one singing...  Just all the people talking together.  I tried to see if there was a PA system playing back choral music, which is what it sounded like.  I couldn't believe my ears!  I was still hearing men and women singing in chorus, but it was not-too-faint that I wouldn't notice it, and it was indefinite.  Sometimes, I'd swear that I was hearing a chorus with 3, maybe 4 different lines of voice in unison (men and women) in a quick waltz for only 2 or 3 seconds at a time, the rest being indefinite vocalizations with no definite beat.  I think that since emotions of the good sort were still running high, people were still talking in the voice they sang in, and it all came together in a way that I could hear it up to 50 feet from the stage and didn't go away until there was probably less than 25 people in the building itself.  I guess it has to do with my hearing.  My hearing can be very impressionable under the right circumstances (mistaking what I hear for something else or hearing "artifacts" that hang over from the event, but this one has NEVER happened before) because of the nerve deafness that I have.

I look forward to the gathering in June.  I'll make the request for that weekend off.

Stephanie

[Pascal]

I tried several times to stop and visit, but every time I was near you there was a customer with you. (Never interrupt a sale is my mantra)

*Maybe next time we can share a drop of rum or two*

Well, darn ... sorry I missed you.   I appreciate the pictures you took (they're the only ones I've seen of the little blue and yellow vardo -- who has since been named "Brigitte Vardo"), too!

*And there's always room for a drop of rum or two*!