What would you want from ANY festival?

[Bahlien]

Oh and...

-Playtron Pass. (Same thing as a season pass I guess but) For those dedicated few (many), who attend fair and don their garb every single weekend to go and play with their friends and be apart of the fair, those people who pay the full price for tickets every time  (some times) And never officially become members of cast. Yet by doing so add to the atmosphere and the fun that fair is.  A pass for those people. 2/3rds the price of a season pass or something.  Honestly believe that customer loyalty (dedication for a passion/hobby/lifestyle) should be rewarded. Even if it was just a one time thing, not a single one would be ungrateful.


The price of water at fairs will always be my one and only complaint about pricing as well. A dehydrated customer base is not healthy. From a recent fair I attended over the summer, was the patrons biggest complaint. Water. It is every year. Purchasing filtered water in bulk (big water jugs)  would be far cheaper than hundreds of cases of bottled water. Finding a cost effective way to dispense it would be cheaper than (for the ones who do it) sending the recycled bottles to a center to be recycled. Though, not saying recycling is bad either. It's actually a tax break for businesses that do it. (financial incentive?) 

[DonaCatalina]

What I want from any faire:
1. shade
2. shade (jeez I burn like stuck toast in 30 minutes or less)
3. clean working privies. Even if they are just connected to a septic tank it is not that hard to have seats that don't buck you off and doors that open and close properly (I'm looking at you Middlefaire).
4. I like to see my favorite acts and I mostly prefer musical acts with a little comedy thrown in. I am always open to news acts, even if I only see them once. I realize that people expect more variety than that, but magic shows and hypnotists don't do anything for me.
I really enjoyed the day at Scarby when the cast did a period style Masque. I laughed and laughed.
5. A decent variety of food that isn't dripping a whole cup of lard on you, e.g. crudite with dip maybe?

[Lady Rebecca]

1. Shade!
2. Flushies. Specifically, flushies that contain at least one handicapped stall. Because farthingales really don't fit in small stalls.
3. Lane performers. The random performances that spring up at Sterling really set that faire apart from any other faire I've visited.
4. Drinking fountains, or places to fill up your water bottles or cups. I thought it was really delightful when Scarby was giving out free ice water to anyone who did the court dances.
5. Nature! I don't like to see a faire in a barren area. I love wooded faires, or ones with water in them. The Lady of the Lakes faire in FL has docks that go out onto the lake, where you can get a fresh breeze and beautiful pictures. It's lovely!
6. Vendors with reasonable prices. It's amazing how you can see similar items with wildly different prices at different faires.
7. Varying acts. I don't usually want to see the same act time after time from a group, unless it relies heavily on improv. This especially applies to the joust. I have started to avoid the joust, since not only is it the same joust from faire to faire, it's the same from one performance to the next in the same day.
8. Shaded seating in the lanes. I also enjoy people-watching.
9. A variety of vendors. Some that stand out to me are the fruit-seller at BARF this year, and the book-seller at Scarby (who carried the Dover coloring books I love, as well as other costuming books). Not things I would usually expect at faire, and I loved it!
10. Cheaper prices/weekend-type passes or buy-one-get-one. BARF (on almost every weekend, it seems) does a pay full price and get another day free ticket, or a donate cans get a day free, etc. It's really helpful, and definitely encourages me to come back.
11. Free parking. Paying for parking is ridiculous. Especially if the price of the faire is more than $10-15.

[The Rabbi]

Glad to see that I am headed in the right direction here as most of what I see is allready in my plans. Sorry folks the flushies are in the plans but not the budget just yet. While I have no desire to charge for parking ever i wondered about asking for donations to make parking improvements and to help pay those who get you in and out of the parking areas. Also the camping area is a must in my books and if you want to come back time after time then by all means let me know what you would like to see but be prepared if it aint in my budget then be ready for me to ask how to make it happen. Great idea about the large water jugs need to get that one figured out, once again would you be offended by a donation can there. Folks I am loving this thread as it is proving to be very useful to me. Rennie first fair owner second.

[Merlin the Elder]

Don't feel too pushed to fulfill the complete wishlist, Rabbi. There is a huge difference between a faire that's been running 30+ years and a startup operation. I don't think anyone expects flushies when you just getting underway.

I think it's fair to say that we hold faires that are several years old to much higher requirements on the permanent facilities. There are exceptions, like Sherwood, but I think that it is extremely rare that someone can go into it with enough money and guts to start up that grand, and it takes a lot of both.

I look forward to visiting SoM.

[irish]

i would like to see more handicapped accessibility, for wheelchair's/scooters. Sterling does have small gravel pathways, but the wheels 'dig' into it and is so hard to move on.
there is one 'bricked' walkway, but that slope can be a back breaker.
i think going to some shows, there is a need for a 'brick pathway'. being in a grassy spot, is too much for some, to get to. i saw a few struggle with getting places. a few men, took the time to help push chairs up the slopes or to the shows.
maybe hire some 'strong, young men', to just do that?

[Lady Toadflinger]

Ahhh....Water! While we are on the topic of water (for drinking) I must give kudos to our local faire, Fair Oaks Tudor Fayre.  This faire is always HOT, and the faire organizers go 'way out of their way to minimize heat related problems.  They provide water for anyone who desires it, having volunteers combing the grounds for thirsty folks, and misters set up at various places. (ahhh.....) Wenches wander with woolen balls soaked in icey water, and they will squeeze the water wherever it will do the most good. (bodice, head, back of neck, maybe?) 

[Captain Dungcaster]

Shade and "Street Performers" The Va. Faire has both!

[Lady Kett]

Ladies' privvies where the doors open OUT. And larger than normal stalls to assist with the noble's or other extra-volume garb. Seriously, some restroom designers should be confined to solitary confinement in what they design (inside and outside Faire!)

Also agree on the shade and places to sit throughout the venue.

[Merlin the Elder]

I wouldn't limit it to just the ladies' privies. Some of us guys have a bit of extra clothing too. The stalls need to be kept clean and dry. I don't know why the military takes male soldiers, because men can't aim for $#&^!  The contortions I have to go through to keep my garb dry in the restroom stalls is crazy!

[EtraEd]

Hi, I'm new here.  I don't know how old this post string is.  But a couple of things I'd love to see at the faire I've been to would be:

+ A Childrens area:  I went to PRF for a few years before I moved out of PA and they said they had a childrens realm which consisted of a few rides, a couple of shops with kids toys and such.  It was good.  But it really didn't seem like it was any different than the rest of the shire.  They didn't have a defined children show stage.  So I think I'd like that there.

+ Shade, yeah Everyone else said it, but I go in Leather armor.  Not as comfortable once it gets above 82 degrees.  Couldn't be comfortable for the performers either.

+ websites having the Shire map would be good, I'm going to Sterling Ren Faire this weekend, I can't for the life of me find a map of the Shire.  (infact if you read this and have one or know where one is online could you let me know?)

Thanks

[Merlin the Elder]

Shire maps are essentials, in my opinion. I have a tendency to plan out my visit!  Sherwood does an exceptional job of providing the map with clear numbering of the booths so that you can locate your favourite vendors.  All of the faires I've been to have shire maps online. That feature does indeed appear to be missing on the Sterling website.

[arbcoind]

+ A Childrens area:  I went to PRF for a few years before I moved out of PA and they said they had a childrens realm which consisted of a few rides, a couple of shops with kids toys and such.  It was good.  But it really didn't seem like it was any different than the rest of the shire.  They didn't have a defined children show stage.  So I think I'd like that there.

PRF has expanded their Childrens Realm.  It is a completely separate area and now has a stage.  Kinda like kiddie land at an amusement park.

Gina

[Rowan MacD]

Oh and...

-Playtron Pass. (Same thing as a season pass I guess but) For those dedicated few (many), who attend fair and don their garb every single weekend to go and play with their friends and be apart of the fair, those people who pay the full price for tickets every time  (some times) And never officially become members of cast. Yet by doing so add to the atmosphere and the fun that fair is.  A pass for those people. 2/3rds the price of a season pass or something.  Honestly believe that customer loyalty (dedication for a passion/hobby/lifestyle) should be rewarded. Even if it was just a one time thing, not a single one would be ungrateful.


The price of water at fairs will always be my one and only complaint about pricing as well. A dehydrated customer base is not healthy. From a recent fair I attended over the summer, was the patrons biggest complaint. Water. It is every year. Purchasing filtered water in bulk (big water jugs)  would be far cheaper than hundreds of cases of bottled water. Finding a cost effective way to dispense it would be cheaper than (for the ones who do it) sending the recycled bottles to a center to be recycled. Though, not saying recycling is bad either. It's actually a tax break for businesses that do it. (financial incentive?) 

As Merlin and Bahlien suggested: Making bulk water available to those of us that bring our own drinking vessels is brilliant. 3$ for a 12 (yeah, the small ones) or 20 oz bottle is robbery, and most faires charge the same amount for a bottle of water as for a bottle of pop, though the case of water is 1/2 the price or less what the Mountain Dew is.  1-2$ per visit to fill up a tankard at the Gate, for example, would cover the cost of the 5 gal jug +water fill many times over.  
  Furthermore, faires should offer a discount for refills on purchased water bottles, especially if they do not allow outside beverages into the park.   Single use paper funnels for refills would be a cost effective way to prevent cross contamination between bottle necks if needed.   Tankards and cups need not touch the dispensing spout, so they don't need special handling if done with care.
  Generally,  I do not like sugary drinks but will buy lemonade if it's fresh squeezed.  All of the lemonade vendors (excluding the food vendors who also offer it) at our faires give 1$ refills after the initial 3$ cup full If you bring the cup back,  so it's cheaper than buying water or pop, though not as healthy.

 -Playtron Passes are a great idea.  None of the bigger faires here do that, and I agree with the above for all the same reasons.   Currently there are only 2 faires in this area that offer a (very small) discount on the gate pass if you show up in garb.
  I spend a lot of time and money on my faire clothes, and I interact with other patrons even though I (sometimes) pay full gate so we are free to leave if the weather turns foul, my hubby or I are feeling ill, or the current group of faire virgin 'tweens I'm riding herd on (and who I paid full gate for) gets bored and cranky.   An opportunity to purchase a discounted ticket or pass would be welcome.

[Archer]

Shade is a big plus.

It would be nice to see some "out of sight" locker rentals to put items purchased/clothing etc. where things don't have to be taken to a parking lot.

A faire that has camping very near is a plus.

Musicican / vendor / acts and artisan rotations is a plus.

Reasonable season passes or "friends of faire" rates for playtrons that regularly attend and support their faire is a plus.

Garb rentals for mundanes to easily participate is a plus and appears to result in more of the population in garb.  The kids love that, both young and old.