What would you want from ANY festival?

[Merlin the Elder]

I suppose I'd wrongly assumed that the working smithies and glassblowers were part of all of the established faires, I so used to seeing them at Scarby (and TRF). They tend to draw very large crowds to the demonstrations. The facilities at Scarby to house these artisans are permanent structures, including the forges and ovens.

It would be nice to be able to watch someone weaving (that's not in a car on the highway), or otherwise creating wares as you watch. I sat and talked with one fellow at Sherwood as he carved funny dwarf figures out of clay, then fired them.

[<Alex>]

  I too enjoy the more educational demonstrations.  Frankly, before going to a faire for the first time, I thought it was going to be a lot more demonstrations- more like a colonial/pioneer village. I (and the rest of my family) didn't expect so many buxom wenches and bawdy acts.

  With that in mind, some other things I like to see...

A) Someone cooking with H/A ingredients and methods and giving out little samples to passersby so they can see just what people in those times had to subsist on.  I'm sure someone brewing a variety of beers on the grounds would be very popular.

B) Lectures on warfare/battle.  Not just the joust, but an explanation of what styles of arms/armor were worn during the time, how they were wielded/donned/shed, and common tactics/countermeasures.

c)  A recreation of a typical home, so visitors can get a better idea of what living conditions were like back then.  You can have the furniture and everything else roped/gated off to keep people from messing with it- like you see in a lot of historical parks.

[Lady Gryphon]

From the few Faires I have attended here are my likes and wishes.

Flushies yes please, or at least Handicapped johns.  I have wide hips and wider skirts.

Lots and lots of shade. With lots of seating to rest my weary bones.

Access to water both for internal and external uses.

Dust Control, this can't always be done, but mulch is better than dirt as was pointed out earlier in the thread.

Holiday weekend rates.  If you open for a three day weekend ( Labor day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving weekend,) then offer a three day pass.  Pre -sell it online, but make one available.

One faire we attended offered one free admission with one paid if you brought in 4 can of food for the homeless food bank.  It was a great promotion and putting 8 large cans of soup in the car wasn't that big of a problem.

Full Length Mirrors would be wonderful.

Fan's in stores.  Yes, a nice merchant who saw me red with heat problems put me in front of their fan once.

Cover the stadium seating if possible.  I love the way Scarbie has done this.  Sitting in the sun to watch a joust or a chess match can take a lot out of you.  I never get to finish because I have to get out of the sun.

Street performers.   I love some of the stage acts, but watching both Rennies, and mundanes get into the act with the pro's is a lot of fun.

I think that covers it for now.  Great Thread Merlin.

[The Rabbi]

I am truly grateful to Merlin for having started this thread and equally grateful to all who have participated. Have missed everyone greatly the last several days and we are very close to not only finalising the deal for our new home but the new sight of Spirit of Magic. I will be incorporating several of the ideas gleened from this discussion into the creation of the fair grounds and future projects as we grow. The one point of view missing is that of the vendors so guys and gals pipe up let us know as I am sure I am not the only fair owner checking out this thread.

[FleurDeLis]

Like many others here, I would also like to see more H/A demonstrations and exhibits.  Especially the everyday things, which would be very interesting to most people, and I think it could be something that people would remember as they went back to their "mundane" lives during the week.  They would think of the differences and keep their Ren Fest experience fresh in their minds.

I would really like it if my home faire, the MNRF, had a secluded pub tucked away back in the woods.  It could be down a wooded path about a block long or so, and the woods could open up to a nice free standing building with flowers, a fire, and period decorations.  Plenty of seating and a small stage.  They could serve actual meals and maybe some craft brews.  A place out of earshot of the main stages, where you could sit with friends and have a nice quiet meal with some good entertainment.  Like a "Traveler's Tavern" of sorts, where playtrons could gather and interact with the "general admittance" and really make some good memories.

And Rabbi, I'm with you.  I like stage acts, but the best entertainment is on the streets!  The ability for the entertainers to interact directly with the patrons and "suck" them into the world of the ren fest, is absolutely the coolest.  Some of the best memories happen this way, and I think, it is one of the main things that bring people back year after year.

Everyone has such good answers, what a great topic.  Thanks Merlin!

[DonaCatalina]

I would like to see more period craft demonstartions. But I suspect that they don't bring in enough income for the faires.

[Merlin the Elder]

I would like to see more period craft demonstrations. But I suspect that they don't bring in enough income for the faires.

True, but it also doesn't necessarily have to incur a lot of cost. Certainly, the larger faires could easily support a bit more of this.

Also to be considered, especially for fledgling and smaller faires, is the option of setting up as a 501(c)(3) organization. It would admittedly have to be well thought out, but if you are providing enough in the way of a genuine educational facility, it is a possibility. I understand they (501c3's) have become a little more difficult to set up since I was involved creating one in the late 80s, but it's still an option.

[Bob of the Lake]

I would like to see more period craft demonstartions. But I suspect that they don't bring in enough income for the faires.

I don't know if this makes a difference but all the period craft demonstrations at NYRF, my home faire, are done by vendors who also sell their wares. The blacksmith, potter, candle maker, glass blower, pewter casters, leather workers, etc. are at the faire as vendors who also do demos. I don't know of any pure "demonstrators" there.

[Adriana Rose]

Ok as a vendor I want to know what can we do to make it more interesting? I try to keep new things coming but any ideas would be welcomed
Please keep in mind at the bigger faires many vendors have built their shops and well are rather attached to them.

[Rogue Hidesmith]

Ok as a vendor I want to know what can we do to make it more interesting? I try to keep new things coming but any ideas would be welcomed
Please keep in mind at the bigger faires many vendors have built their shops and well are rather attached to them.

I've seen this done a few places, but it's always entertaining when the cast interact with the vendors in front of patrons. That way the illusion becomes even more seamless. Almost like hawking, without the hawking.

[Adriana Rose]

We do that, Its really fun when we play with everyone cast included. We make our curtseies to the royals, flirt with the gaurds play with everyone else. We also gently hawk too.

Its just seems odd to me when the vendors dont play, so we do it.

[The Rabbi]

Alas my good Lady Rose as I have been informed by more then one vendor "They are there to make a living not entertain the customer" for the record these very same vendors did not vend at my fair either. Huzzah for being a valued part of the entertainment and memory that is part of fair. As I have stated several times Spirit of Magic is about the fun and enjoyment of the fair and being a rennie first and paying my entertainers not about me making money. It is my opinion that vendors should at bare minimuim have a BFA and enteract with the cast when possable. This does not mean leave a customer hanging by no means as I said when possable. FleurDelis I too enjoy a good meal and a Travelers Tavern of sorts is part of my plans. Not sure about our second year but there will be a Camp with a clay oven for bread making and a kettle of Stew or possable Roasted Chicken no more then two items as this would be one more then available at an Inn of the day. As for a cold beir well I am not ready to fight over a beir liscense nor the extra liability insurance to sell so not saying never just not yet.

[jackrocks]

this will very likely get me dissed. oh well, lol.

In my family of six, we are all BIG POTC fans. Mainly, of course, of Jack. Myself, my two teen daughters, enjoy him greatly. My oldest son, currently 11, spent several younger years in a near constant state of jack sparrow likeness, coming home from school and donning pirate duds, wearing bandannas everywhere we went, even his Make a Wish trip to FL was pirate/POTC themed.

I KNOW there are many Jack impersonators, really good ones. and I KNOW many of them frequent faires, and that they are very serious about being screen accurate.

But we've never seen ONE. At MPF, there was a cool Jack, and before she went to get a pic done with HIM, we realized he was a she. jackie sparrow. Still cool, but....you know. Not cool as in hot!:)

So there. I wish at faire, we could find a serious Jack impersonator, who randomly yelled out lines and was very jack like. I know my daughters would get a kick out of it, and my son, even though he is getting older and no longer dresses like a pirate regularly, would get such a big kick out of it.

[Merlin the Elder]

I can tell you where there are two very good ones (or were this past year): OkRF in Muskogee, and CoRF in Larkspur.  I'm sure that the one at CoRF was cast (also a member of this board), I'm not 100% sure of the one at OkRF.

[Grouser]

These folks were a hoot at GLMF.
http://www.lakeeriepirates.com/crew.html