Bad weather at Faire

[Orphena]

 So... WHat was the worst weather you expereinced at faire... and how did you cope?

This summer at Country Ren Faire (Ontario), we had a tornado touch down about 10 km (5 miles) away, but the storm that hit us was bad enough. We have a soft site - and few trees. SO there we were, in a big field, with a bunch of tents / pavilions, watching the lightning get closer... During the storm, we huddled inside tents, holding on to them so that the wind would not carry them away. Cast rushed from their cover to help merchants hold on. We were, everyone of us, drenched by the rain. The storm lasted a good hour. Afterwards, our costume mistress threw open her wardrobes, getting chilled actors out of cold wet gowns, and into something dry - even if it wasn't rank or 100% period accurate, while she rushed home to throw things through the laundry.  The rest of the day we spent slogging through 6 inches of mud.

A few of our villagers put on an impromtu mud show (we have a mud stage for our other Faire (Pirate fest), but not for our renaissance weekend), by sliding along a trench that was full of puddles. They also served as bridges for those who needed to cross over tothe pub - the biggest tent we have!

[Merlin the Elder]

The worst for us was the 100°+ temperatures closing weekend of Scarborough in 2010 (I think they had the same this year...) We would walk for 5-10 minutes, then rest for 30, sitting and drinking water.

[DonaCatalina]

Scarborough has had everything from snow and ice to 100+ degree days.
The cold is not so bad because you can layer up if its not wet. One of those icy weekends everyone who stayed past noon ended up at the Iris and Rose show beause their stage had the best windbreak. All fifty or sixty of us lined up against the wall while the Iris and Rose did a continuous three hour show standing against the wall with us. 100 degrees means giving up after parade and going home to the AC.

Then there was the year we had tornados close by on two consecutive weekends. The first we were caught at the pegleg stage and were soaked through before we reached shelter. The second we happened to be in the king's pub and ending up standing packed in like sardines for an hour until the storm passed.

[LadyStitch]

Other than the 90+heat and the DH in full pirate garb, and me being 5 months pregant, the worst wet weather was TRF.  Our clan has been coming for neary 2 decades so we have learned to adapt well. 

2 different years come to mind.  The very cold and WET weekend.  We had sporadic deluges of rain.  At the time our borrowed car port didn't have walls.  We had extra tarps, so we quickly fashioned walls using those and bungee cords.  Then had a spare screen tent we set up near by that we draped more tarps over to made additional dry storage space.  Then laid a tarp between the two of them, so we could have shelter but still let wind get to our fire pit.; the problems with the tarps were that they didn't have easy run off.  Once in a while an area near the edge would give way to the weight of the water and drop a deluge near the edge.  This is why one of our guys now has the the T-shirt with his famous quote, "God peed on me!" 
We were all wet and the floor of our makeshift canopy was all mud.  We strung up ropes to make 'drying racks' for our socks and such.  Nothing was ever completly dry but by rotating out each of our items by the fire, we at least had less damp items.

What we learned from that adventure helped us 2 years down the road when it was again cold and wet.  Every one had all our gear in plastic water tight tubs, so we ALWAYS had dry warm clothing.  Everyone had tall black boots so when we went tromping through the mud our feet didn't get wet.  We also purchased walled portable car ports that were not just staked down but had cornor tie downs to withstand strong winds. We managed to position the canopies so they were side by side with the long edge flush, then used the extra walls and bungees to make a sort of gutter system to move the run off from the middle of the two canopies to the outside edges where the rain would collect either in a large empty tub, and could easily be drained outside the door, or even right out the side of the canopy.  We also picked up 2 bales of straw to go on the floor of every where but where we were cooking.  This way the mud was cut down  considerably.  We also picked up these table top portable heaters that as long as we kept one canopy's door part way open to let out carbon monoxide , we stayed warm and dry in there.  Tent wise, before we left for faire all bedding was put in water tight containers.  While in faire we had our high boots, we pulled our skirts up, and also carried extra plastic trash bags to sit upon at shows. Along with our cloaks we invested in pocket umbrellas that matched our garb.  We hung them from a belt hanger so they were always ready.  Another thing that we did that actually fit our characters was purchase oilskin coats.  They are actual period ish rain coats that are made to be worn over your regular clothing.  They are what sailors wear when they are out in bad weather on deck.   We are dressed as pirates, so it makes sense.

I've found that if you learn to adapt, take SOME precautions, you can have fun in any weather at faire.

[Jack Daw at Work]

Back in 1983, I took my best friend and his wife to Texas Ren Fest, and just as we got there, a downpour began.  My friend had donned a brand new 8-yd kilt and wouldn't get out of the car until it let up.  We sat in the car for more than an hour and it never let up, so cursing it all, we left.  My friends couldn't stay and had to go home to Austin.  Bad weekend.

[Rowan MacD]

  The worst would have to be Siouxland,  in SD.  When the weather is fine, it's gorgeous, but when it rains, it's a downpour, and it invariably gets cold.   In the 6 or so years that I have been attending, it has rained 3 of those.  Fortunately, since this is a 2 day fair, one of the days is almost always great, but it's very good that this is held at the state fair grounds and there are quite a few hard shelters within a quick sprint.  The Joust is held in the equestrian barn, with comfortable bleachers, heating or A/C as needed.   
  At least there is a large indoor, climate controlled venue to retreat to when the weather goes bad.   
   

[Adriana Rose]

At Colorado we have gone from breaking records for both the coldest summer day to the hottest. The first year I worked there it rained all but 2 weekends and those two were HOT! in 2010 we had an opening weekend that topped out at 44 and rained all weekend, then there was a rain storm on the 4th of July that dropped pingpong ball sized hail

I learned that you need to come prepared for all seasons! I keep a blow dryer at the shop incase I have to dry out boots, There is nothing worse than putting on soggy boots. Extra costumes, cloaks and sweatshirts for my girls incase they get wet. I even had them bring warm stuff just incase of a cold day this season thank goodness they didn't need them this season.

Like I said I took a lesson from the Boy Scouts and come prepared for anything.

[Master James]

Worst ever was 3 years ago at the Virginia Renaissance Faire where I'm on cast and play a noble.  Saturday was 112 with a heat index of 128 and Sunday was 118 with a heat index of 122.  So Sunday was hotter and cooler at the same time.  Talk about people dropping!  I only made it until like 3 on Saturday and 4 on Sunday and then took the full week to recover!  Fortunately, I didn't go until I dropped.  I hit my limit and knew it so got out of garb and called it a day.

[McGuinness]

We get every kind of bad weather every season at PaRF too. In one season, we can go from 115+ degree heat indexes to torrential storms and tornado threats to freezing rain towards the end of the season (our run is August through the end of October). Our faire institutes an Emergency Action Plan where we as staff and cast are notified of dangerous conditions or on-site emergencies and spread it to the patrons to get them to safety. We've had to use it three out of our four open days this season so far.  We've had to suspend shows because of thunderstorms, lightning and flooding already, and we are on the fringe of Hurricane Irene's Strike Zone this weekend from Saturday night through Sunday.

[DonaCatalina]

We get every kind of bad weather every season at PaRF too. In one season, we can go from 115+ degree heat indexes to torrential storms and tornado threats to freezing rain towards the end of the season (our run is August through the end of October). Our faire institutes an Emergency Action Plan where we as staff and cast are notified of dangerous conditions or on-site emergencies and spread it to the patrons to get them to safety. We've had to use it three out of our four open days this season so far.  We've had to suspend shows because of thunderstorms, lightning and flooding already, and we are on the fringe of Hurricane Irene's Strike Zone this weekend from Saturday night through Sunday.

I feel for you, I have family and friends in SC who are battening down the hatches.

[McGuinness]

I feel for you, I have family and friends in SC who are battening down the hatches.

I have family and friends in SC, FL, GA and VA that are preparing, plus a coworker in Delaware that is expecting bad things. We aren't expecting too direct a hit here in PA but our faire has the misfortune of being built on ground with a high clay content so there are drainage and flooding issues with high rainfall. Last weekend our final joust was done sans horses in a sand pitch that turned into quicksand with about 6 inches of standing water in some places.

[Seleyna Eirian]

In 2008, ORF (Ohio Renaissance Festival) felt the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. We stuck it out until they told us that we had to leave and that faire was closing early (it was around 3pm, I believe?). My cohorts and I assisted in keeping a tent from blowing over, we all each wrapped ourselves around a pole and did our best to keep it as grounded as possible while the vendor scrambled to get her things out, as well as attempt to break it down as quickly as they could. The center pole was twisted beyond repair. Had it been a circle, it would have been a mobius strip.

There were so many trees that were snapped like kindling that day. They lost power for 8 or 9 days I think. And people in quite a portion of Ohio was without power as well.


My only hope that with Irene hitting the East Coast is that everyone will be alright. Faires, fairemily and every other person out there.

[Nighthawk]

So- the worst... Last year, 2010, at the Elizabeth Celtic Festival, we got hit with the downdrafts of a tornado. I'm in a living history group that focuses on the late Renaissance through the Jacobite period (Scottish Highland) and we have a small tent village (pub, smithy, leather workers, textiles, and an armory) and we of course use period tents, meaning iron, wood, heavy canvas and ropes. The storm hit (blowing my kilt up to my ears, which was the first sign of bad things coming) and the vendors started losing stock, so we in my group did our best to help them hold down what they had. I was helping a couple with glasswares by holding onto their awning while they packed their merch. I heard some yelling, and I looked in the direction of the St. Andrew's Society just in time to see them get hit by one of the downdrafts. It was like the finger of God came down and smashed their tent into the ground- and I mean, it was just crushed straight down, flat. It was pretty freightening, really... I do have to say that this same wind attempted to crush our encampment- and failed. Panther Primitives make some fine, strong tents. While everyone else was getting blown away, our Panthers weathered the storm. What a mess that was... I felt so bad for the St. Andrew's Society and all the other vendors. The storm only lasted 15 minutes, but it was such a disaster! And on a bright note, the Faire/Festival gods have been kind to us this year. None of the events we've done have been too miserably hot. Humid, yes- hot, not really. And no gods forsaken tornados!!

[Capt Robertsgrave Thighbiter]

8 years ago, when the Connecticut Renaissance Faire was located in Woodstock Ct, the Faire was located on some nice rolling grounds that had a cutesy pie little stream running thru the grounds, with a cutesy pie lil kissing bridge.  Of course the best places for merchants were on the walkway adjacent to the cutesy pie little stream - very idylic!  It was our first year performing there, last weekend of their run.  Driving up Fri night we encountered rain the whole way from Long Island NY to there, but thought nothing of it - we're used to rain.  Sat morning we arrive at the faire site, in full kit, only to find the cutesy pie lil stream had expanded like Topsey - to the point where the water had crested over the hand rails on the cutesy pie lil bridge.  Teams of Renies had fromed a human chain in the swirling and dangerous running water to help merchants literally save their livelyhoods from the water. One poor vendor, a sterling siver merchant had all his wares in tupperware tubs, which went floating down the river, out into the Long island SOund and were never seen again ( or at least never reported).  Also lost was a huge circus size tent, that the water had eaten away the stakes and poles  on one side - whoosh, down stream that went. 

Needless to say that weekend was a cancelation.

[Adriana Rose]

So- the worst... Last year, 2010, at the Elizabeth Celtic Festival, we got hit with the downdrafts of a tornado. I'm in a living history group that focuses on the late Renaissance through the Jacobite period (Scottish Highland) and we have a small tent village (pub, smithy, leather workers, textiles, and an armory) and we of course use period tents, meaning iron, wood, heavy canvas and ropes. The storm hit (blowing my kilt up to my ears, which was the first sign of bad things coming) and the vendors started losing stock, so we in my group did our best to help them hold down what they had. I was helping a couple with glasswares by holding onto their awning while they packed their merch. I heard some yelling, and I looked in the direction of the St. Andrew's Society just in time to see them get hit by one of the downdrafts. It was like the finger of God came down and smashed their tent into the ground- and I mean, it was just crushed straight down, flat. It was pretty freightening, really... I do have to say that this same wind attempted to crush our encampment- and failed. Panther Primitives make some fine, strong tents. While everyone else was getting blown away, our Panthers weathered the storm. What a mess that was... I felt so bad for the St. Andrew's Society and all the other vendors. The storm only lasted 15 minutes, but it was such a disaster! And on a bright note, the Faire/Festival gods have been kind to us this year. None of the events we've done have been too miserably hot. Humid, yes- hot, not really. And no gods forsaken tornados!!

I heard about that! I know the guys that run the games for that show and they were not very happy campers, Didn't you guys get rained out this year too? Oh for the folks not playing the home game here Elizabeth is like 20 miles east of the Colorado faire.