For such a bleak beginning, Shasta did turn out to be a great fair. I loved the Shasta crowds! They were so eager to play and have fun. It made our jobs as actors almost effortless! I met some really fun folks. As an actor I think this may become one of the fairs to look forward to. Besides, I have family up there, it's practically home turf for me:)
It was a shame that a few guilds and vendors chose to opt out on account of rain; that attributed to some of the disorganized appearance. There was a bit of shuffling going on by the production team to fill the gaps-and at night in the wind and rain, that was an accomplishment. It was nice to have room to spread out though. Our pavillion was waaaayyy in the back, and at first we weren't too sure about that, but in the end we liked it. It really let us have room for some of the audience participation games we wanted to play and try out new gigs.
I heard disappointments about the jousting too, but it wasn't scheduled for this year. Even tho it wasn't advertised, it had been there previous years so many folks assumed. As for the shows, passing the hat after a show is nothing new or unusual. You see it at most faires. A $13 per person entrance fee is very reasonable compared to other faires. However, it does make the Production team have to stretch their dollar a bit. Many of the stage shows are actually incomes for the actors performing them. Allowing the acts to pass the hat allows the team to book quality shows at a reasonable price and still give their actors enough to live on. Think of it like tipping your waitress. You do that without blinking, regardless of how expensive the meal might be.
You should visit some other faires! There are quite a few here in Northern California. Folsom, Tahoe, Willits, Fair Oaks, Casa de Fruta....each has it owns flavor. I was a paytron for years before joining my guild. It never got old:)
