Dates for 2009

[Ladyfair]

Has anyone been to the website lately and noticed the changes for faire this year?

http://www.michrenfest.com/    Looks like its back to 7 weeks? but the other way

Dates say Aug 22 to Oct 4th

[LadyMeg]

I noticed that.  It has me utterly confused as to what dates to plan my trips to visit.  I guess I should just stick with the basic, no?

[sealion]

Of course I find this out after convincing my SIL to change the family reunion from the 15th to the 22nd it wouldn't conflict with opening weekend. :sigh:

[Celtic Lady]

They have also changed the Feast of Fantasy as well. Instead of two per day they are only having one. I was going to have my wedding ceremony at 2:30 and have my guests join us at the 4:00 Feast. I was informed by the minister that things had changed but he wasn't sure to what. I called and spoke with Rebecca and she told me that they were only going to have the Feast at 12:30. So now the ceremony is much earlier.

I was looking at the site and on the general info page. If you look at it you will see two different schedules.... one for 8 weeks and one for 7 weeks  . Check it out http://www.michrenfest.com/generalinfo.html .

[Carl]

By the looks of it some of the info on there like the theme weekends is still 2008 information,Check the header at the top of the pages some say 2008.They usally take some time updateing the website.

[gypsyqueenie]

Confirmed today by calling their offices - they are starting a week later per the office Aug 22-23 and ending October 3-4.

8/22-23 Wild Days and Amazing Knights
8/29-30 Highland Fling
9/5-7 Buccaneer Beer Fest
9/12-13 Wonders of the World
9/19-20 Pirates
9/26-27 Harvest Huzzah
10/3-4 Sweet Endings

[max and kate]

And I also heard that the pub that Hollywood built to film some of the scenes in (built in the parking area) has been moved to Area 51 as a pirates tavern. Does anyone know if this is true?

[Jon Foster]

And I also heard that the pub that Hollywood built to film some of the scenes in (built in the parking area) has been moved to Area 51 as a pirates tavern. Does anyone know if this is true?

They moved that thing? Dang...

Jon.

[Black Armor]

I just got off of the phone with someone at the office (sounded like an older woman..didn't bother to get her name).  She said that they couldn't run for eight weeks because of "legal reasons".  She didn't go into detail.  She also said that they decided to move the start date back "because of the Michigan weather" and the timing of "other events in Michigan".  Apparently they think that chances are better for nice weather in early October than in mid August. 

They sound like pretty flimsy excuses to me.  Really, they can add an extra weekend at the drop of a hat because Hollywood wants another weekend to film (or because of the rained out weekend depending on which story you prefer) but all of a sudden in the last couple of weeks there are "legal reasons" that keep them from doing it again this year?  And as far as the weather, one week either way wouldn't have avoided that monsoon we had last year.

I also asked about the feast being reduced to once a day and she gave me the old "...in these tough economic times..." excuse.  That's the only excuse that I can buy at all.   

I just don't understand why they have to start messing with the dates like that.  I'm bummed out that we don't get that extra weekend. I was really excited about it.     

[Cyron]

umm dont they own the festival faire grounds???  so i dont understand the legal reasons.. unless it has something to do with insurance... but still does not make much sense.. i'm just gonna chock it up as cause they dont feel like 8 weekends this year.

[Poldugarian Warrior]

It'd be cool if they added a weekend after the 4th of october and run a little longer into the fall, but that'll never happen. The only legal reasons I can figure is maybe they have ordinances about the noise comign from the faire, but really it's in the middle of nowhere, and crowd control/number limit of fairground capacity/ or how long it can run has been shortened by the city , how much police coverage they need. Who knows these are all excuses I would use if I was just trying to shut people up about another weekend. I wish they'd run our faire, just as long as Ohio does. But, different states different laws. But still can't wait for faire season. Just bought some new blades that are gonna go great with my garb.

[sealion]

I wonder if the legal issues might have to do with contracts with vendors and entertainers. That seems more likely to me.

[Katie Bookwench]

It'd be cool if they added a weekend after the 4th of october and run a little longer into the fall, but that'll never happen. The only legal reasons I can figure is maybe they have ordinances about the noise comign from the faire, but really it's in the middle of nowhere, and crowd control/number limit of fairground capacity/ or how long it can run has been shortened by the city , how much police coverage they need. Who knows these are all excuses I would use if I was just trying to shut people up about another weekend. I wish they'd run our faire, just as long as Ohio does. But, different states different laws. But still can't wait for faire season. Just bought some new blades that are gonna go great with my garb.

One problem with running the faire that far into October is daylight. It gets dark very quickly... or should I say it gets DARK very quickly after closing. Since there are still a lot of staff, crafters, cast and patrons on site after close, it  makes it a bit dangerous to try walking across site when you can barely see your hand in front of your face. There is also the Michigan weather to think about. It's not out of the realm of imagination for SNOW to happen in October. I am told that one of the first years the festival ran, they were snowed on in mid-October.

Yes, MIRF is in the country, but there are still a lot of people who live close by-- close enough to be affected by the noise, traffic and other various elements that the Festival attracts. It's not a stretch to imagine either --or both- of the involved townships (Groveland Twp & Holly Twp.)  putting their foot down as to the duration of the run.

[Black Armor]

The only legal reasons I can figure is maybe they have ordinances about the noise comign from the faire, but really it's in the middle of nowhere, and crowd control/number limit of fairground capacity/ or how long it can run has been shortened by the city , how much police coverage they need.

Sure, I can see how there could be some various issues like that but then how did they get away with tacking on that extra weekend last year and seemingly doing it on a whim?  And then they've had it on their website for a while that it was going to be 8 weeks and then suddenly it's back to 7 and the whole thing is pushed back a week.  It just seems like there is something else going on and I don't think it has anything to do with the weather.  It seemed a little shady that they woman kept adding more excuses as I spoke to her.  I think if I'd stayed on the phone with her for another five minutes I could have gotten a few more excuses.  And if they decided not to have the 8th weekend then why not leave everything the same as it was and just cut the October date?  That would have made much more sense.

Don't get me wrong, I'll still be there every weekend eating turkey legs.....I just can't help myself. 



 

[Katie Bookwench]

Our late start may be because Minnesota isn't starting till then.

MIRF has always run cocurrent to MNRF, for cost saving reasons since MIRF has been part of Mid-America Faires (I don't know how that works, but that's been the consistent story through the years), so if MNRF is going from Aug 22 to Oct 4, that's what MIRF doing.

I don't doubt that extra weekend was allowed because of the movie -- Michigan has been really courting Hollywood to come here to make films, so it's not a stretch to believe that things with local government were 'arranged' to allow the extra weekend to happen.

Of course, all this is just conjecture.....so lets just rejoice in the fact that MIRF is comming up soon, and be happy that the trials and tribulations and annoyances from last years brush with Hollywierd is in the PAST.