Santa Fe Renaissance Festival

[Demetrius]

Sorry about the whole "falling asleep behind the wheel and hitting that tree" on the way there...hope it didn't jostle you guys around too much.

No problem- Sir Garath makes a nice bumper...

[Francisco Paula]

I'm fat enough to absorb the impact and not get a scratch on the car.

[Norfolk]

Prithee, would one of you lovely people who has attended the SFRF in the past be so kind as to describe it as best you can for us? 

[holierthanthou]

Ahem... ahem... the Baron didst ask thee a question.  Anyone out there to answer him? 

I haven't been to the SFPF... but I have stayed at a beyond excellent condo/hotel place there.  Fantastic Rates. I can get info for anyone who wants it.

[Capt Spleen]

Prithee, would one of you lovely people who has attended the SFRF in the past be so kind as to describe it as best you can for us?  

Good Baron,
                Please go to the very first post in this thread by Zoe and click on her link to Fairenews. It will give you a good account of the faire.

It is small, but well run.
Young, and ambitious.
If you want to imbibe, you'll need do so in a Beer Garten. (enclosed area for alcohol purchased on the site)
Good energy.

Fun folk.

Good weekend adventure to a very cool city.

[Zoë]

Ah, my foul.  I definitely read that and decided to go back and answer...but never did...(convenient, as there's 2 people on this board who HAVE been to the faire!)

Anyhoo....

The faire is small and unlike our faire in many ways.  First off, it takes place inside a living history museum -- El Rancho de Las Golondrinas, or House of the Swallows.  It's made to look like an early 1800s Spanish-American villa, with costumed workers who give you a glimpse of what life would have been during that time.  They have a working mill and blacksmith, and farmlands below the villa where they actually sow crops if I am not mistaken.  

For the faire, there have been tents and areas set up by the ren faire vendors that intermingle with the shops and houses of the history museum.  Right inside the gate is a lovely little garden area with a pond where I suspect Fritzie will be spending a lot of time.  To your left is a stage, where last year was featured some madrigal/musician groups and a storyteller.  To your right and in front of you is the shopping area full of vendor tents.  If you continue on down the lane, you will come to the green where the bellydancers (the group was called Arabesque I think) perform in the morning shade, and beyond that is an open courtyard with a huge signpost that will direct you in every direction you may want to go.  To your left is the kids' area, as well as the pirate bay (and this year, fairyland I believe) as well as a bit more shopping.  Also down this direction is another stage where Clan Tynker performs as well as some more music and dancing.  To your right is the food area and beer garden.  If you keep going straight, you will first run into another stage with yellow and red banners overhead; that is where the bellydancers put on a show and it is also where the costume contest is held later on in the day.  This is also where the Court sits during the morning.  Continue down the lane past the stage, and you will be going downhill toward the fields, this is where the SCA village is kept.  They do their jousting and live steel combat down there, and they also have their own displays of period housekeeping and the like.  (My one complaint about last year was that the SCA was rather unwilling to mingle with the "lowly rennies" in the village above and kept mostly to themselves.)

Perhaps best of all, this faire is FLAT, with the exception of the short slope down to the SCA fields.  There are lots of trees and great morning shade to be had.  It got a little hot and dry in the later afternoon when the shade disappeared, but between the covered stages and the insides of a few shops as well as the eating area/beer garden, there is always a place to sit in the shade and have some water.

Food is also well priced, if not a little limited in selection.  You could get a great chicken salad (the greens were grown on site) for under $5, although they did run out on the first day pretty early.  (Remember that they had record numbers last year and were just not prepared for the rushes that they had.)  There's not a lot of "rennie" food, although you can get turkey drumsticks if I recall correctly.  All told you could spend around $6 for a whole meal, drink included.  (I think bottles of water and cans of soda were only about $1.25.)  Also a lot of the food was donated by the community and the Open Hands company that runs the faire, so there was home-baked bread and the like.  

The jousting is pretty authentic.  It's not choreographed or scripted like what Noble Cause does, but it does have that "real" authentic feel to it.  (Also one of the jousters, a woman, rode an enormous, beautiful black horse that may or may not have been a Clydesdale.  It was big enough.)  They also do live steel combat in full armor which is also pretty cool.  I have some videos up on YouTube if you'd like me to post them.  I did miss a lot of the singular events and bands and whatnot that were going on because I was really busy running around doing the performer thing, but what I saw did make the entire day look pretty enjoyable.  

[Zoë]

Capt Spleen replied while I was writing!  Fancy that.  Yes, I did do a review of it last year.  I can find the link for it if you need.

[holierthanthou]

Thank you!  You two are the bomb... or should I say cannonballs?

[Zoë]

And also, I know I will probably get a chance to see everyone attending the faire the day of, but I want to plan for a Saturday night dinner at the Applebees on Los Cerillos Road with all of us if we can!  I think that would be pretty fun. 

I wish everyone on the boards could come.    What an invasion we'd make!

[Capt Spleen]

Thank you!  You two are the bomb... or should I say cannonballs?

Ye kin hold me cannon...... But don't touch me Brass Monkeyed bombin' bloomin' ballz!

[Demetrius]

Thank you!  You two are the bomb... or should I say cannonballs?

Ye kin hold me cannon...... But don't touch me Brass Monkeyed bombin' bloomin' ballz!

bluemen what?

[Norfolk]

Many, many thanks Fair Zoe for such a splendid description!  With what you have posted here, we now have no need for a link to your prior review, which I apologize for not having found before making my request.  SFRF sounds like great fun, and the Baroness and I are most anxious for the event. 

Thank you again for your kindness in responding.

[francesca de la calabreze]

I shall be there.... look for me...

[Zoë]

Any idea what you'll be wearing so it'll be easier to look out for you?

I'll be the fairy in purple...

[Francisco Paula]

So Zoe is my spot on the bumber still open?