I'm not new to the faire as I have been going to CoRF for about 20 years, always garbed (except once that was my worst experience)
Most times my garb was very simple and not very good, that is until about 10 years ago, I started to move up in the garb I had. It was still not top notch, but OK. Enough to draw a little and I do mean little attention.
Today at opening CoRF was a big change. I had gone all out and had a forum member make me a very high quality dress that was very Historically accurate. If you want an idea of what dress looked like, look up Katherine Parr and take the dress with the fur on the sleeves. It was a dress I have been wanting for a long time, but never had the money to buy (Still don't I just saved for it) It was done in deep red almost maroon and had pearls and Topaz all along the neck line plus I had jewelry to match. The French hood was covered in pearls and jewels also.
So As Toki and I were walking about I had many photo takes (That's nothing new really, it was just more this time). In the most memerable experience it happened many times through out the day.
The first was this guy dressed in a cowboy hat, a long black goth all the wayto his feet jacket, white face, black lips and a katana. He looked like a Punk Cowboy vampire hunter. With him he had in tow a very beautiful little girl of about 4 or 5 years old. The man aproached and asked if I were the queen. I said sorry, No I was not. He then asked if I would talk to his little girl which I was more than happy to try to do.
I got down on her level and tried so hard to talk to her, but she decided to be very shy at that moment. Who can blame her. Not long after I had all these little girls coming up to me asking if I were the queen and trying to hand me these piece of cloth with part of a map on them. Each time I pointed out to the little girls were the court was and they left happy.
Soon I had another person approach with another young girl. Once again I tried to get down to her level to talk. While this one was not as shy, she just kept smiling and would not answer. She was also about 5.
As Toki and I were walking around yet again we heard from behind, "There goes the KIng and Queen" We both turned to look and it was us. The lady and her family asked if they could have thier picture taken with the King and Queen. I said sadly, "We are not the King and Queen, But we would be more than happy to have our pictures taken with them.
There ended up being still more through out the day thinking I were queen. I have to chuckle at that. As while I may have worn a Queens outfit, I am in no way a queen by any means. It did burst my very low self asteem to high levels
It was truely wonderful and fun to to try and communicate with the children and to feel and be treated as a queen by everyone at faire. Even shop keepers tended to have a high respect for both Toki and I.
So I must say so far, this was my most memorable faire experience that I will always treasure.
Lady Delaney, I too, wore my first noble garb to the faire last year. Although it wasn't as much of a knockout as yours (I went into the CO thread and saw the group picture after reading your post), I know what you mean. People took even more pictures than usual.
But they also treated us in a different manner. Not only the patrons, but the cast and merchants. It felt funny at first, didn't it? But it was really fun, too, to be nobility for a little while.
Your gown truly befits a queen. Actually, just last night, I watched The Other Boleyn Girl on DVD. Your gown resembles those in the movie, the Tudor style, although yours is much more gorgeous, and I even think your French Hood is decorated nicer than those in the movies.
I'm glad you had such a great experience, and I expect that the same will happen whenever you wear that gown!
1/9/09
I just remembered a couple of more things. At Bristol this last summer, while wearing our noble garb, toward the end of the afternoon, a little girl around 3 or so came up to us with her mother. Her mother said that her daughter thought we were the king and queen and she wanted to give us a present. We assured her that we weren't them, but she still wanted to give us her present. And she gave each of us a small blue shiny stone. Then her older and younger sisters approached with their father (they were shy), and wanted to meet us. So we gave each little girls one of our Buchanan favors, their mom pinned them on their shirts, and the smiles went from one end of their face to the other. Then their dad took a picture of them with us.
One of the other most memorable moments was at Tennessee Rendezvous last spring. I had just about keeled over on Sunday and Monday with the heat, and ended up at the first aid booth. On Sunday, it was just Steve and I, and we had a great time chatting with the paramedics, and they ended up giving us candy. On Monday, about 10 minutes after we went there again, as I was sitting with cold wet towels on my neck and shoulders, in walked Queen Bonnie, Lady Nicolette, and Athena, all who were washed out with the heat. So the 4 of us sat there for over an hour shooting the breeze with Steve and the paramedics. It was one of the most fun times at the faire!
1/17 How can anybody have the MOST memorable faire experience? Just one? I keep thinking up more! At TN Rendezvous, when almost 100 of us were having dinner together at the Chinese Restaurant on the Sunday night, everybody standing up and linking arms with Queen Bonnie leading the singing of "A Health to the Company." Same faire, next day, 2 pirates, a thunderstorm, and the family jewels. I don't think anyone who was there could forget that!
Most memorable faire experience, was definitely the trip north to Faire for closing weekend at the former Maine site in 2003. The night before the trip north was the Blackout. It was an absolute misadventure to get from my parent's house in New York City. I had already committed to going north for the weekend, no car, no problem.
The trip north began at dawn, just to make sure that there was work at all. At the time I worked north of the City. I arrived at work at a few mintues after eight, however finding out that there would be no work at all for the day, I was free to make my way north to Maine at 8.30 in the morning. However, just getting to someplace where I could catch a vehicle going north was comic. Just getting to Boston took almost twelve hours, between trying to getting multiple buses and horrible traffic on the Connecticut coast. Arriving in Boston at sunset, I knew I had some layover time before the vehicle going to Wells would push off.
Making it to site by 1.30 in the morning to get a few hours, all this and I was merely a Brownie, (site crew.) lending two arms to a wild crew that needed volunteers.
That was the episode that crossed me over the bridge to wanting to be cast for that crew the following season.
This past season at TRF I was speaking in character to one of the cast. After he left, one of the patrons came up and asked me what part of Spain I came from.
:D
Hmm..can I pick just one?
Having my first picture taken by a total stranger.
They wanted a picture of me(dressed as a pirate, of course), and the viking next to me.
Meeting the Fools Golds Crewe, and joining it..
Walking in the parade..
I got married at Faire this season...DEFINITELY the most memorable experience at Faire (or otherwise ;) ) that I've had so far ;D
I want to say that my most memorable faire experience was a couple of different moments during Scarby a couple of years back. I had dressed in my Bramble Blossombark faerie clothing, and had one merchant squirt me with water saying I was a bug (and I straightened him out!). Later that day, we were at the chess match, and one of the combatants used me as a diversion to get in another strike :D It was awesome :)
Some of the more memorable faire experiences that I can think of right now...
Meeting Blue, Jess, and Guinny at Opening Weekend of Scarby last season for the very first time in person.
Last season at Scarby, two of the times I crossed paths with VIII, the King at Scarby. Trigger and I were sitting at Pubsing whenever VIII grabs her hat from the table and places it upon it head and posed for a photo for me. I giggle every time I see the pic. The other included VIII stopping the parade to walk over to me and wish me a happy birthday.
At TRF, the kamikaze squirrel dropping from the tree in front of Ravenswood, leaving Element of Air and I unable to breath because we both were giggling so hard.
Scarby last season, Guinny's young daughter, Molly was sitting at a table while everyone took a breather and went to eat a nacho and managed to flip plate of nachos up into her face and then sit back down on the table and her reaction of just kind of grinning and reaching to eat another nacho.
There's so many, it's hard.
Getting married tops them all of course
Outside of that more obvious one...
-the first time someone brought me rum at faire because of my rum ramblings
-the second, third... and many other times. And being called "that rum guy, Teach"... that's kind of fun
-The first time singing "roll your leg over" and getting laughs (I was hooked after that)
there are so many memorable things from faire... There is no way I can list them all. One of my most favorite things and favorite memories though is one that is repeated the most often. Walking with the Lovely Lady Trinn completely randomly with no particular destination and just being in the moment. I treasure each and every memory of those times and cannot wait for the next time it happens each year.
*Getting rum gifts are great memories each and every time*
There are just waaay too many good memories to list them all.
A few seasons back...it must have been my 23rd birthday, and I can't quite remember what we were doing, but my friend's then-boyfriend and I had wandered off from the rest of the pack early in the morning (...Oh, that's right, we were seeking alcohol!), and were stopped by a member of the cast. He had stepped in the mud and said "Bit squinshy there." We then went into an exchange about the "Squinshy (mud)" and how the Squinshy Monster stole all of the cheese in the village, and how he MUST go get the cheese back from the Squinshy Monster. This ended up with said cast member flailing about in the mud, anguishing over cheese, until another cast member came over and said "Cheese?! Like this?!" and held up the sleeve of her chemise, which was yellow. A game of tag ensued.
This past season, I think the most memorable thing was meeting up with a bunch of R/Fers, roaming around with Ratman and Bobin for a bit, then being ruthlessly hijacked from them by kydavid and Peter BeerSlayer. In turn, I was then hijacked from those two by whits_end. A different weekend, there was an interesting conversation, but it would really only be funny to me and a few other people, so I won't mention it. XD
There was also my second trip to Faire, when my friend Amanda had challenged a push-monkey to a duel "on our honour as ladies." When she lost, she had THE best line to sum it up. "You have won, and I have learned a valuable lesson. One should not challenge on the honour of ladies when the ladies had no honour to begin with."
The first Ette invasion.
There was such a charm to it.
The rest were great too.
But you never forget your first.
Years ago when I was performing at MNRF, having a patron ask the shop-owner of Willows and Whatnots where he'd hidden the radio, and the shop-owner pointing over to me in the corner outside the shop sitting in a chair singing.
Walking past Town Square public house at Bristol last season and having the entire morning crew on the balcony give Three Cheers For Nixie, The Mighty War Rat of Bristol !
Dayna
Good Grapes:
I don't know if I could settle for just one. I will have to consult the spousel unit and see what she thinks.
Does it count if the faire memories weren't exactly the best ones???
*still pretty memorable*
Oh my gosh, how could I forget this? It falls in with Blue's "maybe not exactly the best ones" but this is something I think a whole bunch of us stuck in a booth during the thunderstorm at Tennessee Rendezvous will NEVER forget:
Two moons
I don't think the statute of limitations has expired on some of my most memorable ones, but I still keep one of my earliest.
I was about 6 or 7 (well over 20 years ago now) and checking out some daggers. I don't think the vendor had ever encountered a second-grader who could use words like "eviscerate" in a sentence.
I was in about fifteen minutes into my first ren festival at CoRF when they were walking an elephant down the street for a parade or something. Almost everyone stepped aside to let the trainer and elephant through, except a girl and a guy (both 20ish) who walked right past them a little too close. The elephant grabbed the girl with his trunk and threw her down to the ground. She was fine, but that has always been one of my craziest and most memorable experiences at faire.
Quote from: Moldy Forest on January 10, 2009, 01:00:12 AM
I was in about fifteen minutes into my first ren festival at CoRF when they were walking an elephant down the street for a parade or something. Almost everyone stepped aside to let the trainer and elephant through, except a girl and a guy (both 20ish) who walked right past them a little too close. The elephant grabbed the girl with his trunk and threw her down to the ground. She was fine, but that has always been one of my craziest and most memorable experiences at faire.
I hate the SMELLA-phants, plus they scare me. If it decided to go wacko, nothing could stop it from causing huge carnage, besides they SMELL SO Bad
Quote from: Lady de Laney on January 10, 2009, 09:03:35 AM
Quote from: Moldy Forest on January 10, 2009, 01:00:12 AM
I was in about fifteen minutes into my first ren festival at CoRF when they were walking an elephant down the street for a parade or something. Almost everyone stepped aside to let the trainer and elephant through, except a girl and a guy (both 20ish) who walked right past them a little too close. The elephant grabbed the girl with his trunk and threw her down to the ground. She was fine, but that has always been one of my craziest and most memorable experiences at faire.
I hate the SMELLA-phants, plus they scare me. If it decided to go wacko, nothing could stop it from causing huge carnage, besides they SMELL SO Bad
I think it was going to step on the lady too, but the trainer stopped him. I guess thats a lesson as to never cross an elephants path. (That joke just failed horribly).
Well certainly to refrain from his parade..... ;D *worse joke*
Let's see, many memorable faire experiences...the silliness with friends, the stolen kiss or two, laughing till I thought I'd burst at countless funny moments, but this one stands out as the moment that brought the magic to life:
This was some years ago when I first began attending faire in garb. A tiny princess was being escorted through our faire by a group of adults. They were casually walking along with her in their midst. When she passed, my brother and I fell to with a bow and a curtsey and a greeting of "my Lady". I was enchanted that she didn't miss a beat, and with a noble gesture and a nod and a smile she acknowleged us and like a true princess the entourage continued on the way. Charmed I was. :) There really was a moment where reality was suspended and for a brief moment I had stepped into the looking glass so to speak. Enchanting!
Quote from: Moldy Forest on January 10, 2009, 11:38:04 AM
Quote from: Lady de Laney on January 10, 2009, 09:03:35 AM
Quote from: Moldy Forest on January 10, 2009, 01:00:12 AM
I was in about fifteen minutes into my first ren festival at CoRF when they were walking an elephant down the street for a parade or something. Almost everyone stepped aside to let the trainer and elephant through, except a girl and a guy (both 20ish) who walked right past them a little too close. The elephant grabbed the girl with his trunk and threw her down to the ground. She was fine, but that has always been one of my craziest and most memorable experiences at faire.
I hate the SMELLA-phants, plus they scare me. If it decided to go wacko, nothing could stop it from causing huge carnage, besides they SMELL SO Bad
I think it was going to step on the lady too, but the trainer stopped him. I guess thats a lesson as to never cross an elephants path. (That joke just failed horribly).
I guess I should just start carring a white mouse on me. Mythbusters proved that a SMELLA-Phant will avoid a mouse which is so funny
Though there are many memorable times and friends. The one that made me know what fair is all about is the first year we went in these horribly cheese "costumes" and I stopped Queen Bonnie and Lord A for a photo and the great conversation we had. They both made us feel so special and comfortable, I knew then I was hooked on faire!
Well speaking of Elephants, I was at Ringling several years ago and they had an elephant ride there, and as I was not going to get up on it and ride I took a picture. As I was walking away someone remarked that "hey that Elephant has 5 legs. I turned arounf and sure enought the beastie had 5 legs. Two up front and the 5th one right in between the 2 in the rear. He sure was excited about something, and there were no females elephants around. Not the best one but I am working on that one.
This story takes place in the Florida Keys. For some of you old timers, you may remember that the Florida Keys faire was the first faire of the year way back when and had occurred on MLK holiday. Well this event took place in the only year that I reigned there 91' I believe. If any of you have ever been to the faire you know how small the venue was. During the course of the day you could run into the same person on an average of 6 or 7 times a day if you stayed the whole day. Well during the course of making my rounds and talking to patrons I observed this lady who had brought her two children with her. A mistake I'm sure she thoroughly regretted. These two urchins were the poster children for METYS (I.E. Mothers Eating Their Young Society), you know the kind I mean "get me this, get me that, I want I want I want". Along about 4 PM( I do not know how this poor mother lasted that long) These two ..... uh "Children" are still at it, only now the mother is telling them that she no longer has any money. At this point we are standing about the dunking stocks, you know the booth that some local folks set up to pry a dollar away from you so you can have someone put in the stocks and then throw wet sponges at them. So these children upon hearing that Mommy has no more money to spend on them proceed to ask that the stock proprietors take Mommy and put her in the stocks so THEY can throw wet sponges at her for not having any money left. At this point I went over to the booth people and gave them $2 on the sly, then stretched up to my fullest height and in my best Bill Cosby imitation(with accent of course) screamed "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS" and proceeded to claim King's privilege and had the booth people grab the two urchins and put them in the stocks. I then commanded that the booth people gather up as many sponges as they could. They managed 20 or 25. They then filled the bucket with water and proceeded to hand the bucket to the lady. She looked at them with a most haggard look and told them she had no money and they told her to proceed as the King had commanded it. I literally watched the look on her face change from one of exhaustion to one of maniacal glee and for a brief moment I thought maybe I had just re-created Frankensteins monster. She then proceeded to nearly drown these two rug rats and continued until I leaned over and whispered to the boys that maybe she would stop if they apologized, which they did. While they were taking the kids out of the stocks and drying them off, the lady came over and could not thank me enough. The sight of that lady having the only amount of enjoyment that she had all day has been imprinted in my brain all of these years. I love it when a plan comes together even if I did not plan it.
That is beautiful!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Carl Asch (Giacomo) putting on a private concert for my friends and me in between each of his sets with Empty Hats.
Both of mine are from Scarby:
'06 season, Mother's Day weekend, I was sitting in my usual spot in front of the Ivanhoe stage at about ten after noon, waiting for The Rogues to get back to the stage for the 12:30 show. EJ was first back, and I think, had finally made the connection between me on MySpace & emails, and me in person. His usual routine was to sit on a bench in the audience area off by himself and warm up with his chanter for a bit until Jeremy showed up & then they'd warm up and tune their pipes. This day he sat down in front of me, pulled out his smallpipes and played a little tune and talked a little about the set of pipes. It was such an awesome gift, and that was definitely my best day at faire EVER.
'07 season, on a Sunday morning late in the season, I think maybe the weekend after Mother's Day, I was out front, talking and laughing with one of my friends from Galveston, when out of the blue, Mad Owen Fisher walked up to me and commented on the evilness of my laugh. I looked at him, all innocent-like and said "who, me?" "BWAHAHAHAHA" His response was "yes, thah's it, it's quite evil." He said something else about having a lovely day and went on off. Then came back and talked a bit more, went off, and so on, for perhaps 15-20 minutes, until he finally came back and said "Thah's it, I am ALWAYS drawn to the most evil at any location, therefore, you MUST be The Center of All Evil." My friend cracked up at this point, and I just looked at MOF and replied "Why, thank you, you may be right" and stood up and took a bow. Every time I saw him after that he always made some comment about my evilness, and I've embraced it, and have actually been introduced to wenches at PA as Center of All Evil, then had a wench who claims to be evil run in circles around me because I am the Center.
Blakduke, that was a great story. I'll bet that memory is still with her too.
.
Quote from: Kathryn (Fae) Weldon on January 16, 2009, 11:17:26 AM
Carl Asch (Giacomo) putting on a private concert for my friends and me in between each of his sets with Empty Hats.
*sigh* Oh yeah.....Carl..... :-*
looking back there are so many memorable ones. First Faire, First time my picture was taken, first time a merchant confused me with the cast, friends, too many to mention, first child I calmed down just by being there and lending an air of decorum.
My most memorable experience today is one from last summer at GLMF. It was pouring down rain and there were about 20 of us taking refuge at the Black Ox. There was no grumbling about missing shows or being entertained, just people getting to know one another and asking questions about Irish Wolfhounds, Garb, equipment etc... Everyone was soaked and no one minded. As the song goes, everyone was just happy to be there.
Hmmm....Let me see. My most memorable faire experience IS........... I can't remember! I'll need to ask Morwyn or Lady Guiness or DuCouer or Syrac or anyone else who was pressed into Scarlett Duty over the years!
Definitely the flying kilts exposing two moons in a Tennessee rainstorm! And my very first faire kiss. :)
Quote from: Athena on January 17, 2009, 08:00:09 PM
Definitely the flying kilts exposing two moons in a Tennessee rainstorm! And my very first faire kiss. :)
I edited my earlier post, Athena, to include the pirates' treasures. How could one forget THAT ??!!!
And you received your first faire kiss, and it was the first time at faire that I received a rose, from a very charming Teer (who also happened to be a pirate wearing a kilt)!
I must admit, TN Rendezvous had more memories than we could count!
I remember Escarlata distracting me in the split second that I was about to drink from a drinking horn a mixture of Buttershots and apple schnapps.
I wore that sticky mixture down my....bodice. :-\
Or the 'scoot over scoot over scoot over' at Empty Hats once that left me on the ground. ;D
Oh yeah...heh heh...the two moons. ;)
Or Captain Bacardi running the Ettes and Teers auction with me at Rendezvous and I whispered, 'Get their attention!'
And he yelled, "Hey! Shut up you w---kers!"
Yep, Rendezvous III could be a book!
Quote from: renren on January 08, 2009, 03:33:12 PM
Meeting the Fools Golds Crewe, and joining it..
I didn't join up, as I have a ship of my own. But Merrydeath had the most entertaining way of welcoming me aboard... ;D
Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on January 17, 2009, 08:09:56 PM
Quote from: Athena on January 17, 2009, 08:00:09 PM
Definitely the flying kilts exposing two moons in a Tennessee rainstorm! And my very first faire kiss. :)
I edited my earlier post, Athena, to include the pirates' treasures. How could one forget THAT ??!!!
OMG!!!!!!! I will NEVER forget that!
Renee, my first kiss wasn't at TNRF, it was years ago at ORF. It happened unexpectedly, and, well...*blush* LOL Another moment I'll not soon forget, though it was much more pleasant than getting a peek at the pirates' jewels! ;D
Quote from: Mad Jack Wolfe on January 17, 2009, 08:25:28 PM
Quote from: renren on January 08, 2009, 03:33:12 PM
Meeting the Fools Golds Crewe, and joining it..
I didn't join up, as I have a ship of my own. But Merrydeath had the most entertaining way of welcoming me aboard... ;D
Y'all come back now, ya hear? ;)
Quote from: Yrose on January 17, 2009, 08:07:09 AM
Blakduke, that was a great story. I'll bet that memory is still with her too.
I sincerely hope so. figuring those kids were in their early teens maybe 11-14 they would be in the middle to late 20's now, I would love to run into the today.
Swimming in the pond at NCRF in April. Holy $#!+ that water was cold!
Well I dont really remember it. But its not my fault I may have been drinking...heavily
Well...my first time at faire, when the Queen grounded me (she asked me not to fly, as the King is afraid of winged creatures), within minutes of walking in the gate. I was speechless, the QUEEN was speaking to me!! People telling me they loved my outfit.
Then the next time I went a man asked for my pic because he loved my gown.
I can't wait for more memorable experiences!!
My most memorable Ren Fest experience was my first one garbed in 1999. It was Halloween and the Texas Renaissance Festival was wilder than I had seen it in prior years. Most everyone was garbed, too. It was very wild. And, I was with my best friends.
Halloween comes this year on a Saturday, so I can hardly wait.
I may have related this somewhere else on this forum. But a couple of year's back there was snow for the opening weekend of Scarborough. Almost no one was there except cast, performers, vendors and the playtrons.
You truly felt transported back to 1535 because everywhere you looked people were in garb.
This is why ren faires need a garb only day!
My most memorable moment was opening day 2008 at MNRF. It was the first time I had worn my green garb (see profile pic). While I was watching all that was happening around me a man came up and asked me about my garb. He asked to see my shoes - which were heeled boots at the time. He than proceeded to tell me my shoes were not period and that I should consider wearing contacts. He also said I should be wearing my pin so people recognize me. I noticed his pin and said I didn't work at the faire, i was just a playtron. It was a great feeling to be confused with an actor. :D
A number of years ago I drove up from Delaware to the Hudson Valley Mayfaire in Kingston, NY. I had brought my Renaissance Bubble Machine and spent the weekend making bubbles. One little girl in peasant garb came over and played in the bubbles for about half a hour. Afterwards she approached me and said "This is the BEST day of my life!". There are people who can't understand why I don't accept tips or charge for what I do. They fail to see I accept my payment in smiles and giggles... ;D ;D ;D
Scarby snow day was memerable but my was last season being named Highlander of the year at Scarby I had no idea it was coming or why. Still not sure why.
When I bought my first (and still only) garb at OKRF last year, I refused to take it off for the ride home to Kansas City. As we left the faire, we decided to stop at the gas station for a bathroom run. As I walked in feeling a little shy in my chemise and Irish dress, I ran into another lady in bodice and skirts coming out the door. She smiled and curtsied as we passed each other. I really felt like I belonged at that moment!
Then at KCRF last year, as I was making my way from the parking lot to the front gates, I saw a little girl staring at me. She turned to her mother and very excitedly said, "Look, Mommy! She's a princess!" as I passed them. It was cool being the little girl's first view of the Faire magic. :-)
I'm not sure why this one sticks in my head, but as I was getting to KCRF another day, just entering the gates after opening cannon, I made my way to the Cup and Chaucer for a scone for breakfast. I got in line behind some festival performers and started people-watching as I waited. The royal family arrived at the spinning swing out in front of the C&C, and the king and princesses proceeded to strap into the swings and take a whirl, arms outstretched, laughing and making merry. The queen and the princess who had decided not to swing, standing and watching, bobbed their curtsies every time the King swung by them, so of course each time he had to release them..."Raise you up!...Raise you up!..Raise you up!" Very cute, and there were also no mundanes around at that time of the morning, so it really felt like it could be the Renaissance.
I still think my most memorable moment of Fest thus far was in 2006. My sister, my oldest daughter and I went to MNRF closing day. I had my daughter (1 year old at the time) dressed as a fairy. When we walked in the front gate Lolly (the queen) ALMOST dropped character when she saw my daughter! She got all giddy and actually bounced up and down a bit while grabbing the arm of one of her ladies. Well of course we had to make our way over and meet the court! We had our picture taken SO much that year!
I would have to say that it would have to be my wedding at faire last year. There were so many memorable moments one of which was the fact that I was able to walk the whole distance from the gate to the wedding gazebo and stand for the whole ceremony. Under normal circumstances it would have been doable but very difficult on me. I was amazed at how many of our guests dressed in garb. I was very touched by this. The moment when the bishop asked who gives this woman and my dad said that he did I almost started to cry and when he asked who stand for this man I was worried as Morgan did not have family there. However, there was an angel there who spoke for him.... we have no idea who this person was. He was not one of our invited guests but was right there with us. The reception at the Feast was great. My dad was asked to participate in the murder mystery that was part of the entertainment. He had a great time and really hammed it up. Our Vulgarian hosts presented me with a tossing bouquet as I hadn't planned for that. They had everyone get up and to the Vulgarian version of the Hokey Poky (that was alot of fun).
Some of my most memorable were from TRF 2008 & Scarby 09.
TRF 2008 : The introduction of the Flamingo brother's. There is nothing like walking into the pirate shop and hear the guy say "F---'n He-- !" When we went back this year they guy still had their picture on his phone. He said he uses it when people ask him, "I bet I have the most outrageous garb you have ever seen." He replies, "Nope these guys do!"
Members of cast kept telling them that they should flog their washing lady for washing their red tights with their white shirts. Qutie amusing.
Scarby 2009: We are standing over by the stage the Rogues perform at when the parade is going by. As the king and queen go by they see him in all his carnation, magenta, and flamingo pink feathered- ness and you hear the King say "Oh dear G-D!" Then try to keep a straight face. From then on other people started to call him the pink pirate.
Opening day he is wearing his outfit then out of the blue Flora from Queen Anne's Lace come up to him, and demands to know why he is wear that out fit. They had specifically discussed how she was going to wear that color, not him. :D From then on we always had to go say Hi to Flora and queen Anne's lace.
Then I think it was pirate weekend, we are walking down the lane then out of the blue Captain spikey crotch and his crew demand to have photo taken with the pink pirate. Because he has got to have them made of brass to pull of that out fit. Then not more than 5 minutes later we are nearly tackled by a bunch of little girls dressed as princess who want to pet his dragon. Hey, he has an Imaganium drabit named Quizzik. It is intresting to see big tough guys wanting to have their pictures taken with the Pink Pirate , and all these little kids just loving to say hi to Quizzik & get a photo.
Oh, I forgot when we went to the Souther California Pleasure Faire, we were stopped every 10 feet by kids and mundanes. They loved both our outfits and our characters. As we are going through the stalls we commented on how so many people loved Quizzik, only to turn a cornor and come , litterally, face to face with Quizzik's 'brother'. Imaginierium happened to be a guest artisit that weekend at the faire.
As for other stories, I'll have to ask the rogue himself.
I'd have to say closing weekend, TRF '07. It was ice cold, with a sleet/rain combo... the wind chill put it around the freezing mark and we had TRF to ourselves. The only people were staff and some hard core, die hards. It was great... seeing Iris & Rose from about 5 feet away, with all 10 people watching crammed up under the eaves of the Sea Devil. Getting to have a good conversation with them, when they gave up on the show, was a real treat. The POW was warm & inviting every time the heavens opened up. Having my good friend, Broadside McGuinness, stop by and make the day for a charming older lady from Canada. The weather may have been damn near as bad as possible but it made for the most incredible time.
This was also the day that the Rennie Bug bit me on the arse... and I've never looked back. ;D
I have been friends with a few people online for over a year, and when I finally met them in person this year it was like meeting long lost family. :)
Closing day of Scarby in 2009, it was a good day.
One day that really sticks out is Closing day of Scarby 2008. It was the last time the Corsairs performed, and every available performer (plus nearly every playtron) turned out for it. It was also the last time we saw Cut, Thrust & Run perform (although we didn't know we wouldn't see them again.) When we left faire that day, our daughter was crying because we had just started going to see the Corsairs that season, and we would never see them again :'(
I also really enjoy the memory of attending Fest in 2007- I was pregnant with my second daughter and every time the king walked by me he would bow TO ME and say, "And it is ALWAYS a pleasure seeing YOU again." It got some good laughs out of those within ear shot. Of course it caught me so off gaurd the first time he said it that I blushed and tripped over my own feet trying to curtsey back to him!
Oh, and last year when I was pregnant with my third daughter the prince and I were speaking and he mentioned that I looked familiar. I said that we have met before then he looked at my belly and said, "I hope it wasn't THAT long ago!"
Ah the royals...
Closing day at a small local faire.
Everyone in our guild took our large table and placed it in front of one of the food vendors.
As the sun was setting we set our huge table with a tablecloth, period silverware, and dined the largest meal I've ate at a faire while patrons stared at us.
It was an amazing night.
They were probably staring because our table was right in the middle of the road.
Quote from: DonaCatalina on February 16, 2010, 04:04:31 PM
I may have related this somewhere else on this forum. But a couple of year's back there was snow for the opening weekend of Scarborough. Almost no one was there except cast, performers, vendors and the playtrons.
You truly felt transported back to 1535 because everywhere you looked people were in garb.
This was an amazingly fantastic day. Probably my fav in my several years of Scarborough. My first time actually participating in the parade last year is probably my favorite memory so far.
I have a new memory to cherish. And we probably provided memories for a few other people as well.
Saturday of TRF closing, we passed a gentleman in the lane playing his guitar and singing one of my more favorite songs "Baila Me". His lordship and I stopped to dance while the guitarist played and quite a few people took photos while we danced.
One of those photos is now on my facebook page.
My most memorable one (for a while at least) was closing weekend (Saturday) at TRF 2010 when I finally got to meet some of the rennies here!
It's posts like this that really help get you through to the next faire. It's really heartwarming to hear about all the great times at faire people have had.
This past season at TRF, I got asked to have my picture taken for the first time! Very exciting, I must say.
KCRF has a 'mini faire' a few weeks before opening to get the cast use to talking to people. If you go, you must wear mundane clothing, but you get a free ticket to any weekend and you get to see the faire with hardly anyone there, maybe 50 - 60 mundanes and the entire cast is there. You pick a spot to post up in and the cast makes rounds and interacts with you. Then you give your input on how they performed. It's really an awesome experience, and one of the only times you get to talk to just about every character one on one for a long time.
I had on this rainbow dress and everyone commented on it! They'd be walking by and see my dress and run over to talk to me. I felt like I belonged. It was so awesome to be able to talk to everyone without distractions. It may not be technically 'at faire', but it kinda fits :) I'll never forget that and I can't wait to go back.
I can think of many memorable moments, but my favorite was AHE weekend at TRF in 2008 - That's when my hubby took me to the enchanted gardens and proposed ;D
Though it was not all too many years ago, I couldn't tell you which one it was. It was one of those rainy mornings that looks more like a dress rehearsal due to the low numbers in the gate. we have atleast one of those per year at the St Louis faire, but this time it was on Memorial day. Every year we hold a ceremony in honor for the military, and we were not about to let the rain get in our way. by the time we were reaching time for it to begin, the rain had backed down to light showering and our gate numbers were starting to show abit better. Patrons could be found in the lanes, and I swear that just about all of them were at the joust field for the ceremony to begin.
As everyone was lining up into place, the rain stopped. The Veterans among our cast and merchants form their sword arch after the highest ranked of them gives a small speech then other cast and merchants who had lined up walk single file under the arch to leave a rose on a chair setup for those who could not join us. After this the ranking officer invite patrons to leave a rose after the ceremony and calls for a moment of silence and a few moments later the bagpiper begins to play Amazing Grace. As the piper plays, not only has the rain stopped, but the sun comes out for the duration of the song.
For the most part, the rain held off for the rest of the day until we reach the last song of the final show. The rain picked up at a decent pace while singing Sailor's Prayer.
I haven't been going to faires for that long but there were quite a few good memories made this last year at TRF.
My friend and I had both worn our fae garb and this year had painted up some bubble carriers/wands to play around with. It was windy that weekend and every time our group stopped to rest or eat, we'd get out our bubbles and have them blowing everywhere pretty quickly. Of course, whenever the bubbles came out, we'd end up surrounded by kids. I don't think I've ever had quite as much fun as I did blowing bubbles for the children, and I even saw a few adults chase them down. One boy even told Yuko and I we should have our own fan club, I knew bubbles were magic. :D
Playing with the Italian cast was another highlight. For the life of me, I don't know who the character was, but he wasn't overly fond of faeries so we had a high time chasing him around until he distracted us by throwing a shiny... and then hiding behind a stand/stall selling faerie dust. ::)
I almost forgot about this. This past fall when we were at TRF the Pink Pirate wasn't feel well so he was sitting under the tree alot while we we go look in shops. It he sat still longer than 5 minutes he would have children and adults alike coming up to him, asking for photos, and wanting to pet Quizzik. He said he wasn't sure which was more fun simply sitting watching people come up to him, or going to the different shows. ;D