RenaissanceFestival.com Forums

www.sherwoodforestfaire.com (or www.swf-faire.com) will begin grounds construction of booths, stages, etc. in december.

while i know the hesitancy of folk to get involved at the ground level of a first year faire, there are some definite upsides, if its gonna be a success.  thus, i want to field any questions potential vendors may have concerning the upcoming faire.

ask what you may.  dont worry about offending me.  i know some of you are quite bitter and "bow-shy" after the songwood fiasco.

i have friends and fellow vendors who have known me for years at TRF and will offer insights into the type businessman i am, as well as something of my character.

sherwood forest faire will be a first year faire, for sure, but, i promise, it will be spectacular as a first year endeavor.  we'll have a good good crowd there during the six weekends.  we will have fun.  and we will make the faire profitable, as well.

vendors still needed in the following areas:

henna tattoos (one vendor identified)
tarot/fortune teller
hair braiding
jewelry (one vendor identified)
face painting
swords
clothing (have one baby clothes vendor)
pottery (one app received)
pewter
stained glass
glass blowing
forge
hats
shoes
crystals
chimes (though am asking music of the spheres to be a part of the faire)
sky chairs
staves
wood carving
broom making

give me ideas on other vendor categories you want to see and any leads on great artists/artisans you have seen at faires.

rengypsy@swf-faire.com

still in need of artisans and artists...especially those who can demonstrate their art/craft.

have a henna artist who has signed up
supposedly have a face painter from trf, though she's not made contact lately

if you know of folk who would be interested in being part of sherwood forest faire as a vendor, please pass the word and have them go to the "participation" tab on the website (www.sherwoodforestfaire.com or www.swf-faire.com).

time is getting nearer and nearer to opening day.  only a year away.

cheers,

rengypsy
rengypsy@swf-faire.com

rengypsy -- it was a pleasure meeting you yesterday.  I was honored by the personal tour.  Thank you!

The site work is coming along wonderfully.  I am very appreciative of your vision for your Faire.  My wife and I have done festivals and other annual shows for over 20 years, including 3 years at TRF and are very excited by what you have going on at Sherwood.

We will both be in attendance at your open house on the 24th.

The focus on working artists capable of demonstrating their craft is huge!

Love the trees!  Love the site! 

Most of all I love your Vision!  Wishing you the best and looking forward to joining you on the journey!

rick crouse

Lots of interested vendors on the grounds this past Saturday.

Once the site plan is approved, contracts will be issued and spaces for building and/or tent sites will be determined on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Look at the listing above. I will be updating the category list from time to time, as well as the website.

We are seeking many talented artists and artisans to fill the faire grounds and show their wonderful works of creation.

Please get the word out that this faire will focus on artists/artisans.

Great walk around - I hope you will let RenShirts in for 2010.
Later...Frank
www.renshirts.com (http://www.renshirts.com)

send in your app and you are in.  i like your product.  rengypsy

Thanks!  We are currently working with Deborah & Gary Z. (Charlotte's Web) on building side by side buildings.  I believe Gary showed you his idea of a building and he said you liked it.  We will be building something similar that would compliment their building.  Keep up the good work and we look forward to becoming a part of your dream.  We are positive people and can't wait for 2010.

Later....Frank & April Rippel RenShirts.com (http://renshirts.com)

Progress of late on receiving Vendor Apps.

Thanks to all of you for spreading the word.

We still need:

Swords (2)
Leather (2-4)
Musical Instruments (drums, flutes, etc) (2)
Chimes (1)
Hats (1-2)
Two more potters (2)
Glass Blowing (1)
Metal Works (1-2)
Pewter (1-2)
Wood Carving (1-2)
Religious Icons, etc (1)
Broom Making (1)
Hand in Wax (1)
Hair Braiding (1-2)
Roses (1)
Pretzels on a Stick (1)
Soap Making (1)
Jewelers (2-3)
Face Painting (2-4)
Stained Glass (1-2)
Shoes/Boots (2)
Armoury (2)
Food Vendors (2)
Gypsy/Belly dancing items (1-2)
Staves (1)
Incense (1)
Crystals (1-2)
Sky Chairs (1)
Clothiers (2)
Crest/Coat of Arms (1)
Painters (2-4)
sculptors (2)
occult/witchy shop (1-2)
brass rubbings ???
paper mache would be great, as well

Help stir the artists to come forth.

Two new apps received today.

Some of you have said you have an interest, but we need the apps so contracts can be issued.

Rengypsy

Did you ever recieve ours?
That will take some things off the list for you.

*not rum but several other things will be sold at least*

I did, though I need: booth drawings and pics of items you are planning to sell.

You are in: I just need the formalities completed before I can issue a contract.

Rengypsy

OK, how detailed do the booth drawings need to be?
We have a pretty fair idea of what we will want, but haven't had a chance to get with the builder to finalize how they will turn out exactly
Also, we have a sword vendor and want to make certain that he will be doing the "Pirate Auction" as long as he has that he is definitely in on our booth.
(He wants to hold off building his until the 2nd phase/pirate area is ready for building)

*sigh... wish i could vend rum... but then I probably wouldn't have a lot of profit really*

ten contracts were mailed out today.

if you plan on participating, but have yet to turn in your application, please do so.

while we still have plenty of vendor spots to fill, we do have quotas on each category, thus, if ya wanna be part of this fabulous first year experience, mail in your app so your spot can be secured.

well over 300 ft of fence was erected today, i am told. 

exciting times, indeed.

peace,

rengypsy

of the ten contracts i mailed out before leaving for bali to find the stone circle, only four have been returned.

i am concerned.

we need more vendors.

we have the capacity for over a 100 vendors to set up shop.

rattle the walls and find exciting artists and artisans for sherwood.

total vendors signed on are only 12 at this point.

no category is full.

likewise, we still need food vendors.

pass the word, please.

rengypsy

Is there room for a fletcher/archery vendor?
Max

Our contract will be in your hands by the end of the week.
Just had to get the gang of three together to make sure we all were good with it.

*please ignore any rum stains*

lots of email from potential vendors of late

feel free to use this forum to ask any questions, and then, other folk may benefit from the correspondence.

some of the questions of late (and answers):

do you own or lease the land?

yes, kidman, llc owns the land.  kidma is 1/2 me and 1/2 great friends of mine ( a family )
sherwood forest faire, llc leases from kidma, llc for ten years w/option for more years

booth fees?

see the website (www.swf-faire.com)
if one builds, the fees will be waived for the first year, less electrical and insurance

where stands development at this date?

we received the building permit in late february and have been on the site building 5 days a week since.  join us for the april 25th gathering and see the progress.  also, i would refer you to the website's most recent blog.

why allow imports?

this is my rationale: first, imports will be strictly limited to:
a) 20-25% of vendor spaces at most
b) period appropriate items--not plastic crap

next, the late middle ages and renaissance was a time of travel and items were being brought (even back to the greeks) from other corners of the world...thus, as long as it is appropriate to the theme of the faire, i am ok with it

finally, preference is given to artists and artisans (ie. lower fees, higher % of spots available to them)

i am especially hoping for demonstration booths.

any jobs for volunteers?

yes, yes, and yes.  do you cut wood?  do you wield a hammer?  can you help move logs around the stages for seating?  anyone make benches?  more needs in the future...especially for plumbing and electrical type.

how about advertising?

we will advertise in various municipalities and mediums; in the following cities, especially, in order of funds to be expended...
1) austin
2) san antonio
3) houston
4) bryan-college station
5) corpus christi
6) small villages in between

ask anything you wish.  we are quite open.

rengypsy

another potter, a face painter and a flute maker have joined the ranks with their submitted applications.

too exciting!!!

our numbers are growing.  and soon, many folk will begin construction of booths within sherwood forest faire.

cheers all,

rengypsy

Do you still need a blacksmith? I may know of where you can get your hands on one who has over 20+ yrs ren fair exp...

yes!

want one who will both be a vendor of his/her wares, as well as act as a demonstration...

also seeking a great glass blower, broom maker, & soap maker

may have weaver

thanks

rengypsy

We are tentatively looking at submitting a vendor app (mixed artisan/retailer, possible demos). I do have some questions and concerns, though-

* What are the projected numbers of first-year crowd?
* How many arms and armour vendors are you willing to carry (we sell higher-end and custom items, so we won't compete directly with the Taiwan/Marto/CAS-Hanwei dealers, and we make all of our own armour), and will they be clustered or spread out?
* For tent vendors, how large are the allotted spaces?
* For crafted items, retail items, and demos, are there separate juries, and what is SWFF's jury process?

Thanks in advance :)

Breandán

all good questions

low end projections for first year attendance--20,000
high end--50,000

we would love to have a parking issue the first year

we have allotted numbers of vendors per category--four for armoury/armour, another 3-4 for swords

we expect to have between 70-100 vendors the first year.

the faire grounds proper will take place on 25 acres (approx) w/total grounds being 106 acres

jury system consists of three of us. nothing more formal or complex.

very conserted effort to emphasize artists and artisans, especially demonstration folk, over import/retailers.  likely limit import/retailers to 20% at most.

what else???

My wife will be out at the site tomorrow to look it over, so she'll probably ask all of the site-related questions then, so I'll leave that to her. I will admit that we are behind the game a bit, with both of us just having returned from active duty and just NOW finding out about SWFF, so bear with questions that may have already been asked a dozen times.

Quick question: My wife was out this weekend and said most of the booth sites are 10'x15'. For us to establish an effective sales area AND demo area, we'd probably need a larger space than that. If we were to build a booth there, what would we be looking at for different fees if the footprint was (and this is a rough estimate) 20' wide x 25' deep? I know a lot of other vendors may be wondering about different sized spaces as well, so I was curious if there was a sliding scale for the fees for abnormal sized booths.

extremely flexible.  the 15 x 20 were booths we may build and rent.  booth construction can be up to 30x30.

booth fees are based upon whether you make the items you sell or are retailers only.  reduction in fees for artists and artisans as spelled out on vendor app and webpage tab talking about vendors.

no problem with as many questions as you have.

cheers,

rengypsy

three new vendor apps received today.  a potter, a bronze sculptor, and an alchemist, of sorts.  very cool.  thanks all!

To clarify, we want to do SWFF, the only things holding us back are prior commitments at TRF, where we're doing renovation on our shop there and aren't sure whether we're going to have enough left over budget-wise to do SWFF, and the fact that my partners and I are still hammering out details on precisely WHAT we're going to do. So, let me run some questions past you that will help focus our planning-
* If we built a 20'x30' booth, what fees would that total up to first year and subsequent years for a mixed retailer/artisan?
* For smithing, what are the restrictions and requirements for demo format, demo space construction, and so forth (beyond the usual fire precautions)?
* What are the standards for building living quarters in the shops, and are we allowed to build our own if the design is approved? (this is a cost-saving measure, as we have materials and experienced carpenters/homebuilders who can do the labor, but do not have the funding to buy equipment AND hire a contractor)
* What kind of access will we have off-season for renovations, expansions, and, obviously, the initial construction?
* When can construction begin?

I'll probably get more questions this weekend once my partners are de-blarghed from work and the Friday Night Viking Raid that they call pub-crawling, and I will try and be out for the next tour myself.

Breandán

response:

1st--if one builds a permanent structure, the faire waives the vendor fee for the first year.  the second year will be as it states on the vendor website and application: $500 for artists and artisans who make 100% of their wares; $750 for those who make a majority, but also sell purchased (faire appropriate and faire approved) items for resale; and, finally, $1000 season for importers and resalers.

the electrical fee will apply to everyone needing electrical (somewhere between $175-250/season, depending on your load requirements--more for food vendors who will rely heavily on electrical for food prep)

vendors must either obtain their own insurance as stated as in the app/instructions and in their contract or pay the faire $250 to be added as a rider to the faire's policy.

regarding smithing and demonstrations: send me a proposal.  that simple.  i am sure we can work something out.  for those artisans who have a medieval/renaissance skill and are willing to be part of the show as scheduled demonstration sites, i am planning on reducing vendor fees accordingly.

on living quarters: same--give me a diagram/drawing. we will talk.

yes, vendors can build their own booths--but must pass the structural integrity examination of my grounds director.

access, once a contract is signed, is fairly carte blanche until i get screwed.  but i start most of my life projects and relationships with a significant degree of trust.  having said that, i think, as the philosophers of the enlightenment declared, we work together as part of a social contract...and i will expect you to uphold you end of the contract as i surely will.

thanks for the questions.

rengypsy

we have 38 vendors lined up to date

we need approximately 100 to fill the grounds, and can accommodate more, if interested.

no more booth rentals available tho

will need to build or set up a period appropriate tent

help recruit more artisans and artists

we especially need the following:

footware
wood working
glass blowing
incense
arcane-occult
room for two more jewelers
hats
canes
art-paintings, icons, etc.
still seeking a blacksmith/iron-monger
swords & pirate gear
drums, string instruments
sky chairs
heroldry
two more leather works
photography
crystal balls
sand castings, statuary

We're going to have to wait until July to determine if we can stretch discretionary funds to two faires instead of the one we budgeted for, but once we have that confirmation, you will be the first to know.

This month, on June 13th we will have a gathering at sherwood, which will be a great time for you prospective vendors to discuss your application/contracts, and to stroll the grounds, looking for your favorite spot.  I urge all of you who are considering a boothe or tent to start communicating your plans to us, and get us an application asap.  Sherwood Forest Faire is a rolling train with more cars everyday--- 38 confirmed vendors last i heard.  I think compared to other, similar ventures we are well ahead of schedule for organizing our vendors, and for construction, etc.  Some are still saying the faire is a long way off--- but not for what we have to accomplish, especially if you intend to build a boothe.  Here is an invitation to all who are interesteed in our faire, please spread the word among your community of friends:  (and make sure they use these directions-not the map on the website-- front gate entrance unfinished, come around back)

Hello people of Sherwood!
Happy Summer!

Thanks to all the Faeries who came out to the fairegrounds last weekend in spite of the rain.  We had a great little faery walk, and a midnight circle where we sang along to the Great Antone's drum.  To those who couldn't make it... no worries!  Here are some details on our next adventure- be ye faery or playtron or interested participant:

Sherwood Forest's next gathering will be Satuday June 13th.  Finally we can again welcome our bretheren who have been busy with Scarborough Faire - we hope you have had a prosperous run up there.  As usual, we will be officially starting at 3pm, but if you are interested in coming early to wander, relax, or help us with some brush migration, you may show up as early as noon.  All who wish to do so may camp overnight, and may leave the next day at a leasurely pace.  We will be on the grounds as late as 2pm or so--- so, if you only have time to come out Sunday morning, no problem. This gathering is intended to give you an opportunity to pick a spot for your boothe, meet other likely Sherwooders, and to let the spirit of the fairegrounds sink into your psychi, that you may better find your way among our paths and woods. 

There will be one very clean Port-o-Potty on the grounds, and plenty of trees.  We will be providing some beer and box wine; otherwise bring what you wish pot-luck style.  We will have our regular campfire and a gas range stove for cooking.  If you want to bring your barbecue grill, you may.  Let me know if you are bringing a big one that can be communal, and i will send out a message to let people know you have some space available. 

Unless you came to Sherwood last weekend, you are in for big surprises-- even if you have already been to some of our gatherings before.  The fence is built, the grounds are free from giant brush piles, and that is all i will say--- though much more is sure to strike your fancy.  And by June 13th, we hope to be surprised at the progress ourselves.
Bring your ideas and dreams, your instruments and noisemakers, your kids and your frisbees, foam swords, etc.  If you wish to dress in garb-- do so! (peace tie weapons, but no worries).  Our only strict rule is: Be Good or Be Gone!   We look forward to the warmth of your company. 

Here are driving directions (Updated):
IMPORTANT:   DO NOT follow the map from the website.  That will take you only to the proposed entrance; the current entrance is ON Hwy 290. Use these directions instead:
From Houston--- Take 290West. Getting close to Austin you will go through a town called Giddings.  Go all the way through, and about a mile past Hwy 21- and you are very close.  You will be looking for a driveway on the right. There is a white 4'X8' blank sign beside the gate. We will hang up a brightly colored butterfly kite on it to guide you. (If you get to Old Potato Rd. you have gone just a little too far. Turn around, and it is the third drive on the left after Old Potato Rd; the second drive is our new entrance- but don't try it, you are likely to get stuck in the sand and/or lost in the woods) 
From austin-- Go East on hwy 290 past Elgin.  You will pass a road called Old Potato Rd,
and the Entrance will be the third driveway on the left after that (and more visible than
the first; the second is our new, unfinished, entrance--- don't try it; you'll get stuck).  There will be a blank, white 4'X8'sign by the gate that you want to enter. We will fly a Bright Butterfly kite on the sign to mark the spot.
Careful coming in--- it is a very fast-moving part of the Hwy.