OK, Its winter, middle of January, 2 feet of snow on the ground, had close to a 4 foot drift at the end of my driveway this morning, and it's 8 below zero outside... enough allready... I'm starting to get cabin fever I guess...
on to my post..
I'm planning my ren faire list for the season. here it is so far..
Mayfaire
Derbyshire
Silver Leaf
Michigan ren fest
Mid Michigan
I've been to all of these before and will be going again this year but I want to add something new. I'm thinking Bristol, Great Lakes, or Ohio ren fest ( all less than 5 hours of driving) I haven't been to any of these and want to visit at least one or two of them this year. I guess my question is for the people who have visited these faires before, if you had to choose just one from this list which one would you choose?
I like to take pictures so it one of these faires seems to be more photogenic that would be a plus for me.
Bristol is my home faire and been doing it for 32 years. It is Highly photogenic by many photographers. As a matter of fact, photo clubs are always there. to take out of the way pics.
The Ohio Ren faire is super nice as well, and is more wide open in areas. Many unique things to see and take pics of as well, but I think more so for photos at Bristol. Ohio is one of my favorites as well and I have been going each year for many of them to. I will be returning again this fall. They do have excellent sunsets at faires end out in the vast parking lot.
As far as Great lakes, that one I have never been.
Lord Sir Clisto
for photos
Bristol,Great Lakes then Ohio , will be at all three this year.
I haven't visited Great Lakes or Ohio so can't comment on them but I was able to visit Bristol for the first time last summer and LOVED it! Very photogenic and impressive all around.
I haven't been to Great Lakes as of yet... but Bristol would be my number 1 choice then Ohio...
Best for photos? Texas RF then Maryland RF, Bristol is good too, GLRF we'll find out in July.
thanks for the info.. i think i'll be adding bristol to my list for this year. texas would be great if i could drive there in less than a day but that's not possoible for me. ( i don't like to drive over 10 hours a day) i'll have to put texas on my future plans list. i would like to visit at least one new faire each year. thanks all
We'll be at Bristol July 18th and 19th.
As faire gets closer, keep your eye on the Bristol thread. I will probably once again arrange the Meet & Greets, as I have been doing for the past 4 or 5 years. I post them on a per weekend basis, and usually everyone who will make it that weekend posts that they will be there. Then at the Meet & Greet, most people recognize each other by their forum pictures, or at the very least, recognize the RF pin.
Both Bristol and ORF are wonderful! I guess if I had to pick just one......I'd go with Bristol.
Roger,
As I have been to all of your options and it looks like I am doing them all again this year. I must say all of your choices offer different things; Great Lakes is very wooded and offers a medieval venue, Southern O aka Ohio Ren offers many fall colors not to mention an excellent piratical and jousting venue but I would agree with Clisto and others after him - Bristol is prolly best from a photographers standpoint. The people portraying characters in all their regalia is worth a looksee - the colors are some of the best and the fairies are the best of all when it comes to photo opportunities - just don't let them take the camera from you.
Max and Kate would be right about TRF though - if you can go someday- bring extra extra batteries.
Maryland hope to see this year.
xox
S
We are looking into expanding our "show circuit" as well. As long as the money is there to travel I think we'll be doing Bristol and Ohio this year (I think). 2008 was a bad money year so we didn't travel at all.
Jon.
Looks like Great Lakes July 11 & 12th, Bristol July 18 & 19th, come join the fun those weekends.
Ah, thank you for getting my mind off the mundane. And start dreaming of next season!! :) :) :) ;) ;) ;) :D :D ;D ;D
Greater St Louis on May 16 & 17; KY Highland sometime in June, possibly the WI at Chippewa Falls on the Solstice or 4th of July weekend, and Bristol a minimum of four visits. ;D
The Season was kicked off at the Mid-Winter Fest in Kenosha in the land of the Wisconsins this past Saturday.
The entire run at TNrf, VArf May 30 &31,KY every Sunday in June,GLMF July 11 & 12,Bristol Aug 1 & 2, 8 & 9, 22 & 23, 29 & 30, OHRF SEP 19 & 20, LARF Nov 14 & 15, 27,28 & 29 and as of this morning I'll be starting the '09 season at AZRF this weekend Feb 7 & 8.
Madness! Thee must travel through thy crystal to keep a schedule thus.
Ohio, I went and the grounds are spaced out wide, and the shops are open wide enough to walk throuhg comfortably with sword on belt. The shows are different and good. Ohio is good for somethin close, and there aren't any toll roads to worry about, unlike the trip to Bristol through Chicago, unless you plan on taking the ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee then Bristol. That's the only way to get around the toll roads.
i like the idea of taking the ferry from muskegon over to Milwaukee. do you know if i could bring a small camping trailer on board? i've never taken the ferry before, sounds like a good way to cross the lake if the weather is good.
after checking prices on the ferry i guess i'll have to pass on this option, i can buy plane tickets cheaper than taking the ferry with a trailer over lake michigan. looks like i'll be driving around the lake.
I thought about the ferry for my next trip to the Wisconsin Dells, so I could by-pass the toll roads, but it's just too darn expensive. So I'll just stick to the roads.
We have an I-Pass so we cruise right thru, it also works in other states like Pa. & Md ect.
How much is that I-Pass, and would it be worth it since I only go once in a great while. I've only been to the Dells twice. Reason for going was watched the travel channel about amusement parks. And they cited Mt. Olympus as one of the greatest for go-carts tracks since it has 6 or seven and they go up into the air like large buildings, and for one price you ride as many times as you want and they have 3 wooden coasters which are kick arse. And there's a water park ajoined to the go-cart park and it doesn't have a separate cost. And that's cool cause it has speed slides and one of the largest and most powerful wave-pools in the nation. I'm getting off topic here, but I just figured if your near Bristol you may also want to travel further and check this place out. It's great for kids, but also for adults whom are kid's at heart, these carts aren't the fastest, but the tracks are what's really cool. I was thinking of checkign out Bristol while I was there, but I had to get back here because my vacation was ending on the weekend when Bristol was going on. Maybe this year.
I paid $50.00 plus a $10.00 deposit you get back if turn back in, you can reload them for free, if you go to the ezpass web site you can find out more. it paid for it self the first time we didn't have to wait in a mile long line to pay a toll.
$50.00 is quite a lot. For as little as I go. And I've been pretty lucky to get through with out having to wait to pay tolls. As far as waiting though, I've paid the toll and been held up in traffic by those big mixing bowls they have over there. Also, I've left here (Michigan) real early in the morning got into Chicago around noon, then arrived in the Dells, around 4PM. So I've beat out the major traffic rushes. So I guess maybe if I'd leave later in the day a pass may be an advantage, but still thinkin it over.