SC - Re:Authenticity Buffs

[Aelfwyn@aol.com]

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    That and incredibly overpriced, poorly prepared OOP food. And I =
really don't like faires where they sell alcohol; that attracts a WHOLE =
different clientele.
    I vastly prefer Medieval Faires, which tend to have very different =
orientation. Renfaires tend to be costumed carnivals, and the workers =
there (for the most part) are carnies with a classical accent. (Please =
don't flame me if you're one of the rennies who takes it seriously, =
that's just been my observation.) They're put on by professional =
entertainment producers who could be running a fantasy fest or an S&M =
weekend, for all they care. They're just out for the buck, and it shows.
    Medieval Faires more often tend to be run by NPO's, and have a =
completely different approach. They're more into providing a wholesome =
and educational atmosphere, take their authenticity more seriously, and =
much fewer of them sell beer & wine. In talking with a couple of the BoD =
members, I learned the SCA does a fairly large number of cooperative =
events with NPOs of this type. The nice thing about them is that all =
money raised stays within the community to fund (in our case) children's =
programs. The motive is pure, if you will, untainted by a lust for =
lucre.
    Our group hosts an annual Faire down here on the second weekend of =
January (we were the first Medfaire in the new millennium, and also the =
first one each year). We let the mundanes (Kiwanis club) handle all the =
mundane impedimentia (like licenses, insurance, and all the money), and =
we provide the medieval authenticity and the bulk of the manpower. Works =
wonderfully well! I can't speak for all medfaires, but I've found the =
attitude of the people running these faires is a WHOLE lot better than =
the mercs doing the renfaires
    We're real nit-picky about who we allow in to merchant. There's one =
really BIG dealer who's not coming back next year because he was selling =
(crummy) swords to 14 year olds . . . and not wrapping them or anything. =
If they're going to vend, it has to something reasonably authentic (no =
plastic sword & shield sets from Oriental Imports, please), and they =
have to adhere to a set of standards regarding how their booth is set =
up. And if they're completely authentic, and are willing to demonstrate =
their craft, we let them set up in a period village, which is in a very =
prime spot.
    We bring in jousters who are real jousters, and not WWF on =
horseback. We try to have entertainers who are actual practitioners of =
their craft, rather than just people doing a schtick for a weekend. When =
the SCA is allowed to participate, we put on demos of both light & heavy =
weapons combat, and run an information booth where things like garb, =
heraldry, and the various arts & crafts are put on display.
    So if you have a choice between going to a renfair or a medfair, go =
for the latter. You'll do a lot less wincing and muttering. And the =
food's generally better, too!
    BTW, if anyone is interested in selling at this faire, let me know. =
We're always looking for good merchants, and we're one of the lowest =
overhead faires you'll ever see. I think this year it was a $55 setup =
fee, we don't take a cut of your action (although a contribution to the =
Kiwanis Children's Fund would be appreciated, but not required), there's =
FREE camping on site (with security), on board feast available (I =
usually cook it), a Home Depot and a Wal-mart less than 1/4 mile away, =
and it's an absolutely gorgeous site, if you don't mind alligators and =
incredibly horny geese.

    Sieggy

  Hi all!  I don't know about anyone else, but when I go to Renn Faires, =
I
  expect to shop.  I worked there for 3 years and know 90% of the acts =
and all
  they have other than that is the shopping.  So I don't go often =
because I
  hate to pay $11.00 to be admitted to a shopping mall.



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<DIV>    That and incredibly overpriced, poorly prepared =
OOP=20
food. And I really don't like faires where they sell alcohol; that=20
attracts a WHOLE different clientele.</DIV>
<DIV>    I vastly prefer Medieval Faires, which tend to =
have very=20
different orientation. Renfaires tend to be costumed carnivals, and the =
workers=20
there (for the most part) are carnies with a classical accent. (Please =
don't=20
flame me if you're one of the rennies who takes it seriously, that's =
just been=20
my observation.) They're put on by professional entertainment producers =
who=20
could be running a fantasy fest or an S&M weekend, for all =
they care.=20
They're just out for the buck, and it shows.</DIV>
<DIV>    Medieval Faires more often tend to be run by =
NPO's, and=20
have a completely different approach. They're more into providing a =
wholesome=20
and educational atmosphere, take their authenticity more seriously, and =
much=20
fewer of them sell beer & wine. In talking with a couple of the BoD =
members,=20
I learned the SCA does a fairly large number of cooperative events with =
NPOs of=20
this type. The nice thing about them is that all money raised stays =
within the=20
community to fund (in our case) children's programs. The motive is pure, =
if you=20
will, untainted by a lust for lucre.</DIV>
<DIV>    Our group hosts an annual Faire down here on the =
second=20
weekend of January (we were the first Medfaire in the new millennium, =
and also=20
the first one each year). We let the mundanes (Kiwanis club) handle all =
the=20
mundane impedimentia (like licenses, insurance, and all the money), and =
we=20
provide the medieval authenticity and the bulk of the manpower. Works=20
wonderfully well! I can't speak for all medfaires, but I've found the =
attitude=20
of the people running these faires is a WHOLE lot better than the mercs =
doing=20
the renfaires</DIV>
<DIV>    We're real nit-picky about who we allow in to =
merchant.=20
There's one really BIG dealer who's not coming back next year because he =
was=20
selling (crummy) swords to 14 year olds . . . and not wrapping them or =
anything.=20
If they're going to vend, it has to something reasonably authentic (no =
plastic=20
sword & shield sets from Oriental Imports, please), and they have to =
adhere=20
to a set of standards regarding how their booth is set up. And if =
they're=20
completely authentic, and are willing to demonstrate their craft, we let =
them=20
set up in a period village, which is in a very prime spot.</DIV>
<DIV>    We bring in jousters who are real jousters, and =
not WWF=20
on horseback. We try to have entertainers who are actual practitioners =
of their=20
craft, rather than just people doing a schtick for a weekend. When the =
SCA is=20
allowed to participate, we put on demos of both light & heavy =
weapons=20
combat, and run an information booth where things like garb, heraldry, =
and the=20
various arts & crafts are put on display.</DIV>
<DIV>    So if you have a choice between going to a =
renfair or a=20
medfair, go for the latter. You'll do a lot less wincing and muttering. =
And the=20
food's generally better, too!</DIV>
<DIV>    BTW, if anyone is interested in selling at this =
faire,=20
let me know. We're always looking for good merchants, and we're one of =
the=20
lowest overhead faires you'll ever see. I think this year it was a $55 =
setup=20
fee, we don't take a cut of your action (although a contribution to the =
Kiwanis=20
Children's Fund would be appreciated, but not required), there's FREE =
camping on=20
site (with security), on board feast available (I usually cook it), a =
Home Depot=20
and a Wal-mart less than 1/4 mile away, and it's an absolutely gorgeous =
site, if=20
you don't mind alligators and incredibly horny geese.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>    Sieggy</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV> </DIV>Hi all!  I don't know about anyone else, but =
when I go=20
  to Renn Faires, I<BR>expect to shop.  I worked there for 3 years =
and know=20
  90% of the acts and all<BR>they have other than that is the =
shopping.  So=20
  I don't go often because I<BR>hate to pay $11.00 to be admitted to a =
shopping=20
  mall.<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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