Ren Faire!
Sep. 17th, 2002 03:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tugrikThis series of "up too late" updates continues with a quick note about the Ren Faire attened this weekend past, as mentioned in an earlier post.
This Faire was the one at Casa de Fruta. It was put on by the group that previously was at Black Point (and then that awful Nut Tree place). I think this site is far better than either of the earlier two. Closer to home, slightly lower temperatures, more shade, more variety in the layout. Personally I would have preferred it to be 'double ended' so you could enter/exit at either end of the long street pattern, but that's just me.
Like all Ren Faires I've been to in California, it was dusty, hot, serpentine, and nothing more than a Big Shopping Mall. This isn't a bad thing; in fact, it's kind of what I expect out of a modern, money-making-as-a-goal Faire. I took a few pics of jousting ponies, various people and assorted crafts which I'll post later. Lunch was a nice combo of corn on the cob and broccoli soup in a breadbowl. Being a little distracted by my stupid knee acting up, I didn't end up spending much. My only real purchase was from The Perfumed Dragon: a few little bottles containing various scented oils. I have a weakness for interesting scents (in the 'extract and incense' way, not in the cologne and puffery way).
The joust was fun as always and the one show I watched was enjoyable. The rest of the Faire was as expected, with nothing that really stood out. As I was never overly involved in re-enactment play, it's not a huge thing for me. Fun, sure... it's an eclectic shopping trip with friends, complete with food court and sword-carrying versions of mall rats. It was too hot to wear my monk's robe anyways, or I might have felt more involved.
What I really want to see again was a faire like I visited in Flint, MI many years ago. It was late in the fall, so the trees were in color and the air had a chill. Walking around in a hooded robe was comfortable, and the crisp air worked very well in that setting. I remember there being less stores, and more Daily Life. People were gathered around campfires chatting and laughing. Some areas had fighters training, others were tavern-like with places to sit indoors. The 'city' was more like a chunk of a town in a little grid, with open courtyards and buildings with all four sides to 'em, instead of One Long Strip-mall of shops.
And the strongest memory of them all? I remember the clouds blowing in, an early winter storm come calling in Flint that year. Hoods put up, cloaks held tighter, more layers put upon the ladies in the streets... as a quiet, puffball snow began to fall. My college buddies and I, there for the day from school, just revelled in it. The place felt amazingly real for that moment: people sought the company of each other as the colder air emptied out the streets. Companionship took over, edging the shopping out of the picture for a while, until they finally ushered us all out of the faux city at the day's end.
I want to go to a Ren Faire like that again someday.
This Faire was the one at Casa de Fruta. It was put on by the group that previously was at Black Point (and then that awful Nut Tree place). I think this site is far better than either of the earlier two. Closer to home, slightly lower temperatures, more shade, more variety in the layout. Personally I would have preferred it to be 'double ended' so you could enter/exit at either end of the long street pattern, but that's just me.
Like all Ren Faires I've been to in California, it was dusty, hot, serpentine, and nothing more than a Big Shopping Mall. This isn't a bad thing; in fact, it's kind of what I expect out of a modern, money-making-as-a-goal Faire. I took a few pics of jousting ponies, various people and assorted crafts which I'll post later. Lunch was a nice combo of corn on the cob and broccoli soup in a breadbowl. Being a little distracted by my stupid knee acting up, I didn't end up spending much. My only real purchase was from The Perfumed Dragon: a few little bottles containing various scented oils. I have a weakness for interesting scents (in the 'extract and incense' way, not in the cologne and puffery way).
The joust was fun as always and the one show I watched was enjoyable. The rest of the Faire was as expected, with nothing that really stood out. As I was never overly involved in re-enactment play, it's not a huge thing for me. Fun, sure... it's an eclectic shopping trip with friends, complete with food court and sword-carrying versions of mall rats. It was too hot to wear my monk's robe anyways, or I might have felt more involved.
What I really want to see again was a faire like I visited in Flint, MI many years ago. It was late in the fall, so the trees were in color and the air had a chill. Walking around in a hooded robe was comfortable, and the crisp air worked very well in that setting. I remember there being less stores, and more Daily Life. People were gathered around campfires chatting and laughing. Some areas had fighters training, others were tavern-like with places to sit indoors. The 'city' was more like a chunk of a town in a little grid, with open courtyards and buildings with all four sides to 'em, instead of One Long Strip-mall of shops.
And the strongest memory of them all? I remember the clouds blowing in, an early winter storm come calling in Flint that year. Hoods put up, cloaks held tighter, more layers put upon the ladies in the streets... as a quiet, puffball snow began to fall. My college buddies and I, there for the day from school, just revelled in it. The place felt amazingly real for that moment: people sought the company of each other as the colder air emptied out the streets. Companionship took over, edging the shopping out of the picture for a while, until they finally ushered us all out of the faux city at the day's end.
I want to go to a Ren Faire like that again someday.
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no subject
Date: 2002-09-17 04:23 am (UTC)You should check out the Patterson faire in Novato, next 3 weekends. It promises to be less commercial, more historical.
And futz through faires.com, for dates of lots of stuff. For the rest of the season, there is Northern, Novato (Forest Faire, Patterson), Hanford, Folsom, and Kearney Park.
And I think I'm going to sleep now.
no subject
Date: 2002-09-17 04:41 am (UTC)http://homepage.mac.com/ceilirain and then the Fairs! link is a number of photos my parents took when they took my daughter to a ren fair when she was 4 or 5. You can see her 'jousting' and getting 'knighted'.
Was very magical, to her. :) Maybe not very 'real' to the grown ups, but very real to her. She talked about it for a long time afterwards.
no subject
Date: 2002-09-17 07:36 am (UTC)The "mall" analogy does hold up, unless you make a concerted effort to shake that off. Coming to play - that is, to interact with the performers and other participants - puts a different shine on the place, and for a little while the plywood becomes oak, and the costumes become more colorful.
Of course, this could all be a thinly-disguised effort to get you to come to the Marin RenFaire (http://www.forestfaire.com/marin/main-mc.html) since I'm going to be performing there and lord knows I need a sympatico audience.
no subject
Date: 2002-09-17 10:25 am (UTC)Of course I can't forget storming the gates of the Golden West College faire with a small food flinging crossbow and a sack of pretzels and grapes. Or a particular hiding place from a game of hide-and-seek.
no subject
Date: 2002-09-17 11:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-09-17 03:56 pm (UTC)I've always love the view at SLO and Santa Barbera is a pretty Faire. Ummm go to looped, I think it is .com you will know when you see the pretzels.
no subject
Date: 2002-09-18 08:58 am (UTC)Also, I'd love to spend time at a faire with someone who isn't bouncing uncontrollably from one playlet to the next. I tend to stop & chat with vendors who don't have many people at their booth (they like it because it usually draws a crowd) so also tend to lag behind most other people. One of the things I miss most from the TX faires is the quiet, unobtrusive vignettes that performers & costumed customers would form in little nooks & wide spots in the road. I like finding a quiet spot just off the path & sitting to people-watch. RPFN (Casa de Fruta) didn't really have many places that I could spot where I could do this, so I wasn't really inclined to stay the full day. Hopefully HotF (Marin) will be better for this. I know that Folsom is always a great faire to do this sort of stuff.