fbhjr

This year was our second year at the Buck’s County ren faire. Last year there were multiple car failures on the way there, so only 3 of us did the show. This year we had 9. That certainly did let us do a wider section of things in our show.

Photos here: https://phoenixswords.dreamwidth.org/18890.html

Last year our tent was in the far corner of the faire and everyone who was going to be around us cancelled. So, we were literally outstanding in our field.
This year we were under a tree near the food tent and got a lot of shade. It was sunny in the morning, but by one the sun had moved around and the tent spent the rest of the day in the shade.
It was very nice.

This year they also had horses. Not jousting, but horse based archery and swords. The woman who ran that group visited with us some at the morning meetings and seemed nice.
We were scheduled to perform on the field the horses used, but instead chose to do the space just between the field and the seating as there was enough room and no “physical evidence” of then horses.

I was fairly frazzled getting ready for the show. The new job and long commute is cutting into my prep time for these things. Friday I drove my wife to work as she works in the direction we’d be going, and said “I’ll get the rest of my stuff in the car at lunch.”
But, lunch time, pouring rain. So, I waited.
I stopped work at 4, but found in my wife’s car parts of the tent fell behind her driver seat, so I had to rearrange things to be even able to get in it.
But, I didn’t want to pull everything out in the rain. And, my wife had texted me that she was finishing up work.
I got things set and on the road only a few minutes past the target. But, missed a bag in the middle of it so didn’t have my hats.
I had most of the important stuff, so we made due.
Normally I’ve got the car packed a day or two before hand, have checklists and make sure everything is all set.
This time I was just on the edge and stuff got left behind.

We did break one of the halberds this show. They have spear points on the top and one did have a crack in it. We were trying to keep it a bit more protected, but it got stuck in the ground in a show Sunday and broke off.
I refuse to use the halberds that are a big axe head on pushed onto the end of a stick. Ours have a reinforcement that goes down each side so the great big weight is much less likely to break off and conk a performer. So, they’re harder to find than the other kind and I’m going to have to try and find one. It’s still usable, it just doesn’t have its spike so looks different. But, that’s OK for the next show.

This year the event sold out all three days. All our shows had good crowds, even the ones at the end of the day. There were folks who seemed really interested at many of them. One woman was taking notes as we did it. Another told me she was a fantasy author and had some questions, so I went through a lot of it for her. I didn’t get her name or title of the books. Who knows if any of that will make it to a story.

The faire was bigger this year. They moved the fence out to the road in the lower half and make a lot more space. But, that space came from where the parking had been. Customers were supposed to park at some sort of parking garage and get a shuttle over. I have no idea where that was, but the folks arriving didn’t seem too put out, so I hope it wasn’t a long ride for them.
Folks working the faire were given a very small space to park, which resulted in some folks being quadruple parked in at the end of the day.
One of our members is a former truck driver who used to drive an 18 wheeler into New York City for deliveries. She got her car out from a space I thought it was going to be stuck in forever. I’m told she knows secret “trucker magic” and now believe.

Saturday night we ate at the Mexican place next to the hotel. OK, not great. Sunday night we went to a Texas Roadhouse across the street from the hotel. I’ve been to worse ones in that chain, but only one. At least they did finally bring us cutlery, after the food and being asked. My wife’s dinner salad was smaller than side salads and it did not make her happy. The deserts came out spread apart by 10 minutes and some were burnt. It’s 300 miles from home, so no worries about going back. But, we will need to remember for next year.

The hotel was expensive, but at least it was nice. We made money at the Connecticut show in July, so even if the hotel cost more than we made this weekend, we could cover it with the other money.
I would have liked to have stayed at the place 2 blocks away from the show that was half the price, but they sold out before I could get a room.

This was show 498 for us. (I count each day of performance, per location as a show. So, this weekend counted as 3, not 1 or 9 depending on actual shows we performed or total events.)
So, we’re going to hit 500 this coming Sunday.

500 shows in 23 years is good for a group like ours.

We want to have a big party to celebrate, so when we do the Delaware Faire we’re going to have a big party. The folks who run that one are the same as the ones who ran this weekend’s show, and are, by far, our biggest customers. They’ll be 19 of our shows this year, which is about half of what we’re expecting.
So, I used our pay form this show to go towards a big party on November 1st at that other faire. Technically it will be show 504, assuming we don’t do Halloween shows, but it will still be over 500 and we can have a party.
I did tell the organizers “I want a BIG party for this money!”
My wife is worried we’ll be disappointed. I hope not.
Of course, I am not as fond of parties as I was when young, so who knows how it will go?

For many years now we’ve been looking for a welsh bill hook to work on for our show: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/object/object-18989
One of the sword masters we demo said this was the best weapon ever and gives some instructions for it. We’d love to try it, but can not find one for sale.
I know at least 4 museums (WAM, Philly Art, Royal Armories in Leeds & German sword museum) who have them hanging on their walls, so they did exist. It’s not something that there was only one made or something only from tapestries that may or may not have existed.
Multiple copies in multiple museums in at least 3 different countries.
No one makes one.

I went to the guy who has a bunch of spears and other pole weapons when we broke the halberd to see if he had a halberd like the ones I like. He didn’t. He asked me if there was anything else I needed and I brought up the Welsh Bill.
“I can get those!” he said.
“Are you sure. Lots of folks sell the English bill. It’s a different weapon.”
“I’m sure I’ve seen my supplier stock them.”
“The Welsh bill.”
“Yeah! Get me a photo and I’ll confirm.”
So, I walked over to our tent, got George Silver’s book from 1599 and brought it over.
“This one,” I said, pointing to the publisher standing there with one in the acknowledgments.
“Never seen one of those before,” he said.
“So, not something you can get me?”
“I could ask if they can make one.”
“I’ve asked a bunch of smiths. They can’t.”
“I’ll try.”
He took photos and will let me know.
I do not have my hopes up.

Sunday as we finished our second show a fairly nondescript middle aged man came up to me. We often get questions or comments, so this is not unusual.
“Hi Frank!” he said to me.
“Hi…”
“It’s me, Zack!”
I must have continued to look blank at him.
“You know, Zack!” He said, making a hand motion of one going up and hitting down on the other.
“Zack! It’s been more than 20 years! How are you?”
I had not seen him since October 2004 and he looked quite different to me.
He and the woman with him came and visited at our tent for a good bit of time.
I guess his companion had heard the story of the great body slam and not believed it.
4 of the 9 of us at the show had been there and all of us quite sincerely told her “no, we really worried he was dead.”
It’s nice to see him. And, confirm he survived the events of the Paladin Faire 2004. It was a rough one for all of us.

The faire entertainment director is also one of the acts. So, he is very good at providing the things that are good for us at shows as he’s been there and knows what makes things easy or hard.
Every morning he has a meeting of all the performers working the show and very clearly goes over what he expects.
One of the days he did this standing on the picnic table I was sitting at, which led to my looking off into the distance for most of the meeting as if I looked up at him, it was straight up his kilt.

But, he has good rules.

One is about show time. He gives folks a 45 minute slot, but only expects 25-30 minutes of show. He’s very clear that the extra time is for set up, break down, asking for tips or any other similar thing.
There were folks who on day one were running 25 minutes and by day three we were hovering at the edge of the stage as they were still going on after 44. But, it is much better than 1/2 hour slots where it can be tough to get your material in and do the set up and break down needed.
Keeping our swords in a very modern cart we just pull onto the stage might not be super historically accurate, but has cut our set up time way down.

One of his others is “help people out”.
To quote him “I don’t care if you went to Juilliard, if someone asks you to lend a hand, please do.”

Or, “If I ask you for help, don’t tell me you won’t because you’ve been doing this too long to help. There are groups here that have been doing it longer than you. By that I mean Phoenix Swords.”

I, carefully, looked up at him “why you picking on me?” I asked.
“How long have you been performing?”
“Only since 1971. I’m sure others have done longer.”
“Only since 15 years before I was born wins.”
“I don’t need to hear that…”

Later in the day the woman who circles the faire selling crocheted chickens was telling me how I should understand how difficult it could be for someone born in the 70’s to do all this.
So, maybe I am older than all of them?
That’s weird to me.

We are practiced at getting out of there at the end of the show. I had asked the entertainment director if we could break down after our last show as the only thing going on then was the final revels that they try to get all the guests to attend. He agreed.
So, before our final show we got everything prepared.
We walked off stage, put all the swords in their cases, took down the tent and were towing our last of three loads out to the car as the final revels was finishing up.

Most of us had changed out of our costumes before that and blended well with the customers meandering out.
The guy who sells ice cream dressed as a dragon was at the gate as we walked past.
“I know you,” he said. “And, you, and you.” As our group passed.
“How did you get out?” He continued. “The faire’s only closing now…”
“See you in Delaware,” I said and we walked to our cars and drove off before the wave of folks clogged the parking lot.

The drive home went remarkably well. We left just at 6 and got home about 11. And, stopped at a very slow drive through on the way. That’s speed limit times for the whole way going by New York City at the end of a holiday weekend.
The only thing we could figure was that everyone had come home early as school started the next day for a lot of folks.
But, no traffic is fine by me.

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From:

justphoenix

Congrats on (almost) 500 shows!

Curious: Have you been to the Connecticut Ren Faire? I've heard it's smaller, but it seems a lot more chill (and less expensive) than King Richard's.

fbhjr

The owner of that faire is someone we have a longstanding grudge with, so we don’t perform there.
(He’s mentioned in this old entry: https://fbhjr.dreamwidth.org/596874.html )

I know a lot of folks who like that show. Plenty of folks go to it and I’m told it is a good alternative to King Richard’s. For the first time in decades, King Richard’s is going to be at a new location, so all bets are off on that anyhow.