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[Dionysus]

Pennsylvania Rennaissance Faire Get-Together!

[CreativeEmbassy]

Hey, that's not a bad idea. I'm not gonna be able to make it to ARGFest this year (chicago is sooo expensive!), but this would be really cool. That makes two of us. Dave S. might be interested, and if Colin Brennan hasn't TOTALLY dropped out of the arg community, he's also nearby.

[Dionysus]

I think Pixie said she'd be up for it too.

Arent there other UFers in the NY area? Mount Hope isnt THAT far of a drive from NY. Same for Baltimore area.

[Pixiestix]

Dio and I discussed it, and right now the best weekend choice is

[INCyr]

Well, I'm not sure I'll make it, but Hershey is only 3 hours from me, (DC), so it's doable, depending on times and whatnot.

Unfortunately sept. is pretty busy for me. The best weekends would be Aug. 26/27, Sept. 1/2, or any weekend in Oct. I might be free on the 23/24 of Sept., but there's also a possibility I have plans that weekend that I dont' know about yet.

If hotels are cheap, I might actually bring a friend along.

[rowan]

Well, there is no way I could make the 16th. It's the Irish 2000 Music Festival that weekend. Cheaper, closer, and so many great bands to see.

It's hard to say if I would be able to make it down to the PA Ren Faire. It's a good 4 hour drive down there for me. I am however thinking about going to the Green Lane Scottish Festival the previous weekend. It's an hour closer, plus a lot cheaper (FREE!) which gives it a slight edge over PA Ren Faire (plus, I'll have been at the Sterling Ren Faire for 7 weeks anyway, so I will have enuf Faire to last me for the year).

[rose]

Can you explain a bit of what is required from attendees other than buying a ticket and showing up? Do I have to talk in Scottish accent or wear a costume? Highland Dancing is different from Step Dancing isn't it? Also, bagpipes, we hear so many of them in NY and, they just aren't my favorite...actually Scottish music as a whole is something I am sure I just don't know enough about to fully appreciate.

Do we get to see jousting and similar events?

[aliendial]

Costumes and accents not required, although some faires have a culture that strongly encourages it (don't know about PA, but in Maryland it was mostly just Faire employees, a few oddballs and guys in chain mail and the rest of us in more weather-appropriate shorts and T-shirts). I expect rentals are available anyway (simple tunics and things like that).

Jousting yes. But maybe not every weekend, depends on who they're using for that. But if not jousting, SOMETHING on horses should be there.

Again not sure about PA, but in MD there was just one weekend that was Scottish weekend, which meant a number of pipe performances. Other weekends just the random performer in the lanes or in one of the pubs might be a piper. Dancing depends on the theme for the weekend and who the Faire has hired. And your interests -- the thing is big enough you can wander to another stage or pub or shop if you're not interested.

There should be a few stages with acts spaced throughout the day - medieval circus stuff. Maybe some fractured Shakespeare. The royal court usually has a number of set pieces they roll out during the day throughout the faire. The Mud Show has never been the same since the MD faire was corporate-ized. There was this blond guy... Hmmm, what was I saying? Oh, uh, once they took the sex out of the mud show all the fun was gone and it was mostly just gross. Little boys love it.

[Pixiestix]

As for PA, it is pretty much the same as any other faire - you can dress in garb if you want {they do rent costumes if you choose for a day, anything from simple and silly to very elaborate, and prices do vary - you can also purchase garb at MANY locations along the faire}. No matter what weekend we decide on, i'll be in garb both days {different costumes}.

Jousting YES, EVERY weekend. there is a jousting cast that practically belongs to us. I am not a fan of the joust, but i find that if you want the full story of the day, the final joust of the day includes the queens court and story line... so it becomes inportant.

I hate the mudshows at our faire, i have no idea what they are like at other shows, but the "mud-fields and the muck-coys" just doesn't say Ren Faire to me.

Bagpipes are there all season, a couple different groups have them. My fave group, Tartan Terrors had the 2 time world campion bag piper hottie Shawn. I'm not a Shawn girl myself, i'm into steve sinnicks, but most girls swoon for shawn and his fast fingers. eh hem. HOWEVER, not every group has bagpipes, and outside of scottish weekend really you should only hear them near the boars head stage {the main TT stage}. I never knew NY was a hub for bagpipes. heh, I love them myself, but it IS a sound you either like or hate...

DO NOT EVER use your cell phone at a show, or sitting right before a show. In a show, they might take your phone {they do give it back, but it is what you get for being rude} before a show they might grab it and talk to the person or just embarass you. There are times when walking around if on the phone a random cast member may get involved {my friend danny likes to go up to people and shout "can you hear me?" and then ask silly questions such as "how do we get him/her out of that little box?"}

we do have a brewery and a winery on premises. yummy yummies. we have a great chocolate shop with a fountain {they dip everything!!!} as well as other great food.

the only thing required to purchase is ticket and food if you decide to eat {you CANNOT bring food into the gates, however you are welcome to eat at tables outside gates if you bring a cooler}.

PA REN: mud show, musical acts, fractured shakespear {you get a half hour mushed from a full play}, a hypnotist {no one is sure WHAT he is doing there, but so many people fall for it... he keeps getting rehired}. We have jugglers, magicians, joust, queen's court, finale in song {always great and sometimes tear jerking}. we have pirates, and like i said the pirates have a huge red ship that sells weaponry {mostly replicas from movies - they also own a shop in New Hope}.

Luckily, there is enough going on all day that people can split up if they aren't interested in something else. There are certain things that only happen on certain themed weekends {caber tossing and haggis contest only for scottish weekend. Grape stomping only for wine harvest, children's weekend is catered more towards kids and there are a lot more of them on the shire....}

I strongly suggest going to http://www.parenfaire.com and looking around....

{{for the record, i am having my teeth pulled aug. 17th. that means i am out for two weekends, as well i get married oct 14th and in disney for the next two weeks after. anything else, i can try to make! so we ARE flexible, it doesn't have to be scottish weekend we just really want to get together}}

[Pixiestix]

Just an update - This is no longer happening. Finances have cause me to be fully unsure i am hiting the faire at all this year, and the puggy has made sure I won't stay over night anyplace without him so... heh. I am sorry guys, I don't know what is up with Dio if he is still going on with it.

[CreativeEmbassy]

I just heard from a friend that I'm going. :-p She bought two of us tickets without asking me first. Not complaining, but ya know, I guess I'm going whenever we have tickets for. I'll post the dates when I know.

[Pixiestix]

after all that, i got off work saturday after all, so the fiancee and I are heading up but just for the day. this never panned out, and i haven't seen my cohort since we originally planned it.... but if anyone ends up showing up, i'll see you at the Tartan Terrors shows!

[CreativeEmbassy]

Man, things change so quickly around here, and I can't keep up with posting. My friend did NOT have tickets, she had coupons (but she told us we had tickets. Yeah, I don't know either.) However, another group I'm associated with on campus is going on a Sunday, one week from today. If anyone's going to it then, I may be traveling with them.