Scarborough Faire Escapism

Well, the Scarborough Faire season is in full swing, which explains why I am sleeping more and writing less. I have managed to spend most of the last two weekends in Waxahatchie, Texas, which is about an hour or so from here. During the week I am washing all the garb and trying to get ready for the next outing.

Dressing for Ren Faires and going to Ren Faires is very different in some ways than being in the SCA. The garb is more outrageous and often less period, meaning you can get away with pretty much anything you want to wear. Lots of cleavage, for example, is generally showing, which is probably not the way most of the people dressed (except perhaps the royalty and entourage) during the Tudor period. Also, there are wizards and fairies and pirates and even Princess Leia may make an appearance. Not to mention all the people in mundane clothes (also referred to as "naked.") These are the people that get picked to be in all the shows, so wearing garb is a great way to keep yourself OUT of the shows. Some people wear whatever they can throw together and some people have very carefully put together and maintained outfits. And some of the outfits are outrageously expensive too (one place we looked at sells $600 custom boots, for example).

I heard a great comment/joke or two from the Flaming Idiots act on Sunday. They commented that pirates were the terrorists of their day, so having Pirate Weekend is kind of like having Jihad Weekend. Saying, "Yay! Look at all the pirates!" is kind of like saying, "Yay ! Look at all the Taliban!"

It is revisionist history at its best. At Scarborough, we pretend that we don't remember what eventually happened to Anne Boleyn and various other cast members, such as her drunken brother George, and pretend that everyone gets along famously.
There are muskateers. There are middle eastern dancers. There are Germans wearing lots of feathers and gypsies wearing lots of fabrics. There is a troll, and a tinker knome named Noobler (the girls are still scared of poor Noobler). And there are people selling pretzels and pickeles and steak on a stake. There are wonderful shops full of lovely handcrafted items, but many items are a bit expensive. There are lots of kids swords and costumes available for sale too (people will buy stuff for their kids before they buy it for themselves).

My husband and I used to go separately even before we met. We also have been to the Faire with a variety of friends and relatives, so it is different every time we go. It depends on what activities you do. After we had the girls and we all started dressing up, we decided to get season passes, and of course we realized that we really couldn't see everything in just one visit. We enjoy the entertainment in particular, and there are constant shows and musical acts and lane entertainment all over the place (over 200 different performances a day). Because you are sitting on some rather hard benches with no backs, 3 to 4 shows is about all you can take in for one day, so it really does take the season to make the rounds and see all the performances. Even though we've seen many of them before, they are like old friends, and there are new jokes every year. And there's nothing like the live singing and music and dancing. Many of the performers really do this for a living and travel the country going to different Renaissance Faires, so most of them are fairly talented. Although we don't travel the country attending Ren Faires like some people do (it would get rather expensive and the girls do have school), I can certainly understand the appeal.

So, why do we do it? We used to go once a season in mundane clothes--why do we dress up all the time now and go as much as possible? It's certainly not good for the pocketbook--even though we don't have to pay admission, parking or for water and gatorade (covered by our Friends of the Faire passes), we have to buy food and tip the performers and we always end up buying OTHER STUFF during the season. It has become for us like going to the annual faire would have been in period times: oh, yes, I need some more soap from the Roman Baths place and I need a new corset, and I'd like one of those hairsticks this year....and the kids are now moving on to wanting the more expensive toys and puppets and such, and maybe this is the year to get Robert a doublet, etc etc (Remember, I don't sew very well compared to most SCA people). Of course, we are getting so we don't need as much stuff (although we still both need decent period footwear but hope to find something that is a lot less than $500 each!!!)Actually there was a merchant at Gulf War that we will probably check out on line because they are at Scarbie but can't sell boots there. The organizers limit the number of people who can sell each particular type of merchandise and try to spread them out as well. So maybe one day we will have decent period style boots (my feet are doing very well in the hiking boots right now, although I'm walking more like a lumberjack and less like a lady).

I think we go because we enjoy being in a different place and time. Although there are plenty of intrustions from the modern world it is still entertaining. It is all outside and goes on rain or shine (as we definitely found out this weekend as we were sitting through a few shows in the rain). The foliage in the ravine is beautiful that time of year and we are surrounded by period style wooden buildings. The rides are powered by human power, not mechanized (in fact, I can't ride any of them any more--I get too dizzy. They don't move as fast as things like roller coasters, so if you don't have a strong stomach, stay off!) It allows us to escape from the every day world. We don't have to wait in lines for things--there's always room to sit somewhere during the various shows, and if you get there late or need to leave early, you just sit down or get up. If there is a line for something it's usually at the bar, and it's usually not very long--maybe 2-3 people ahead of you. So, it's much more appealing than Disney World or even the State Fair--no concrete and basically no lines. So, not a lot of stress either. The main stress is driving down there (and it's a pretty easy drive once you get out of Dallas) and driving back (usually worse because you are tired). And we listen to period and period style music both ways and sing along. If you want to spend all day at East Wind Games and play chess, it's fine. If you want to sit for an hour in a pub and listen to people sing, and maybe even sing along, no problem. You don't have to drink or eat anything unless you want to. You don't have to tip the performers unless you want to (we always do though we don't give big tips because we are trying to make the cash last!) YOu don't have to go in the shops either although it's mighty tempting and part of the experience to see the things that people have made.

So we find it very relaxing and don't realize how tired we really are until we get home that night--and then we are usually EXHAUSTED!!!! Especially my husband who does the driving, and I was pretty tired the night that I drove back by myself.

The Faire has definitely gotten more "corporate" and "child centric" over the years, however. EVERY ACT has CDs, t shirts, even DVDs for purchase and is hawking them now during the performance. That gets a little old. They are even selling period style umbrellas this year (such as one that looks like peacock feathers and black one that looks like cathedral windows inside)! We even bought the peacock one Saturday because I knew if we did it would stop raining (and it worked!)

You can still go in the shops for a chat with people if they aren't busy, and they know a lot of people are not buyers but lookers--however, they are more likely to jump on you and start showing you things these days. There are a lot of things that are directed toward the children--not only merchandise but shows, and of course this means that you spend more when you are with your kids (we always limit our kids to two rides and one item purchased, and if they want something big they need to "save up for it," but it still gets expensive). There are lots of PG-13 warnings for the shows that are later in the day (after 5), which I know makes some parents skittish, but at least they won't be surprised. There are lots of shows for kids that will be entertaining for the adults as well, such as the Docktor Kaboom science show or the turtle races (OK, these get really tedious for adults but the kids love them), and the knife show. Fortunately my kids enjoy the musical performances so that is usually a good bet for them, plus I've learned over the years that if you buy your child an Italian ice to eat, it will entertain them for about 30 minutes through just about any show you want to see. And the PG-13 shows are very funny, even if you have seen them before.

I don't know why I like seeing the same shows over and over. I think it is like re-reading books. They are like old friends. Of course, there are new jokes and there are spontaneous things that happen, and there are things that you thought were spontaneous the first time that you realize are part of the act. But being in a live crowd where people are encouraged to participate and make noise is kind of fun--a lot more fun than going to the movies, at any rate. And it's always amazing to see if Daniel Duke of Danger can really do that stunt again without falling, or if the Fire Juggler really will take his shirt off and light his nipple (not kidding-he really does this). And after all, there are so many shows that often we only see the favorites once (or twice) a season. The musical shows always vary too, and sometimes even take requests.

Maybe it's just the comfort of being in a familiar place that is at the same time so far out of what the familiar is that it does in fact transport you. One of our friends who went with us the first weekend has not been in 20 years, and she yelled something out to one of the performers in response to a query, then turned to me and said, "I behave differently down here." Well, I think we all do. It's more fun that way. We can be more extroverted. And yet it's very comfortable for us because we know where everything is, even particular shops (this took years to get down though). One time one of the performers said to us at the Friends of the Faire dinner, "Welcome Home." So we know it is not home, and yet in a way, it is the Home we would have if we didn't have mundane concerns, like needing groceries and a paycheck. Sometimes I think it would be fun to be an artisan and make stuff and have a little shop, but then of course you would never get to go see the entertainment and such, and it would be tedious after a while and more like mundane life. Having it as a business would be much less fun, of course, and would make it all entirely too serious.

So here's to 3o years of Scarborough Faire (excuse me, Renaissance Festival). And here's hoping that we are still able to go 20 years from now. I don't expect everyone to understand why we have this obsession, but I know that it is one of the highlights of our year, and unfortunately it seems to have ruined us for other faires and festivals (unless they are perhaps ren faires). Because nothing is as fun for us as Scarborough.

Pleasant Valley Mom (Getting organized for next weekend)