What is your opinion about Renaissance fairs?

[Maethor]

Has anyone ever been to one as a mermaid? How do people react? :)

Which ones do you like and which would you avoid going back to? (in the U.S.)

Has anyone worked at one as a performer before?

Thanks!!

[Usagi]

Uh, that they are AWESOME! haha part of my name has "faire brat" because that's just what I am :P but I started working it 3 years ago and I'm so glad I did! I work in the Kid's area (Kid's Kingdom) and my first year it was just me and a few others. Then the next year I got my friend and boyfriend to join and we got Mermaid Jaimie! Oh and my parents... /: lol and some others. We do improving storytelling on stage. Jaimie has her own show where she tells mermaid stories. Maybe I'll be a mermaid there one day haha but we're all there as volunteers. We don't get paid. We pay for our clothes, wares, gas, etc. It's actually pretty expensive. We are at Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire. I think they pride themselves on being the original. lol we definitely have to meet higher standards than other faires. We have to be period/authentic. No random colors. Nothing obviously modern. But I think that's part of what makes it so great. We are right next to a lake, but it's fenced off. But I think they should open it up in one part and fence it off IN the water so we can have a mermaid lagoon. haha!

[MermaidBrittany]

I LOVE them! If you don't do anything while there, I would still go for the people watching!! I would say that the best one I have been to is near PHX, AZ. Its HUGE and there's lots of stuff to do :) Theres a small one in Bonney Lake by where I live, but AZ is definitely the best!
Never performed though sorry :P

[Mermaid Azira]

They are so much fun! Iv'e never performed.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm actually performing in my home Ren. Fest. this year and it's awesome. I love it. :3 The people are always excited to see us and full of questions. I am purely volunteer, but I honestly don't mind. I think it would become a bit stressful if I was being paid, but I wouldn't mind having the income. XD My faire is at the Castle of Muskogee in Oklahoma. It's a permanent faire, meaning there are buildings and structures developed specifically for the faire that stand all year long. Personally, I think my faire rocks. :P

[ButterflyVision]

I went to my first fair last year. OMG. It was so awesome! I loved every moment of it. People were so nice and talented. Lots of beautiful items. You can dress in costume (it starts right after Halloween) so I went vampire but I probably looked like a witch. Anyway, I'll probably volenteer this year. No mers... Maybe I'll be the first?

[Maethor]

I was thinking about getting a tail this summer and I had seen pictures of mers at faires so I was like "It's perfect!"
But now that I look into it, a lot of the faires don't like mythical creatures and I wouldn't be able to walk around/ have freedom. So my friend and I decided we are going to buy dresses. I'm really excited!!
But that means I'll have to put off getting a tail for a while. :(

[Mermaid Dottie]

I'm so excited for the Utah Ren Fest next month!
There could be as many as seven of us mers in the pool at a time!
We're going as performers, basically performing for free, so our booth is pretty much free. we'll also be earning tips.
It's gonna be awesome!

[Maethor]

That is really exciting!! I am so excited to go to a ren fair! akjsghivenvaoiw

[Taniira]

I was thinking about applying as a performer, but the closest one to me is a 3.5 hour drive and I'd have to commit to an 8 week run and with being so far away I just don't think I feasibly could do that, as I can't imagine they pay enough to even cover my mileage (though at least I have family near there I could stay with). Maybe I'll email them and see if they would want me for a weekend or two, at least.

[Theobromine]

Huh. Lorelei, you're volunteering at the Castle of Muskogee? Cool! I'm currently living in Tulsa and some of my friends/co-workers went to that. I would have gone but I have to work on the weekends.

I really love ren faires though! I used to go to the one back home (Bonney Lake, WA!). It was rather small, but still fun. I also used to always go to the little medieval village called Camlann, in Carnation, WA. However, next week I do have a week off and my husband and I had planned to drive to Dallas (to see all the zoos there) and then to Austin (to visit a friend), so you can imagine the squealing when I discovered that the Scarborough Renaissance Faire is on the way to Austin! So we're definitely making a stop there to see the mermaids at the faire!

[Aziara]

I went to my first fair last year. OMG. It was so awesome! I loved every moment of it. People were so nice and talented. Lots of beautiful items. You can dress in costume (it starts right after Halloween) so I went vampire but I probably looked like a witch. Anyway, I'll probably volenteer this year. No mers... Maybe I'll be the first?
Hey, I know we're in the same state. Could you PM me and let me know where the fair is you went to? I'd love to go this year.

[Mermaid Nerinae]

I LOVE them! If you don't do anything while there, I would still go for the people watching!! I would say that the best one I have been to is near PHX, AZ. Its HUGE and there's lots of stuff to do :) Theres a small one in Bonney Lake by where I live, but AZ is definitely the best!
Never performed though sorry :P
I can ABSOLUTELY attest to the one in AZ being so great. I go every year! I'm going to contact them after I've finished my tail and see if they'd like a mermaid to perform there. They have a "living fountain" that I think would fit very nicely~ :D If anyone's ever in AZ from Feb-March, DEFINITELY hit up the Arizona Renaissance Festival!