(no subject)

[badseed1980]

Yay, sounds like I have at least one person who can come out to KRF with me and the RI/LA gang. Gang of two. Hey j4yx0r, any of the Rhode Island crew coming up with you guys?

Anyone else want to go on the 13th?

Comments

[leenah.livejournal.com]

i can't make it dear, thank you. mamma is stashing away the pennies to make the mortgage. not that i'm insane and will have no fun - it just needs to be CHEAP fun. :)

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Gotcha. *I* may be cheap, but the Faire is not. :) I understand.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

After hearing about everybody's ren-fair adventures, I'm craving some King Ripoff's action and would love to go. Alas, I've got to leave Saturday open for the likelihood that the Project From Hell will need my emergency TLC. Molest someone cute in period garb for me?

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Will do!!!

[j4yx0r.livejournal.com]

Almost definitely. I still have to make a few confirming calls. At the least our friendly, large mechanic should be there as well as the little man of few words.

~j

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

[roaming.livejournal.com]

Would have, actually, if we weren't in Phila. Seems like the weekend of the 20/21 will be our last and only chance.

Sorry CTRF was a bust. People have told me they liked it better -- but when I looked at the pictures people were posting, it looked like they were holding it in a parking lot with chain link fences all around! At leat KRF has that "established town center" feel with the permanent buildings.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

CTRF is being held on a pre-established agricultural fairgrounds.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

Okay. So. . . why do people report it's "better than" and also that it's "not as good as"? Somehow the exact why never gets communicated. (Or maybe I'm just scanning too fast and not reading in between the lines! :-) )

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

CTRF: price - better than KRF.

food policies (outside food allowed, useful if you have food allergies or religious dietary restriction) CTRF better than KRF.

food pricing - no tickets for food, US$ fine, can actually tell price of food, and not have left over tix CTRF better than KRF.

grounds: agricultural fairgrounds vs dedicated renfest village, KRF better than CTRF

free water: CTRF better than KRF (important on hot weather days, see food issues)

Size: KRF bigger than CTRF, IMO

Shows: CTRF seems to have more than KRF

My reasoning for preferring, slightly, prior to attending, CTRF over KRF, is that, from reports I have seen online, KRF management is a bunch of asshats.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

Thank you, good to know, since friends are debating whether to go back to KRF, as usual, or try going further out to CTRF. Now they can make a more informed decision.

I have a theory about "Management" in general: once you become in charge of things, you're going to piss off a lot of people no matter what you do. I'm sure there are exceptions, wonderful to work for companies that everyone loves. But my guess is those have exceptional circumstances other companies may not posses.

I've seen this even in my own small highland games group (Western MA). Got into a HUGE argument with a friend of mind who's running it, ended up quitting as Vendor Chair. I understand his reason for his decision that I fought him on. (We're still friends, though I admit I respect him less now.) I didn't agree with him, I would have done it differently -- and perhaps found out that MY way of doing it would have brought in less money. And bringing in money is the bottom line, because without it the event stutters and dies.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Well, pros of CT vs. KRF:

1. Lower entry price, and re-entry is permitted with a hand stamp.
2. You can pay cash for food instead of tickets.
3. If you don't like big events and large amounts of people, the smaller faire would be a plus.
4. They have animals to pet and watch.
5. Some people prefer the performances at CT, though that's a matter of personal preference. I don't go to many performances at KRF, so I can't compare well.

Cons of CT vs. KRF:

1. Lack of established space of their own means less of a village-esque feel.
2. No shade! There are few trees and not much "inside" area.
3. Fewer merchants means less merchandise variety (and IMO, the merchants weren't generally as good).
4. It SEEMED like there was a smaller percentage of people there in garb than at KRF, but that may just be because there were fewer people in general, and not a real percentage difference.
5. A smaller area to wander around meant that I felt like I'd seen everything and everyone after a shorter amount of time.

To me, although there might have been an equal NUMBER of pros and cons (in my opinion), the cons were more glaring than the pros. I don't generally care about being able to re-enter, I keep track of how much my food actually costs in spite of the ticket system at KRF, I go there to window-shop as much as anything else, so more merchandise variety is a big deal to me. I prefer large events with lots of people. I like the feel of the area that KRF has better. It's a more comfortable space. So I wouldn't bother going back to CT myself. I might want to try NY or PA someday, though.

And I LOVE Maryland.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've heard people complain that KRF feels like a mall and CT feels like a fair, but I think KRF feels like a renaissance marketplace (colourful and somewhat exotic), while CT feels a bit like a county fair with garb.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

That's a good picture of the differences, thanks. Both are good, and I guess it just depends what one is "in the market" for at the time as to whether one will be delighted or disappointed.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

The last time I went to KRF, it was with that guy I wound up marrying, and it was before we got married. That means it has to have been 1988 or 89. Shit, I say.

*grumbles about project from hell and endures renfaire pangs*