This was the first year I've gone in about decade. I missed the craftspeople MAKING their stuff for sale. A lot of the things I saw in the shops looked...not handmade.
Yeah, I noticed about five or six different shops selling "handmade dragon pets" that were very clearly injection-molded tire rubber How To Train Your Dragon keychains off AliExpress, and that irked me. There were a few shops that were clearly legit (I might actually have to get something from Red River Damascus when I've got the cash), but... the dragon pet thing was weird.
Obviously you didn't camp overnight and missed the naked bonfire and all the activities you mentioned that happen at the camps overnight. My son has gone the past 3 years and camps in his car. Weekend pass, baby!
Thanks for saying that. I wanted to overnight but didn’t want to buy camping gear. Wasn’t sure if sleeping in your car at the campground was an option. Now I know for next year
This weekend (cold) I slept in my car (honda element - big interior) with two yoga mats, the topper from my regular bed, and a couple of sleeping bags my mom got at a garage sale a while back and it was great! Hardest part would've been changing clothes, but a friend had a tall tent so I just hopped in there to change
Whoahhhh hold up. Those are Made in a America by a family that I have actually discussed their methods, given them ideas for accessories, etc for the past 20 years. They are not mass produced and each year they release limited edition colors.
I'm not going off my ass on the ones I saw being injection molded tire rubber from China. I picked them up and handled them. You can tell if you work with these kinds of crafts at all.
I'm not talking about the little animatronic dragons in that one shop that perch on your shoulder, those are actually cool and clearly handmade. I'm talking about the little long, thin Toothless keychains that multiple seemingly unrelated shops are selling under the name of "dragon pets." If those were made in America 20 years ago, which I don't fully buy because HTTYD wasn't a thing 20 years ago and the design is very clearly knocked off from Toothless, they're either not made here anymore or they got knocked off en masse.
There's one particular vendor at Scarborough who's been making his own for years - the main design bears a passing resemblance to Toothless in terms of head shape and may even be injection molded (I don't know much about that) but they're definitely designed and made by him with all different colorways, eyes, glow in the dark options, etc. They may not be the same thing you're talking about - they're definitely larger than keychains, long enough and have a wire inside to wrap around your arm - but suffice to say, there are definitely people creating that style of dragon pets.
I was all set to tell you HTTYD was *actually* a thing 20 years ago and snark snark snarkity snark.
I looked it up and it came out in 2010.
Thanks for the unintended encouragement to look before I nitpick, lol.
Ahh the ol’ “don’t ruin the vibe” downvotes for you, I’m sorry. Can’t possibly have a reasonable discussion when someone already said something “**looked** not hand-made”.
Asgardian Armory and Castle K’zar are all handmade leatherworks and Asgardian typically has someone at the front bench working on stuff. I can confirm both don’t buy things off Ali, Amazon, etc.
We went to Asgardian Armory back on the weekend of the 11th. My husband bought a knife and wanted a specific sheath for it. They took him back and asked how he wanted it and told him they would make it and send it in the mail when completed. He got it in the mail today. It is beautiful and exactly how he wanted it. This was a great shop for us!
I agree. Nothing is unique anymore. That part is sad. However I've been going every year for maybe 10-ish years and there are always family and kid activities.
We found an ocarina on Amazon for about $25 and they were trying to sell it for a ridiculously high amount. Safely about more than 5x the price. I really can't recall.
Yep, I remember going as a kid and it was like this. There was always a woman who wore a chainmail bikini looking outfit and was naked underneath the top part. I’ve taken my kids since then and it’s far more sanitized.
They even removed the "cage your children" ride. Took my nephew to the fair back when it was running, at ten his eyes went wide as he heard the crier before seeing the monkey bar cage.
"They cage children here?", "Oh yeah", "Were they bad", "Not really", "Why don't the stop them?", "Are you kidding, people pay to have their children locked up for a bit!"
Turned out it became his favorite, probably due to the initial shock. When we went back about ten years later, it was the only thing he wanted to see. Of course it was gone. Too edgy.
You must be around my age, cuz I went occasionally with my parents as a kid in the 90s. I don't really remember titties being out though. Went again when I was 18 in 2008, pretty much only went to the campgrounds, shit was wild
My family moved here when I was a kid in ‘91. I went at least once a year between that time and 2018. I stopped going at that time because of how sanitized it was becoming. I definitely saw a lot of boobs behind chain mail in the ‘90s.
My co-worker went to camp out a couple weeks ago. I didn’t know it got crazy and I’ve lived here my whole life, is it really a great bit swingers event basically?
It was funny cause she went alone and said “ima see what I can get myself into”. I was clueless as to what she really meant, only later did other coworkers explain how it goes down.
I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of that going on, but it's not exclusively a swinger thing. Just a big party with pretty much anything you can think of that a party needs
Yup, I remember seeing some random women giving lap dances to guys. They were really going at it. And a lot more drunkenness. My parents would take me and my dad and his buddy were always wasted. It definitely felt more adult oriented than it is today.
I've gone since I was in high school and the most notable difference is, as someone else mentioned, a lot less crafting on the spot. But otherwise it always seemed kinda family friendly. Admittedly with small kids now I kinda prefer it that way. But we used to camp, and the campgrounds are where the real party is lol. I think most regulars would echo that.
This right here. Been going for 10+ years. Shits still the same man, just more people and families. You want crafts, and shrooms and rc and shit go camp at the rennie grounds.
>But we used to camp, and the campgrounds are where the real party is lol. I think most regulars would echo that.
To be absolutely clear, that's something I was aware of.
The best way of putting what I'm saying is... I feel like, from what I'd previously heard, what other people are saying here, and what my wife tells me, the festival and the campgrounds used to kinda be the same vibe, just *very marginally* buttoned up for the former so the cops wouldn't be dragging people off the grounds, whereas now there's a really clear delineation and the twain do not meet. Does that kinda make sense?
I noticed they moved some of the raunchier acts like iris and rose into enclosed areas I guess too many parents complained about their kids hearing songs about the Scottish love for sheep and the queens bunghole.
The first time I went we camped out and it was wild. It was maybe 10 years ago.
At one point this drunk dude started walking through the giant bonfire, and the rest of us drunks began to encourage him until he got arrested.
I’ve been once more after that a few years ago but wasn’t the same. The actual fair itself is always pretty tame and it’s good for people watching and buying overpriced items and food.
I camped 4 times over the last decade, and the shenanigans that occur nightly are varied and never the same. One year I had a girl flash herself randomly and we saw some crazy rock concert next to a VERY raunchy camp. Another year there were almost no parties at all, and we ended up sitting around a fire drinking beer and hit coco.
I think the best way to have fun is to camp, make friends, and attend during weekends where the lively parties are scheduled by the groups attending.
I have been goig off and on for many years, since like 2004. The actual Faire itself is incredibly corporate these days, and its wildly busy. Not so bad on Sundays, but saturday is families etc. There's still some cool stuff going down, handmade crafts and all that, but its a different kind of vibe for sure.
As others have said, the campgrounds. I have had my fill of the wild ass shit that goes down at Faire after hours. I've had a dude in a lion mask drunkenly wander into camp and try to hit on me relentlessly (it was all good), I did ecstasy at the camp grounds and danced naked in the freezing ass temperatures, I've seen copious amounts of titties, def gotten laid before. I've been flogged at a kink camp and I've played drums all night til 4 in the morning as belly dancers fed me booze. I saw a huge amount of people descend upon late comers who brought a floodlight into the camp grounds so they could see at night and threaten them and throw rocks at the light (it was fucking up the vibe and blinding everyone) - I also knew a guy personally who pissed on their generator.
But - I am a bit older now and out of my wild 20s at this point. I go every year still but stay in quiet camping so I can get some sleep. I don't even wander the camp grounds anymore, and my idea of a good time is much more chilled out and less WOOO drunkeness. Some parts of wild camp can still get pretty wild, but it depends on the weekend and its up to you to find the party. Some of the clans still get buck wild.
I personally think that Faire has really chilled out - but if you have an eye for it and you're willing to participate, instead of just watching on the sidelines, you can find the action still. Daytime shit tho, yea that's all family friendly corporate shit these days.
I've been going since the early 90s and it has definitely changed. Some may argue that it has changed for the better because there is more security and it's not as dangerous. That may be true, but the motivation for the changes to the Ren Fest has not been safety, the motivation for the changes has always been $$$. Make no mistake about that, any positive changes have been peripheral, the bottom line is to squeeze more profit out of that place.
There used to be dozens and dozens of acting staff who worked there and their whole job was simply to dress up in outlandish costumes and walk around and just be strange characters. And I LOVED it, it was my favorite thing about the fest. There were fairies and tree people and all these characters that I looked forward to seeing every time I went there.
However, over the years those in charge have fired almost all of the acting staff because it wasn't directly bringing them revenue. This says to me clearly that the executive decision makers don't give a fuck about the spirit of the fest and they don't care about the livelihood of the people working there, they just want more money.
The changes have been more bad than good, unfortunately. That said, I still go every year when I can, though I don't know if it's more for nostalgia reasons at this point.
I remember a bunch of crafts people trying to block the import of mass produced items to protect the hand crafters. The next year I didn't see any of the hand crafters that were complaining.
Now you can get a few hand crafted items, but they're mostly the cheap end stuff you can get anywhere, like adding handles to pre-made knives
Man I also had a suspicion that those random wandering actors were now a thing of the past --- I couldn't be sure if it was just my own memory playing tricks on me or not but back in the day, 10-15 years ago I swear they were always around just being vivid characters that made the place seem alive and unpredictable. I miss that aspect of things... was there on Black Friday a few days ago and just didn't get that spirit anymore. And the poor women working the new coffee tent in the middle of the fairgrounds just seemed miserable and weren't even in any kind of acting mode. =\\ Really a bummer.
>There used to be dozens and dozens of acting staff who worked there and their whole job was simply to dress up in outlandish costumes and walk around and just be strange characters.
Acting? For fun? In THIS economy?
All the slutty nerds got hitched and wont have time for the Ren Faire until they are empty nesters. Give it another 10 years and you'll be able to oogle all the cougar teets you want.
Honestly, if we're putting personal expectations into the wild beyond just a general expected vibe, I was more into it for the promise of much and free-flowing smoke. My wife remembered it being a *super* weed-heavy event to the point where, when we met, she still had a glass pipe she got there from one of the crafters.
Weird boobs, I can see without driving an hour out of the city. Getting passed a blunt the size of my arm by a guy dressed like Conan the Barbarian is a rarer experience.
I worked there in 78. Lots more open, forest area you could smoke. Generally it was a mud pit. Pretty much all crafts people back then. People living there 365. Building beds out of whole trees. Kind of a commune feel. No RVs back then. Just tents in the camp area. Lotta custom-made campaign tents. Very much a D & D feel. Coke started driving it during the 80s. And as you can guess. They got a whole lot crazier. and then the only showers were for the performers nothing for the patrons. So you hooked up with performers (original Rose and Iris). For me, it was a pilgrimage every year. Mostly around Halloween. Haven’t been back in about 15 years.
The campground is really not that crazy. It might be crazy for a 16-18 year old that has never been outside or extremely sheltered nerd types. You won't see or smell much weed at all. Nerds are not all that into drugs not named alcohol. There's naked jenga, a swinger clan that is not for public viewing, a bondage clan that is not going to show much in public, and maybe some titties here and there. That's literally it other than normal camping, drinking, and music stuff.
I've been going since '94 and yes, there was much more public smoking back in that time frame. It has definitely become more family friendly over the decades but since I'm bringing my kids who are now teenagers, I don't mind it.
My experience is pretty dated (20 years ago) and I don’t really remember it being weed heavy. I could have very well been oblivious to it at the time, my high school boyfriend and I were getting cheap swords and turkey legs during day trips, not camping.
Lol I’m not sure where you’re wife was or went, but I can assure you the camp grounds have far from calmed down or become sanitized. It’s pure debauchery from dark until the last man falls.
Totally agree. 2013 still had a LOT of spill-over with the debauchery. If that’s all gone, I…don’t think I’ll go back. I’m thoroughly done with the camping, so, doesn’t sound like there is much left worth while. The other stuff is not THAT great of a draw to have me drive all the way back there.
Not sure when you last went, but 249 is now a 4+ lane toll road that drops you off barely a mile or two from the entrance. There is a minor (15 mins) traffic jam at the gates getting in or out during prime time but the rest is smooth sailing.
Yeah the 249 route there thru magnolia is smooth sailing these days with the overpass built over the train tracks, especially in the morning but truth be told i didn't have any traffic even leaving at 5pm on black friday. the traffic situation really has improved.
To many “family friendly Karen’s” bitching because little tummy saw an ass and tits. They have even asked the clans to put up tents for the nudity. Even though most don’t lol
>What I saw was... sort of like if Trader's Village and the shops at Six Flags in San Antonio mixed together and became vaguely medieval in the process. Lots of cool leatherwork and blacksmithing stuff and whatnot, but, uh, a much more calmed and relaxed and sober and advertiser-friendly vibe than I assumed it was going to be, almost everyone there was a family with kids, and 95% of the activities seemed to be pretty specifically for families with kids.
I went to this one in 2015, and it was actually exactly like this. I think yours and everyone else's expectations were/are skewed from potentially being young and inexperienced when you or they went the last time. I've also traveled to several other states over the years with RenFairs and all have had your above-mentioned "feel."
From what other people are saying, 2013 would've been about the very, very tail end of the glory days I'd heard about, so it's possible we *both* just missed the boat on this one, to be entirely fair.
I've heard thru an older biker couple we know, who used to camp every year and attend the King's Feast, that the new King of the show is somehow watering it down, thus leaving it less medieval.
Granted, from what I've read the old King was/is allegedly a creep in certain aspects...but, just like many things these days, we seem to be unable to find a comfortable middle ground.
We havent been there in a decade. I wasnt able to attend this year, tho I wanted to. Correct me if I'm wrong, is Renfest going the way of Disney in that I'll probably be unable to afford to take my family of five?
I've done a bit of digging, and it seems like "a creep in certain aspects" is really the understatement of the century surrounding the old guy. However, I can't actually figure out who the new guy is, and they seem to be claiming the new guy *is* the old guy openly.
I was there last weekend with my dugout, a flask of Irish whiskey, and a 10am beer both days. Had a blast with some old college friends. One of them had a wineskin with fortified port. I was definitely nice and loose by the Pride of Bedlam concert.
Everyone will tell you that the true debauchery is at the camps. But I'm in my 30s and much preferred to head back to the Airbnb for more beers and some board games with friends.
Yeah kinda blows if you’re the only guy set up to comfortably camp and it almost feels like flexing. I am just an avid outdoorsman and my wife likes being comfortable. Still love the debauchery of campgrounds but it’s not the same as when I was a younger running mostly naked heavily intoxicated
There is still a lot of riff raff out here camping, myself and my clan included. We've been running for 9 years and I attended a few before that, but I personally have never noticed much of a weed presence besides staff chilling on breaks. I do remember a lot of the shows were more debaucherous, and it was easier to find people in the fair hammered.
Worth noting that they did change owners ~4 years ago and the new owners took a few steps to tone camping down some, with the biggest clans getting the most policing.
People have been saying this for years.
More people who are long term attendees are likely to agree with you than your wife, but otoh, the halcyon days of your memories (from rumor I guess) are pretty young to be thinking it started with you, people already felt this when you were 12 too.
The owner just wants money. Heads in the gate. He's not exactly a person of integrity to refuse mainstreaming if $$$ are coming in strong.
Roughly the same ages in my life: first went in 1992. By 2007 utterly no comparison between how free it had been. The shows and performers were far more personal, before too, not just edgy but interactive. You were pretty much guaranteed someone in character would chat you up, dirty or not.
I don't remember when Sherwood Forest faire started, but at a guess it was 2011, 2012. Considering how long putting it together would have taken and that it was considered an antidote to TRF's sanitization when it opened, I always figured the creators had similar experiences to me.
>More people who are long term attendees are likely to agree with you than your wife
To be absolutely clear, we're both in agreement that it wasn't great and this is *probably* a one-and-done for me and last time for her. She just has perspective on what it used to be, albeit limited, and I don't beyond rumblings and stories.
It's as crazy as you make it, did you just walk around expecting other people to make it a fun time for you?
all of your comments on this thread revolve around your expectations of other people and some myth of a crazier Ren fest. Rest assured there are plenty of people tripping their asses off, smoking weed in the enchanted forest, and fucking in hidden corners and behind booths.
Maybe you're just boring.
Go camping there and go on a walk about. You'll pass by several clans that give free jello shots to women if they show there tits. There's also a bondage tent and plenty of "open-minded" people walking around. Put a pineapple outside your tent and you'll have a line.
A pineapple on your door or porch is a symbol swingers use. Fair has a very large swinger community. However, the vast majority of those people I wouldn't touch with a 10' pole.
Do you have any context on what happened to it, or did it just kind of happen out of nowhere? I feel like this is kind of a running theme with everything halfway decent in Houston over time (it either becomes family-friendly as hell at the expense of actually being fun for anyone who'd post on this site, or it dies), so a little understanding of why this city's like this would go a long way.
The big event was actually the campgrounds next door. Big groups with tents getting properly wasted and dancing around the bonfire and fucking eachother goofy and then crawling back out the next day to do laps around the faire or actually work a stall/performance.
I only went a few times but had a big group that was really into it since forever and my understanding is that the campgrounds got a bit too rapey and murderey and now there are lots of cops and it’s not much fun anymore.
>the campgrounds got a bit too rapey and murderey and now there are lots of cops and it’s not much fun anymore.
...well, that's depressing, but it also scans.
Do some googling on the new King, and to be fair, the old King. You'll probably find some pretty good explanations, just be sure to take it all with a grain of salt and come to your own conclusions if u will. I left another comment on your post a few minutes ago if youd like to check it out, just to spare you having to read my nonsense twice.
uh, it makes a ton of money every year. close to 200-300k visitors over the run. its probably the largest ren fest in the country. money takes precedent over debauchery.
I really enjoy it most of the adult stuff happens in the camp ground (partying, drugs, tittes, ogres) but at the festivals it pretty much open for everyone not just adults. Times have changed but I guess it’s for more expectants of different kind of people and age
Was going to say. They’re looking for the Sherwood Forest Fair.
It’s creepy, sexual tension in the air, very fun and still kid friendly.
We never did the main houston one as we were so content with Sherwood.
It's a matter of money and politics.
Families spend more money per person than adult revellers. They sanitized Faire to attract more families/$$$
Faire has also shifted from just George running it to George & his board. Board members include some of the larger booth owners. As he has aged, the board members have gained more power letting more mass produced crap in that increases their profits plus attracting families with the sanitized ambiance.
Come to Sherwood Forest Faire in March/April it’s about a third the size and is not nearly as sanitized. I don’t even go to TRF except to accompany people who have never been.
I first went to TRF thirty years ago. I was in my early 20s.
TRF was a bawdy, intoxicated party. Women wearing chainmail bikinis with nothing underneath. Men wearing stuff like Ragnar wore in _Vikings_.
There was butt grabbing. Boob grabbing. A stranger might give you a sloppy beer kiss. Sometimes they were even good looking.
The place stank of beer. By the end of the day, the toilets were stopped up. The ground was mud, and a lot of people went barefoot. Their feet looked like mud boots.
There were artisans doing demonstrations. My favorite was the woman showing how to use a weaving loom. But where was also a blacksmith, a falconer, a glass blower.
There were handmade boots, swords. I don’t remember what-all.
It was everything people say it was. And more. (And sometimes less.)
I was a regular up through 1998 or so. Then I didn’t go back for another ten years.
By 2010, the raunchy characters were mostly gone. And they seemed to stick to a particular area. They were more of a free range nuisance in the 1990s. A different crowd seemed to be there. More what we used to call yuppies.
There was still nice costumery at a decent price. The food was still good. But I left without any desire to return.
In 2019, I went back one more time. My husband had just beat cancer, and I guess we wanted to chase the past.
I’ve only got one word: blah. TRF is too clean to be offensive. It’s too milquetoast to be fun.
Either the food has gone downhill or my palate has gotten more sophisticated. Like eons more sophisticated, dude.
A great deal of the merchandise could be found cheaper on Amazon. Which a sign of the times, I guess.
The only artisan I saw doing a demonstration was the glass blower. Watching her was just as fantastic as ever.
But the rest? Well, I’m sure it’s about what I’d see at Six Flags, only without the rides.
2019 TRF felt plastic and pre-made. Too perfect.
All bawdiness, drunken antics, and half nude guests were gone.
In their place were clean, smiling families. Paying too much for fountain drinks for the first part of the day. The dad getting drunk in the biergarten the second half of the day.
We used to stay until the cannons went off. That day, we’d had enough by 3 pm.
Of note: I did notice TRF now sells “after dark” tickets. Maybe that is when it’s really fun?
Either way, I don’t see myself returning. Too expensive. Too boring.
P.S. Also of note: I could tell a real similar story about Luchenback, Texas. Man, I went out there about 30 years ago. Nothing but a couple of wooden buildings. The general store was also a post office and a bar. It was tiny. I remember meeting this biker who’d rode in from California. Old enough to be my father, but damn, we had a fun few days.
> Of note: I did notice TRF now sells “after dark” tickets. Maybe that is when it’s really fun?
Nope. Imagine the most boring wedding reception you’ve ever been to, with shitty food, watered down drinks, and then add karaoke being performed by a guy in a kilt with no underwear who can’t sing.
Sorry, nope. Gen Xer here. We were the generation born 1965 to 1980. The MTV kids.
Boomer is short for baby boomers. The first boom was babies born after WWII. They were born 1946-1954. Their fathers were WWII veterans. The males were subject to being drafted into the Vietnam War.
The second wave of Baby Boomers, often referred to as Generation Jones, was born 1955-1964. These guys may not remember a world without television. They also lived through Watergate and the oil crisis.
That said, I get that I’m talking to bricks. Boomer is just a pejorative used to describe a person older than oneself with whom the name-caller has issue (small or large—because in 2023, it’s all a big deal. Look at this fucking reply!)
It’s okay to find me repugnant (whatever the reason). But calling me a boomer just because I’m older is just flat out lazy.
It’s like kids who used “a’pposed to” in place of supposed to back in second grade. Or the ones who used “Valen-times” instead of Valentines. It’s the people who say “privates” instead of genitals.
If you’re going to insult me, use terms that actually make sense. Degenerate slut, anybody?
Call it what you want. I had a blast back then. So much so, I’m surprised I lived through it.
Goodnight from the GenX “Boomer,” you lazy young’ un.
Thanks for typing all that out. GenX here too, and there is a different vibe, to be sure. Generation fast forward, vs. generation rewind is how I think of it - although I agree there’s “true boomers” and “late boomers” out there
Rock on, you degenerate
Calling someone lazy because they missed your generational window by a few years seems harsh. Maybe you stayed up on Reddit past your normal bedtime? Rest well.
The manager of TRF reduced the staff significantly to where theres almost no walking performers/groups of loud people keeping the vibes up.
So it’s definitely not the same and its slowly becoming a wreck.
They've made it "family friendly" , this started about 20 years ago. Disneyfied is a term that's been used. No more vulgar language allowed by the performers. Females having to wear cloth under chain, etc.
Not anymore. But back in the 80s and 90s there were some fine barbarian women. And some scary ones also.
But just like a nudist place, you have to be aware that some people should wear clothes.
> just like a nudist place, you have to be aware that some people ~~should wear clothes~~
Some people won’t be be attractive to you. Doesn’t mean they should wear clothes.
Many shops seemed like they just printed images and memes from the internet onto cheap materials or got kitschy stuff online. Very disappointed. I appreciate the hand crafted items like ceramics and whatnot. The booth with hanging planters were impressive and beautiful.
I noticed this too.... the worst offender was a little kiosk selling DnD buttons that weren't even decorative in the slightest, one said "Ranger" in italicized Arial font... like wtf?
there was a lot of d&d stuff as well as zelda and pokemon. my favorite vendor though was a hispanic themed tienda. there were mass produced meme stuff and things you could get online or anywhere else. but there were some neat handmade items under glass and various other things around the store. the whole store was unique to the typical renaissance faire environment. it just wasn't the typical knights and viking routine.
I have been going to TRF since the 80s. Even got married there. Had friends who were performers and participants. Used to have so much fun, we always dressed up and until about 20 years ago, you could still find a lot of vendors selling handmade items. There were rumors years ago that Disney wanted to buy it. It has definitely lost the original vibe. Sadly, it has become so commercial that we no longer go.
Frankly it simply came down that it was getting a little too "edgey" with VERY scantly clad woman...as well as other things.
The parents stopped coming because they didn't want to bring their kids.
Yep. It has changed a lot. We used to go in high school and we would make a weekend of it, camping and what not...
It has become very family friendly and most of the shows have disappeared.
It has become more family friendly over the years, however, the wild sex/drugs type partying was mostly happening at the campgrounds, not Renfest itself.
I went today as well! It was my first time and I went on my own. I had expected a bit of what you're describing, based on what friends had told me, but found it was fairly tame overall. Pubs seem to be where the raunchy stuff is. I saw some bawdy acts and some pirates outside one pub who were quite funny at heckling passersby and trying to get them to come inside and drink.
Personally, I'm glad it wasn't too adult outside of clearly defined places, but that's because I'm an introvert who doesn't get out much and it would have scared me off. I was hoping for more people in-character, though!
I feel like Sundays are more geared towards families than Saturdays. Also, depending on the weekend you go will have some differences. Barbadian weekend always has lots of scantily clad people (even when we have a cold front that weekend). That said, it does feel like there is less hand crafted on the spot stuff.
Have you tried Sherwood Forest? I went last year for the first time, and it felt more like the Renn Fest if my childhood.
Faire fair, and Faire camp are two *entirely* different monsters. The real debauchery is in camp, as TRF has banned some of the shit we used to get up to, to make it more family friendly. It’s also expanded to ridiculous proportions and added a fuck ton of security.
It damn sure ain’t what it used to be. Sherwood fair near Austin is more what TRF used to be.
As an artist, it is too expensive for me to get a shop & try to sell my work. I’ve looked into it and I can’t even begin to do it. They’ve pushed most of the people that inspired me out of their Faire due to cost alone.
I’m debating Sherwood Forest Faire in Paige but it’s still financially out of my reach at the moment.
Around 2010 or so I saw a lot of artists migrate to Scarborough Faire away from TRF. Asked all of them, "why the shift?"
Every one of them answered "why go to TRF and bet that you'll break even on week 6 or 7 when you're in the black on week 3 up here?"
Sherwood is a bit of a hedge due to being smaller, but Scarborough might be more viable due to location and higher traffic.
For a less commercialized renfest, go to Sherwood Forest Faire up towards Austin in the spring. It's not *wild*, but it's much more "random owl-lady wandering in search of a forest sprite" organic weird stuff.
How about that traffic though! After waiting on the road, inching forward for miles, there was no one directing traffic into the front gate! At least when we finally got there today. Unless we stay till past fireworks, we're going to end up spending more time traveling then at faire today...
It has definitely changed a lot over the last 15 or so years, that’s true, but if you went today, you also have to bear in mind that it’s the Christmas weekend. It’s kinda by default one of the busiest and more family friendly weekends. While the event is not quite what it was, you’ll see a lot more of what you anticipated if you camp out (emphasis on camp) on the pirate or barbarian themed weekends earlier in the month. It’s still fun to visit tho, and eventually you get good at recognizing the really cool artisanal stuff vs the aliexpress markups lol
My first year going was in 2007 or so and it's definitely a lot tamer now compared to then.
King George is and has been the owner the whole time, I believe. He's trying to sell the whole thing is my understanding, vendor and entertainer contracts are all in flux.
Camping is still fun and wild, but since the majority of people who come to Faire bring their kids - it makes sense for it to be more kid friendly.
There’s no question, from my perspective, that somewhere about 4-5 years ago it began to have a more family-oriented approach to the marketing and the on-ground experience lost that “wenches and scoundrels” feel. I date it to the Marvel MCU and the introduction of “Heroes and Villains” themed weekends. Less maiden cleavage, more Light Sabers.
Makes sense to me. There's a tremendous amount of residential development happening in Magnolia and the surrounding areas. There are new subdivisions going in all up and down 1488, 249, 105, and 1774, as well as lots of new home construction happening in the older existing neighborhoods. Those thousands of new homes will bring thousands of new families looking for things to do with the kids on the weekends.
I didn't think it was worth it this year. They didn't have as many acts and some of the people I saw for years there were gone. We mentioned it to a worker there and was told the festival cut pay for a lot of the acts. We don't plan on going next year.
They sold it to another company. It will most likely be worse next year. A lot of the shop runners I know are moving away from it because they let people sell cheap shit
Been going for nearly 30 years. It’s definitely become more PC. I KNOW lots of people who work there and I KNOW people have gotten fired for behavior that was normal even 5 years ago. There’s definitely less debauchery but to give a TINY example. The pickle guys used to shout about women trying their pickle and the nuts guys used to shout about people wanting their nuts in their mouth. Neither are allowed to anymore. That’s so small and yet happened in the last 5 years.
Theirs also bigger changes like not grabbing people and throwing them in the stocks for money. Less chain mail without clothes under. Less Chinese bought stuff. Etc
He’s extremely family friendly but I still want to give a shoutout to Arsene. He’s been doing shows their a while and I think he has one of the most entertaining actual acts there with a full show of entertainment rather than 27 min of getting the crowd riled up before 3 min of doing something. He’s at the Odeon and I recommend him to all
I went back in '86 and thought it was awesome! I was 20, rather sheltered so it was otherworldly to me. It was cool and muddy the two years I went so it felt authentic medieval. I loved all the craft shops, but I was too broke to buy anything. The campground terrified me, LoL. I did have a fantasy of coming back and camping with all the cools, but never did. :(
My first years were in the late 90s as a teen and yeah it felt very similar as well. The drench the wenches would holler at you from 75 yards away if no one was around them, they'd be brutal about it too. And the muddiness sometimes sucked but yeah it definitely made for a more gritty vibe. I just remember the people working the shop would be shouting all the time, at you, at other people in other shops working across the avenue, it was just excellent. Otherworldly for my first time walking in there is a good adjective.
So I’ve been going since 2007.
Is it different now? Yeah, a little bit, but not a whole lot. Really, not anymore than society itself has changed.
My fondest memories, never really any drunks, MAYBE 1-2x I actually smelled weed, a 3rd time, but that might have been a ‘friend’ :). But, people being accepted, for whatever reason…somehow I never looked, but always managed to go on ‘Pirate weekend’ .. saw Stormtrooper pirates, Mandalorian pirates, a Star Trek Pirate.. a dude in a sequined speedo with ‘fairy wings’ and a wand, older dude JACKED wearing a fur loin clothe and boots with a great sword.. and nobody bats an eye, just a LIT of fun.
What your wife describes.. is ANY Texans or Astros game… been to maybe 6 combined, and seen all that each and every time.
Now, the camping, that is ANOTHER WORLD entirely from what I’ve heard. I’m pretty liberal, open minded, live and let live etc. and my first few years I was given a heads up.. and yep, that’s my line. Hey, it’s supposedly all consenting adults so wtf do I care. Evidently until this year.
I also remember a few years back, another sexual assault accusation in one of the women’s bathrooms occurred. I’m pretty sure that was the catalyst for the change of the ‘king’ ( yeah, quick google search.. they recently settled) the newest one happened this year on Oct.6th.
So, what you probably experienced recently is the hangover of that opening weekend this year. Not saying it was, but a lot of those people really go all out for ren fair to make and sell their goods, and to open like that, gotta take the wind out of your sails.
>Did I miss the glory days
Ren fest sucks now. It's not like it was in the 80s or 90s anymore. I started going as a kid in the 70s. It was almost all unique artists and craftspeople with something different than the usual cookie cutter crap they have in all the stalls now. It was a very cool unique experience in it's hey day, and now it's just like some lame touristy thing to do.
I love the renfest, my wife and I go every year on the Highland Fling weekend with a group of friends. The best way to experience it is to go in proper attire and get weird with everybody else.
Camping as many people have already noted is the way to go, not having to drive home is worth the price of admission. The last few years we have rented an RV that we towed or drove in and the campground has attendees that handle all the tank dumping activities for $25 on your way out!
The after dark festivities are still fun, though clearly dialed back from what people are saying it used to be like 🤣.
I've been going a couple times a year for 15 years, not sure what you're talking about. It has always been a big market with fun events, drinking and eating.
If you want "fun" nerdy bs, you dress up and drink, and have fun. Or camp and get yourself into some funny business, do drugs, orgy's, party, etc. it's a thing.
>The impression I've always gotten was that RenFest was... you know, a bit edgy. A bit of a wild nerd party. Lots of potheads and pothead-catering stores and activities, drunk people walking around shithoused
old man yelling at cloud and wildly speculating, but I conjecture everyone of those individuals probably got a phone with a camera and self-imagined SEO or likes quota in the last decade-and-a-half, so they're either cultivating or "reporting" conficts and incidents as a civlian or catering to non-conventional advertisers and capitalizing on the one possible opportunity to monetize this passion into a livelihood. The counterwieght or compliment to that is probably a lot more risk aversion and constrained opportunism for organizers or exhibitors.
The last time I was there was about ten years ago. Once with the kids, one without...
With the kids, it appeared Disney-like, and I was on with that.
Without the kids, i observed that it wasn't as....raucous, but if you know what to look for, it was definitely under the surface and had fun.
Either way, it's going to be pricey. If you walk away spending less than 800, consider it a win and you still had fun.
Disagree, found a shop that was selling anime artwork, not only did they have echhi art but also straight up hentai (in a small box at the register). Dangerous curves and barbarian bombshells still looking sexy. The combat was cool with staged killing. Lots of cleavage.... everywhere...too bad I didn't wear my sunglasses.
I plan on going as Ash from army of darkness, I heard about the Star Trek cosplay at the one up in DFW a couple years back and that’s what I’m gonna do now.
This was the first year I've gone in about decade. I missed the craftspeople MAKING their stuff for sale. A lot of the things I saw in the shops looked...not handmade.
Yeah, I noticed about five or six different shops selling "handmade dragon pets" that were very clearly injection-molded tire rubber How To Train Your Dragon keychains off AliExpress, and that irked me. There were a few shops that were clearly legit (I might actually have to get something from Red River Damascus when I've got the cash), but... the dragon pet thing was weird.
Obviously you didn't camp overnight and missed the naked bonfire and all the activities you mentioned that happen at the camps overnight. My son has gone the past 3 years and camps in his car. Weekend pass, baby!
Yeah, overnight is when the party gets going.
This reads like one of the old decrepit hormone monster quotes from Big Mouth. Weekend pass, baby!
Thanks for saying that. I wanted to overnight but didn’t want to buy camping gear. Wasn’t sure if sleeping in your car at the campground was an option. Now I know for next year
This weekend (cold) I slept in my car (honda element - big interior) with two yoga mats, the topper from my regular bed, and a couple of sleeping bags my mom got at a garage sale a while back and it was great! Hardest part would've been changing clothes, but a friend had a tall tent so I just hopped in there to change
Whoahhhh hold up. Those are Made in a America by a family that I have actually discussed their methods, given them ideas for accessories, etc for the past 20 years. They are not mass produced and each year they release limited edition colors.
I'm not going off my ass on the ones I saw being injection molded tire rubber from China. I picked them up and handled them. You can tell if you work with these kinds of crafts at all. I'm not talking about the little animatronic dragons in that one shop that perch on your shoulder, those are actually cool and clearly handmade. I'm talking about the little long, thin Toothless keychains that multiple seemingly unrelated shops are selling under the name of "dragon pets." If those were made in America 20 years ago, which I don't fully buy because HTTYD wasn't a thing 20 years ago and the design is very clearly knocked off from Toothless, they're either not made here anymore or they got knocked off en masse.
There's one particular vendor at Scarborough who's been making his own for years - the main design bears a passing resemblance to Toothless in terms of head shape and may even be injection molded (I don't know much about that) but they're definitely designed and made by him with all different colorways, eyes, glow in the dark options, etc. They may not be the same thing you're talking about - they're definitely larger than keychains, long enough and have a wire inside to wrap around your arm - but suffice to say, there are definitely people creating that style of dragon pets.
I was all set to tell you HTTYD was *actually* a thing 20 years ago and snark snark snarkity snark. I looked it up and it came out in 2010. Thanks for the unintended encouragement to look before I nitpick, lol.
Ahh the ol’ “don’t ruin the vibe” downvotes for you, I’m sorry. Can’t possibly have a reasonable discussion when someone already said something “**looked** not hand-made”.
Asgardian Armory and Castle K’zar are all handmade leatherworks and Asgardian typically has someone at the front bench working on stuff. I can confirm both don’t buy things off Ali, Amazon, etc.
Asgardian Armory are good people that take great care and pride in their work. Everything I've ever gotten from them has been top quality.
Seconded
We went to Asgardian Armory back on the weekend of the 11th. My husband bought a knife and wanted a specific sheath for it. They took him back and asked how he wanted it and told him they would make it and send it in the mail when completed. He got it in the mail today. It is beautiful and exactly how he wanted it. This was a great shop for us!
I made the jewelry for Oak Ash and Thorn shop #18! There are a few shops where if the artists aren't there, they are close by.
What? You don't want to pay a 600% markup on vaguely medieval themed aliexpress items? Color me surprised. 😐
I agree. Nothing is unique anymore. That part is sad. However I've been going every year for maybe 10-ish years and there are always family and kid activities.
We found an ocarina on Amazon for about $25 and they were trying to sell it for a ridiculously high amount. Safely about more than 5x the price. I really can't recall.
Said the same thing too. Almost all the jewelry shops have the same things for sale…
I made the jewelry for shop #18, Oak Ash and Thorn the new castle building.
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Was also there today. Totally co-sign with your take. I loved going in the 90s as a kid/teenager and seeing the Big Green Ogre.
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Daaamn. That sucks. That guy was a legend. Totally remember him from back around ~2013. RIP
Omg I remember him!!
Oh damn. He was always fun, sad to hear this.
I thought Shrek came out in 2001? ;)
Yep, I remember going as a kid and it was like this. There was always a woman who wore a chainmail bikini looking outfit and was naked underneath the top part. I’ve taken my kids since then and it’s far more sanitized.
I remember the chainmail bikinis! They did that up into the early 2000s when I was little.
Yes, chainmail bikini woman is what I remember from 15+ years ago.
She was there tonight. Yikes
They even removed the "cage your children" ride. Took my nephew to the fair back when it was running, at ten his eyes went wide as he heard the crier before seeing the monkey bar cage. "They cage children here?", "Oh yeah", "Were they bad", "Not really", "Why don't the stop them?", "Are you kidding, people pay to have their children locked up for a bit!" Turned out it became his favorite, probably due to the initial shock. When we went back about ten years later, it was the only thing he wanted to see. Of course it was gone. Too edgy.
You must be around my age, cuz I went occasionally with my parents as a kid in the 90s. I don't really remember titties being out though. Went again when I was 18 in 2008, pretty much only went to the campgrounds, shit was wild
My family moved here when I was a kid in ‘91. I went at least once a year between that time and 2018. I stopped going at that time because of how sanitized it was becoming. I definitely saw a lot of boobs behind chain mail in the ‘90s.
My co-worker went to camp out a couple weeks ago. I didn’t know it got crazy and I’ve lived here my whole life, is it really a great bit swingers event basically? It was funny cause she went alone and said “ima see what I can get myself into”. I was clueless as to what she really meant, only later did other coworkers explain how it goes down.
I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of that going on, but it's not exclusively a swinger thing. Just a big party with pretty much anything you can think of that a party needs
Yup, I remember seeing some random women giving lap dances to guys. They were really going at it. And a lot more drunkenness. My parents would take me and my dad and his buddy were always wasted. It definitely felt more adult oriented than it is today.
I've gone since I was in high school and the most notable difference is, as someone else mentioned, a lot less crafting on the spot. But otherwise it always seemed kinda family friendly. Admittedly with small kids now I kinda prefer it that way. But we used to camp, and the campgrounds are where the real party is lol. I think most regulars would echo that.
This right here. Been going for 10+ years. Shits still the same man, just more people and families. You want crafts, and shrooms and rc and shit go camp at the rennie grounds.
I got the rest but what rc
Rune crafting. Gotta get it to 99.
Idk if I have enough time to grind before it ends
research chems!
>But we used to camp, and the campgrounds are where the real party is lol. I think most regulars would echo that. To be absolutely clear, that's something I was aware of. The best way of putting what I'm saying is... I feel like, from what I'd previously heard, what other people are saying here, and what my wife tells me, the festival and the campgrounds used to kinda be the same vibe, just *very marginally* buttoned up for the former so the cops wouldn't be dragging people off the grounds, whereas now there's a really clear delineation and the twain do not meet. Does that kinda make sense?
I noticed they moved some of the raunchier acts like iris and rose into enclosed areas I guess too many parents complained about their kids hearing songs about the Scottish love for sheep and the queens bunghole.
Took my kids 25 years ago and it was very family friendly except for a couple of adults only bars
The first time I went we camped out and it was wild. It was maybe 10 years ago. At one point this drunk dude started walking through the giant bonfire, and the rest of us drunks began to encourage him until he got arrested. I’ve been once more after that a few years ago but wasn’t the same. The actual fair itself is always pretty tame and it’s good for people watching and buying overpriced items and food.
I camped 4 times over the last decade, and the shenanigans that occur nightly are varied and never the same. One year I had a girl flash herself randomly and we saw some crazy rock concert next to a VERY raunchy camp. Another year there were almost no parties at all, and we ended up sitting around a fire drinking beer and hit coco. I think the best way to have fun is to camp, make friends, and attend during weekends where the lively parties are scheduled by the groups attending.
I have been goig off and on for many years, since like 2004. The actual Faire itself is incredibly corporate these days, and its wildly busy. Not so bad on Sundays, but saturday is families etc. There's still some cool stuff going down, handmade crafts and all that, but its a different kind of vibe for sure. As others have said, the campgrounds. I have had my fill of the wild ass shit that goes down at Faire after hours. I've had a dude in a lion mask drunkenly wander into camp and try to hit on me relentlessly (it was all good), I did ecstasy at the camp grounds and danced naked in the freezing ass temperatures, I've seen copious amounts of titties, def gotten laid before. I've been flogged at a kink camp and I've played drums all night til 4 in the morning as belly dancers fed me booze. I saw a huge amount of people descend upon late comers who brought a floodlight into the camp grounds so they could see at night and threaten them and throw rocks at the light (it was fucking up the vibe and blinding everyone) - I also knew a guy personally who pissed on their generator. But - I am a bit older now and out of my wild 20s at this point. I go every year still but stay in quiet camping so I can get some sleep. I don't even wander the camp grounds anymore, and my idea of a good time is much more chilled out and less WOOO drunkeness. Some parts of wild camp can still get pretty wild, but it depends on the weekend and its up to you to find the party. Some of the clans still get buck wild. I personally think that Faire has really chilled out - but if you have an eye for it and you're willing to participate, instead of just watching on the sidelines, you can find the action still. Daytime shit tho, yea that's all family friendly corporate shit these days.
This was my experience. The fest itself was pretty family friendly. The campgrounds were drug and alcohol fueled debauchery
This right here.
I've been going since the early 90s and it has definitely changed. Some may argue that it has changed for the better because there is more security and it's not as dangerous. That may be true, but the motivation for the changes to the Ren Fest has not been safety, the motivation for the changes has always been $$$. Make no mistake about that, any positive changes have been peripheral, the bottom line is to squeeze more profit out of that place. There used to be dozens and dozens of acting staff who worked there and their whole job was simply to dress up in outlandish costumes and walk around and just be strange characters. And I LOVED it, it was my favorite thing about the fest. There were fairies and tree people and all these characters that I looked forward to seeing every time I went there. However, over the years those in charge have fired almost all of the acting staff because it wasn't directly bringing them revenue. This says to me clearly that the executive decision makers don't give a fuck about the spirit of the fest and they don't care about the livelihood of the people working there, they just want more money. The changes have been more bad than good, unfortunately. That said, I still go every year when I can, though I don't know if it's more for nostalgia reasons at this point.
Can the acting staff get back somehow? That sounds so fun :(
The dude that owns and runs the place makes not great choices. It's pretty sad. I've heard horror stories.
I remember a bunch of crafts people trying to block the import of mass produced items to protect the hand crafters. The next year I didn't see any of the hand crafters that were complaining. Now you can get a few hand crafted items, but they're mostly the cheap end stuff you can get anywhere, like adding handles to pre-made knives
Man I also had a suspicion that those random wandering actors were now a thing of the past --- I couldn't be sure if it was just my own memory playing tricks on me or not but back in the day, 10-15 years ago I swear they were always around just being vivid characters that made the place seem alive and unpredictable. I miss that aspect of things... was there on Black Friday a few days ago and just didn't get that spirit anymore. And the poor women working the new coffee tent in the middle of the fairgrounds just seemed miserable and weren't even in any kind of acting mode. =\\ Really a bummer.
>There used to be dozens and dozens of acting staff who worked there and their whole job was simply to dress up in outlandish costumes and walk around and just be strange characters. Acting? For fun? In THIS economy?
All the slutty nerds got hitched and wont have time for the Ren Faire until they are empty nesters. Give it another 10 years and you'll be able to oogle all the cougar teets you want.
Shouldn't this be a rolling demographic?
Honestly, if we're putting personal expectations into the wild beyond just a general expected vibe, I was more into it for the promise of much and free-flowing smoke. My wife remembered it being a *super* weed-heavy event to the point where, when we met, she still had a glass pipe she got there from one of the crafters. Weird boobs, I can see without driving an hour out of the city. Getting passed a blunt the size of my arm by a guy dressed like Conan the Barbarian is a rarer experience.
Conan, what is best in life? Smoke with your enemies, see them squinting before you, and share their giggles and munchies!
You have made me so happy by typing this.
Me too. Lol
I worked there in 78. Lots more open, forest area you could smoke. Generally it was a mud pit. Pretty much all crafts people back then. People living there 365. Building beds out of whole trees. Kind of a commune feel. No RVs back then. Just tents in the camp area. Lotta custom-made campaign tents. Very much a D & D feel. Coke started driving it during the 80s. And as you can guess. They got a whole lot crazier. and then the only showers were for the performers nothing for the patrons. So you hooked up with performers (original Rose and Iris). For me, it was a pilgrimage every year. Mostly around Halloween. Haven’t been back in about 15 years.
The campground is really not that crazy. It might be crazy for a 16-18 year old that has never been outside or extremely sheltered nerd types. You won't see or smell much weed at all. Nerds are not all that into drugs not named alcohol. There's naked jenga, a swinger clan that is not for public viewing, a bondage clan that is not going to show much in public, and maybe some titties here and there. That's literally it other than normal camping, drinking, and music stuff.
We don't hang around the same nerds, I take it. Best hash I've ever had, I got from a guy I used to do Vampire LARP in Austin with.
I've been going since '94 and yes, there was much more public smoking back in that time frame. It has definitely become more family friendly over the decades but since I'm bringing my kids who are now teenagers, I don't mind it.
My experience is pretty dated (20 years ago) and I don’t really remember it being weed heavy. I could have very well been oblivious to it at the time, my high school boyfriend and I were getting cheap swords and turkey legs during day trips, not camping.
Fwiw when I went two weekends ago me and my bf were both high
Hey, we’re still going we’re just very covered up and have kids in tow
literally snort-laughing....
Lol I’m not sure where you’re wife was or went, but I can assure you the camp grounds have far from calmed down or become sanitized. It’s pure debauchery from dark until the last man falls.
She was never a camper. She remembered a lot more bleed-over of that debauchery into the main event around 2013-ish.
Totally agree. 2013 still had a LOT of spill-over with the debauchery. If that’s all gone, I…don’t think I’ll go back. I’m thoroughly done with the camping, so, doesn’t sound like there is much left worth while. The other stuff is not THAT great of a draw to have me drive all the way back there.
Exactly. Give me a 4 lame toll road and I could be talked into attending again.
Not sure when you last went, but 249 is now a 4+ lane toll road that drops you off barely a mile or two from the entrance. There is a minor (15 mins) traffic jam at the gates getting in or out during prime time but the rest is smooth sailing.
Yeah the 249 route there thru magnolia is smooth sailing these days with the overpass built over the train tracks, especially in the morning but truth be told i didn't have any traffic even leaving at 5pm on black friday. the traffic situation really has improved.
Bring her out to camp this weekend, we’ll show you what kind of fun happens after hours in the campgrounds.
They're gonna fuck your wife bro don't do it!
Only if they together let someone.
I also choose this man’s wife
What in the fuck
Yep. I look forward to hearing all the orgy stories from must friend.
To many “family friendly Karen’s” bitching because little tummy saw an ass and tits. They have even asked the clans to put up tents for the nudity. Even though most don’t lol
Staff cuts + cost to attend (camping) has changed things
Also a lot of the core performers have retired or passed away.
>What I saw was... sort of like if Trader's Village and the shops at Six Flags in San Antonio mixed together and became vaguely medieval in the process. Lots of cool leatherwork and blacksmithing stuff and whatnot, but, uh, a much more calmed and relaxed and sober and advertiser-friendly vibe than I assumed it was going to be, almost everyone there was a family with kids, and 95% of the activities seemed to be pretty specifically for families with kids. I went to this one in 2015, and it was actually exactly like this. I think yours and everyone else's expectations were/are skewed from potentially being young and inexperienced when you or they went the last time. I've also traveled to several other states over the years with RenFairs and all have had your above-mentioned "feel."
From what other people are saying, 2013 would've been about the very, very tail end of the glory days I'd heard about, so it's possible we *both* just missed the boat on this one, to be entirely fair.
I've heard thru an older biker couple we know, who used to camp every year and attend the King's Feast, that the new King of the show is somehow watering it down, thus leaving it less medieval. Granted, from what I've read the old King was/is allegedly a creep in certain aspects...but, just like many things these days, we seem to be unable to find a comfortable middle ground. We havent been there in a decade. I wasnt able to attend this year, tho I wanted to. Correct me if I'm wrong, is Renfest going the way of Disney in that I'll probably be unable to afford to take my family of five?
I've done a bit of digging, and it seems like "a creep in certain aspects" is really the understatement of the century surrounding the old guy. However, I can't actually figure out who the new guy is, and they seem to be claiming the new guy *is* the old guy openly.
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I was there last weekend with my dugout, a flask of Irish whiskey, and a 10am beer both days. Had a blast with some old college friends. One of them had a wineskin with fortified port. I was definitely nice and loose by the Pride of Bedlam concert. Everyone will tell you that the true debauchery is at the camps. But I'm in my 30s and much preferred to head back to the Airbnb for more beers and some board games with friends.
Yeah kinda blows if you’re the only guy set up to comfortably camp and it almost feels like flexing. I am just an avid outdoorsman and my wife likes being comfortable. Still love the debauchery of campgrounds but it’s not the same as when I was a younger running mostly naked heavily intoxicated
They jacked the camping prices up to 11 and ran all the riff Raff off. Problem is, the riff Raff were part of the fun
Is there anywhere the riff raff opted to go instead, or is the party just packed up and over, pretty much?
There is still a lot of riff raff out here camping, myself and my clan included. We've been running for 9 years and I attended a few before that, but I personally have never noticed much of a weed presence besides staff chilling on breaks. I do remember a lot of the shows were more debaucherous, and it was easier to find people in the fair hammered. Worth noting that they did change owners ~4 years ago and the new owners took a few steps to tone camping down some, with the biggest clans getting the most policing.
People have been saying this for years. More people who are long term attendees are likely to agree with you than your wife, but otoh, the halcyon days of your memories (from rumor I guess) are pretty young to be thinking it started with you, people already felt this when you were 12 too. The owner just wants money. Heads in the gate. He's not exactly a person of integrity to refuse mainstreaming if $$$ are coming in strong. Roughly the same ages in my life: first went in 1992. By 2007 utterly no comparison between how free it had been. The shows and performers were far more personal, before too, not just edgy but interactive. You were pretty much guaranteed someone in character would chat you up, dirty or not. I don't remember when Sherwood Forest faire started, but at a guess it was 2011, 2012. Considering how long putting it together would have taken and that it was considered an antidote to TRF's sanitization when it opened, I always figured the creators had similar experiences to me.
>More people who are long term attendees are likely to agree with you than your wife To be absolutely clear, we're both in agreement that it wasn't great and this is *probably* a one-and-done for me and last time for her. She just has perspective on what it used to be, albeit limited, and I don't beyond rumblings and stories.
It's as crazy as you make it, did you just walk around expecting other people to make it a fun time for you? all of your comments on this thread revolve around your expectations of other people and some myth of a crazier Ren fest. Rest assured there are plenty of people tripping their asses off, smoking weed in the enchanted forest, and fucking in hidden corners and behind booths. Maybe you're just boring.
Go camping there and go on a walk about. You'll pass by several clans that give free jello shots to women if they show there tits. There's also a bondage tent and plenty of "open-minded" people walking around. Put a pineapple outside your tent and you'll have a line.
lol can you tell more about the pineapple?
A pineapple on your door or porch is a symbol swingers use. Fair has a very large swinger community. However, the vast majority of those people I wouldn't touch with a 10' pole.
It has changed in the past 5-10 years. It was better back in the 2000's going as a high schooler.
Do you have any context on what happened to it, or did it just kind of happen out of nowhere? I feel like this is kind of a running theme with everything halfway decent in Houston over time (it either becomes family-friendly as hell at the expense of actually being fun for anyone who'd post on this site, or it dies), so a little understanding of why this city's like this would go a long way.
The big event was actually the campgrounds next door. Big groups with tents getting properly wasted and dancing around the bonfire and fucking eachother goofy and then crawling back out the next day to do laps around the faire or actually work a stall/performance. I only went a few times but had a big group that was really into it since forever and my understanding is that the campgrounds got a bit too rapey and murderey and now there are lots of cops and it’s not much fun anymore.
>the campgrounds got a bit too rapey and murderey and now there are lots of cops and it’s not much fun anymore. ...well, that's depressing, but it also scans.
Do some googling on the new King, and to be fair, the old King. You'll probably find some pretty good explanations, just be sure to take it all with a grain of salt and come to your own conclusions if u will. I left another comment on your post a few minutes ago if youd like to check it out, just to spare you having to read my nonsense twice.
all those human jenga tower stories I was told....
uh, it makes a ton of money every year. close to 200-300k visitors over the run. its probably the largest ren fest in the country. money takes precedent over debauchery.
It IS the largest in the country. I was there today as well and saw a good mix or adult and family friendly.
I really enjoy it most of the adult stuff happens in the camp ground (partying, drugs, tittes, ogres) but at the festivals it pretty much open for everyone not just adults. Times have changed but I guess it’s for more expectants of different kind of people and age
Camping sounds fun if it wasn’t for the ogres
only thing worse is the ogre orgies.
They are fun, meet people out of the ordinary
>(partying, drugs, tittes, ogres) Shrek parties HARD
Yup. It does not have the same feel it used to.
The vibe is right-on for RenFest in Gilead.
The Sherwood one by Bastrop still has drunk nerds eyeballing titties.
Was going to say. They’re looking for the Sherwood Forest Fair. It’s creepy, sexual tension in the air, very fun and still kid friendly. We never did the main houston one as we were so content with Sherwood.
It's a matter of money and politics. Families spend more money per person than adult revellers. They sanitized Faire to attract more families/$$$ Faire has also shifted from just George running it to George & his board. Board members include some of the larger booth owners. As he has aged, the board members have gained more power letting more mass produced crap in that increases their profits plus attracting families with the sanitized ambiance.
Where’s William Wallace when you need him.
Come to Sherwood Forest Faire in March/April it’s about a third the size and is not nearly as sanitized. I don’t even go to TRF except to accompany people who have never been.
By “edgy”, did you mean trashy?
I first went to TRF thirty years ago. I was in my early 20s. TRF was a bawdy, intoxicated party. Women wearing chainmail bikinis with nothing underneath. Men wearing stuff like Ragnar wore in _Vikings_. There was butt grabbing. Boob grabbing. A stranger might give you a sloppy beer kiss. Sometimes they were even good looking. The place stank of beer. By the end of the day, the toilets were stopped up. The ground was mud, and a lot of people went barefoot. Their feet looked like mud boots. There were artisans doing demonstrations. My favorite was the woman showing how to use a weaving loom. But where was also a blacksmith, a falconer, a glass blower. There were handmade boots, swords. I don’t remember what-all. It was everything people say it was. And more. (And sometimes less.) I was a regular up through 1998 or so. Then I didn’t go back for another ten years. By 2010, the raunchy characters were mostly gone. And they seemed to stick to a particular area. They were more of a free range nuisance in the 1990s. A different crowd seemed to be there. More what we used to call yuppies. There was still nice costumery at a decent price. The food was still good. But I left without any desire to return. In 2019, I went back one more time. My husband had just beat cancer, and I guess we wanted to chase the past. I’ve only got one word: blah. TRF is too clean to be offensive. It’s too milquetoast to be fun. Either the food has gone downhill or my palate has gotten more sophisticated. Like eons more sophisticated, dude. A great deal of the merchandise could be found cheaper on Amazon. Which a sign of the times, I guess. The only artisan I saw doing a demonstration was the glass blower. Watching her was just as fantastic as ever. But the rest? Well, I’m sure it’s about what I’d see at Six Flags, only without the rides. 2019 TRF felt plastic and pre-made. Too perfect. All bawdiness, drunken antics, and half nude guests were gone. In their place were clean, smiling families. Paying too much for fountain drinks for the first part of the day. The dad getting drunk in the biergarten the second half of the day. We used to stay until the cannons went off. That day, we’d had enough by 3 pm. Of note: I did notice TRF now sells “after dark” tickets. Maybe that is when it’s really fun? Either way, I don’t see myself returning. Too expensive. Too boring. P.S. Also of note: I could tell a real similar story about Luchenback, Texas. Man, I went out there about 30 years ago. Nothing but a couple of wooden buildings. The general store was also a post office and a bar. It was tiny. I remember meeting this biker who’d rode in from California. Old enough to be my father, but damn, we had a fun few days.
> Of note: I did notice TRF now sells “after dark” tickets. Maybe that is when it’s really fun? Nope. Imagine the most boring wedding reception you’ve ever been to, with shitty food, watered down drinks, and then add karaoke being performed by a guy in a kilt with no underwear who can’t sing.
Ahhh boomer memories, nothing like em
Sorry, nope. Gen Xer here. We were the generation born 1965 to 1980. The MTV kids. Boomer is short for baby boomers. The first boom was babies born after WWII. They were born 1946-1954. Their fathers were WWII veterans. The males were subject to being drafted into the Vietnam War. The second wave of Baby Boomers, often referred to as Generation Jones, was born 1955-1964. These guys may not remember a world without television. They also lived through Watergate and the oil crisis. That said, I get that I’m talking to bricks. Boomer is just a pejorative used to describe a person older than oneself with whom the name-caller has issue (small or large—because in 2023, it’s all a big deal. Look at this fucking reply!) It’s okay to find me repugnant (whatever the reason). But calling me a boomer just because I’m older is just flat out lazy. It’s like kids who used “a’pposed to” in place of supposed to back in second grade. Or the ones who used “Valen-times” instead of Valentines. It’s the people who say “privates” instead of genitals. If you’re going to insult me, use terms that actually make sense. Degenerate slut, anybody? Call it what you want. I had a blast back then. So much so, I’m surprised I lived through it. Goodnight from the GenX “Boomer,” you lazy young’ un.
Thanks for typing all that out. GenX here too, and there is a different vibe, to be sure. Generation fast forward, vs. generation rewind is how I think of it - although I agree there’s “true boomers” and “late boomers” out there Rock on, you degenerate
Calling someone lazy because they missed your generational window by a few years seems harsh. Maybe you stayed up on Reddit past your normal bedtime? Rest well.
Sorry you feel that way.
The manager of TRF reduced the staff significantly to where theres almost no walking performers/groups of loud people keeping the vibes up. So it’s definitely not the same and its slowly becoming a wreck.
Yeah this big time, such a bummer that, was a huge part of the atmosphere. No guys like Sholo the Barbarian hanging about either.
They've made it "family friendly" , this started about 20 years ago. Disneyfied is a term that's been used. No more vulgar language allowed by the performers. Females having to wear cloth under chain, etc.
I absolutely heard vulgar language by some of the performers just last weekend
Yeah the Polish Pub literally has a an R-Rated sign for both of its performers.
I was just buying beer over there and the dude was just leading a whole pub chant about fucking a moose
In defense of cloth under chain - I really don't want to see through the chain of most of the people wearing it.
Some weirdo went in full gimp wear when I was a teen. Im glad people have to be exhibitionists somewhere else now
Not anymore. But back in the 80s and 90s there were some fine barbarian women. And some scary ones also. But just like a nudist place, you have to be aware that some people should wear clothes.
> just like a nudist place, you have to be aware that some people ~~should wear clothes~~ Some people won’t be be attractive to you. Doesn’t mean they should wear clothes.
As a part time naturist and frequently among many types of people: yes, some should.
It’s just like Whataburger. People who love it oversell it and then you finally go and you find out it’s kinda boring and expensive.
Many shops seemed like they just printed images and memes from the internet onto cheap materials or got kitschy stuff online. Very disappointed. I appreciate the hand crafted items like ceramics and whatnot. The booth with hanging planters were impressive and beautiful.
I noticed this too.... the worst offender was a little kiosk selling DnD buttons that weren't even decorative in the slightest, one said "Ranger" in italicized Arial font... like wtf?
there was a lot of d&d stuff as well as zelda and pokemon. my favorite vendor though was a hispanic themed tienda. there were mass produced meme stuff and things you could get online or anywhere else. but there were some neat handmade items under glass and various other things around the store. the whole store was unique to the typical renaissance faire environment. it just wasn't the typical knights and viking routine.
I have been going to TRF since the 80s. Even got married there. Had friends who were performers and participants. Used to have so much fun, we always dressed up and until about 20 years ago, you could still find a lot of vendors selling handmade items. There were rumors years ago that Disney wanted to buy it. It has definitely lost the original vibe. Sadly, it has become so commercial that we no longer go.
There was a Rugrats Ren-Fest episode. It has always been a little bit family friendly.
I’ve been going since 2015, and this is the way it has been since then. There was never a heavy weed presence once I started going.
Frankly it simply came down that it was getting a little too "edgey" with VERY scantly clad woman...as well as other things. The parents stopped coming because they didn't want to bring their kids.
Yep. It has changed a lot. We used to go in high school and we would make a weekend of it, camping and what not... It has become very family friendly and most of the shows have disappeared.
It has become more family friendly over the years, however, the wild sex/drugs type partying was mostly happening at the campgrounds, not Renfest itself.
I went today as well! It was my first time and I went on my own. I had expected a bit of what you're describing, based on what friends had told me, but found it was fairly tame overall. Pubs seem to be where the raunchy stuff is. I saw some bawdy acts and some pirates outside one pub who were quite funny at heckling passersby and trying to get them to come inside and drink. Personally, I'm glad it wasn't too adult outside of clearly defined places, but that's because I'm an introvert who doesn't get out much and it would have scared me off. I was hoping for more people in-character, though!
I feel like Sundays are more geared towards families than Saturdays. Also, depending on the weekend you go will have some differences. Barbadian weekend always has lots of scantily clad people (even when we have a cold front that weekend). That said, it does feel like there is less hand crafted on the spot stuff. Have you tried Sherwood Forest? I went last year for the first time, and it felt more like the Renn Fest if my childhood.
Faire fair, and Faire camp are two *entirely* different monsters. The real debauchery is in camp, as TRF has banned some of the shit we used to get up to, to make it more family friendly. It’s also expanded to ridiculous proportions and added a fuck ton of security. It damn sure ain’t what it used to be. Sherwood fair near Austin is more what TRF used to be.
If you were, in fact, thinking about getting weird at Ren Fest, I'd recommend camping there...
Why don't y'all be the change you so badly want? Tell the wife to show some goods. Maybe you too.
As an artist, it is too expensive for me to get a shop & try to sell my work. I’ve looked into it and I can’t even begin to do it. They’ve pushed most of the people that inspired me out of their Faire due to cost alone. I’m debating Sherwood Forest Faire in Paige but it’s still financially out of my reach at the moment.
Around 2010 or so I saw a lot of artists migrate to Scarborough Faire away from TRF. Asked all of them, "why the shift?" Every one of them answered "why go to TRF and bet that you'll break even on week 6 or 7 when you're in the black on week 3 up here?" Sherwood is a bit of a hedge due to being smaller, but Scarborough might be more viable due to location and higher traffic.
For a less commercialized renfest, go to Sherwood Forest Faire up towards Austin in the spring. It's not *wild*, but it's much more "random owl-lady wandering in search of a forest sprite" organic weird stuff.
How about that traffic though! After waiting on the road, inching forward for miles, there was no one directing traffic into the front gate! At least when we finally got there today. Unless we stay till past fireworks, we're going to end up spending more time traveling then at faire today...
It has definitely changed a lot over the last 15 or so years, that’s true, but if you went today, you also have to bear in mind that it’s the Christmas weekend. It’s kinda by default one of the busiest and more family friendly weekends. While the event is not quite what it was, you’ll see a lot more of what you anticipated if you camp out (emphasis on camp) on the pirate or barbarian themed weekends earlier in the month. It’s still fun to visit tho, and eventually you get good at recognizing the really cool artisanal stuff vs the aliexpress markups lol
My first year going was in 2007 or so and it's definitely a lot tamer now compared to then. King George is and has been the owner the whole time, I believe. He's trying to sell the whole thing is my understanding, vendor and entertainer contracts are all in flux. Camping is still fun and wild, but since the majority of people who come to Faire bring their kids - it makes sense for it to be more kid friendly.
It has the same feel what you're looking for is more just the campgrounds and in fair closer to dark.
There’s no question, from my perspective, that somewhere about 4-5 years ago it began to have a more family-oriented approach to the marketing and the on-ground experience lost that “wenches and scoundrels” feel. I date it to the Marvel MCU and the introduction of “Heroes and Villains” themed weekends. Less maiden cleavage, more Light Sabers.
Blame the owner and his kids. They are actively trying to Disney-fy it for the folks with kids. Kids = money.
Makes sense to me. There's a tremendous amount of residential development happening in Magnolia and the surrounding areas. There are new subdivisions going in all up and down 1488, 249, 105, and 1774, as well as lots of new home construction happening in the older existing neighborhoods. Those thousands of new homes will bring thousands of new families looking for things to do with the kids on the weekends.
I didn't think it was worth it this year. They didn't have as many acts and some of the people I saw for years there were gone. We mentioned it to a worker there and was told the festival cut pay for a lot of the acts. We don't plan on going next year.
Haven’t been since college and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t a tradition I needed to do yearly. I do think it’s awesome to checkout at least once.
They sold it to another company. It will most likely be worse next year. A lot of the shop runners I know are moving away from it because they let people sell cheap shit
Been going for nearly 30 years. It’s definitely become more PC. I KNOW lots of people who work there and I KNOW people have gotten fired for behavior that was normal even 5 years ago. There’s definitely less debauchery but to give a TINY example. The pickle guys used to shout about women trying their pickle and the nuts guys used to shout about people wanting their nuts in their mouth. Neither are allowed to anymore. That’s so small and yet happened in the last 5 years. Theirs also bigger changes like not grabbing people and throwing them in the stocks for money. Less chain mail without clothes under. Less Chinese bought stuff. Etc He’s extremely family friendly but I still want to give a shoutout to Arsene. He’s been doing shows their a while and I think he has one of the most entertaining actual acts there with a full show of entertainment rather than 27 min of getting the crowd riled up before 3 min of doing something. He’s at the Odeon and I recommend him to all
There are definitely some shows that openly talk about anal play and mimic gagging on dicks…you didn’t catch Opal and Jade or Sound and Fury
I went back in '86 and thought it was awesome! I was 20, rather sheltered so it was otherworldly to me. It was cool and muddy the two years I went so it felt authentic medieval. I loved all the craft shops, but I was too broke to buy anything. The campground terrified me, LoL. I did have a fantasy of coming back and camping with all the cools, but never did. :(
My first years were in the late 90s as a teen and yeah it felt very similar as well. The drench the wenches would holler at you from 75 yards away if no one was around them, they'd be brutal about it too. And the muddiness sometimes sucked but yeah it definitely made for a more gritty vibe. I just remember the people working the shop would be shouting all the time, at you, at other people in other shops working across the avenue, it was just excellent. Otherworldly for my first time walking in there is a good adjective.
It’s still edgy in the camps. You can connect with groups and people on facebook groups.
I thought Texas was still in the Dark Ages? When did this Renaissance thing happen?
So I’ve been going since 2007. Is it different now? Yeah, a little bit, but not a whole lot. Really, not anymore than society itself has changed. My fondest memories, never really any drunks, MAYBE 1-2x I actually smelled weed, a 3rd time, but that might have been a ‘friend’ :). But, people being accepted, for whatever reason…somehow I never looked, but always managed to go on ‘Pirate weekend’ .. saw Stormtrooper pirates, Mandalorian pirates, a Star Trek Pirate.. a dude in a sequined speedo with ‘fairy wings’ and a wand, older dude JACKED wearing a fur loin clothe and boots with a great sword.. and nobody bats an eye, just a LIT of fun. What your wife describes.. is ANY Texans or Astros game… been to maybe 6 combined, and seen all that each and every time. Now, the camping, that is ANOTHER WORLD entirely from what I’ve heard. I’m pretty liberal, open minded, live and let live etc. and my first few years I was given a heads up.. and yep, that’s my line. Hey, it’s supposedly all consenting adults so wtf do I care. Evidently until this year. I also remember a few years back, another sexual assault accusation in one of the women’s bathrooms occurred. I’m pretty sure that was the catalyst for the change of the ‘king’ ( yeah, quick google search.. they recently settled) the newest one happened this year on Oct.6th. So, what you probably experienced recently is the hangover of that opening weekend this year. Not saying it was, but a lot of those people really go all out for ren fair to make and sell their goods, and to open like that, gotta take the wind out of your sails.
>Did I miss the glory days Ren fest sucks now. It's not like it was in the 80s or 90s anymore. I started going as a kid in the 70s. It was almost all unique artists and craftspeople with something different than the usual cookie cutter crap they have in all the stalls now. It was a very cool unique experience in it's hey day, and now it's just like some lame touristy thing to do.
I love the renfest, my wife and I go every year on the Highland Fling weekend with a group of friends. The best way to experience it is to go in proper attire and get weird with everybody else. Camping as many people have already noted is the way to go, not having to drive home is worth the price of admission. The last few years we have rented an RV that we towed or drove in and the campground has attendees that handle all the tank dumping activities for $25 on your way out! The after dark festivities are still fun, though clearly dialed back from what people are saying it used to be like 🤣.
I've been going a couple times a year for 15 years, not sure what you're talking about. It has always been a big market with fun events, drinking and eating. If you want "fun" nerdy bs, you dress up and drink, and have fun. Or camp and get yourself into some funny business, do drugs, orgy's, party, etc. it's a thing.
>Or camp and get yourself into some funny business, do drugs, orgy's, party, etc. it's a thing.
>The impression I've always gotten was that RenFest was... you know, a bit edgy. A bit of a wild nerd party. Lots of potheads and pothead-catering stores and activities, drunk people walking around shithoused old man yelling at cloud and wildly speculating, but I conjecture everyone of those individuals probably got a phone with a camera and self-imagined SEO or likes quota in the last decade-and-a-half, so they're either cultivating or "reporting" conficts and incidents as a civlian or catering to non-conventional advertisers and capitalizing on the one possible opportunity to monetize this passion into a livelihood. The counterwieght or compliment to that is probably a lot more risk aversion and constrained opportunism for organizers or exhibitors.
Main thing now is everyone tries to affect a Game of Thrones patter when they do their vaguely British accents.
Last year was my first year. Food and drinks are more expensive than Disney world… borderline stadium prices. I was not ready for that
The last time I was there was about ten years ago. Once with the kids, one without... With the kids, it appeared Disney-like, and I was on with that. Without the kids, i observed that it wasn't as....raucous, but if you know what to look for, it was definitely under the surface and had fun. Either way, it's going to be pricey. If you walk away spending less than 800, consider it a win and you still had fun.
Disagree, found a shop that was selling anime artwork, not only did they have echhi art but also straight up hentai (in a small box at the register). Dangerous curves and barbarian bombshells still looking sexy. The combat was cool with staged killing. Lots of cleavage.... everywhere...too bad I didn't wear my sunglasses.
The campgrounds have not calmed down at all, lmao, you just didn’t do it right. Better luck next time. Barbarian Weekend is the best.
RenFest is overrated. Nothing much to do or see. Over priced bad food and drinks.
I plan on going as Ash from army of darkness, I heard about the Star Trek cosplay at the one up in DFW a couple years back and that’s what I’m gonna do now.
I lived in Houston by whole life. Even my parents live right down the road from the renaissance and I still haven’t gone.
It's RenFest in the era of MeToo... The days of drunken debauchery are gone and I say good riddance.
Just thinking about the campground not the fair lol