Well, it's finally over. The Carolina Renaissance Festival started October 1 this year and ended yesterday, November 13th. I've been to a few different festivals like this one, but I really like the Carolina Fair -- it's rather large.

This is the first year I ever purchased season tickets -- and I got my money's worth, going at least one day every weekend they were open. I have to say, I really, really enjoyed the festival. Two of my all-time favorites are Dexter Tripp, and The London Broil. If you ever get a chance to see either of these acts, take it -- they're both absolutely worth it!

Afterwards, I was wondering what it was about this fair that made it so much fun... First, part of the attraction is the change and limited time. The show only appears for a short time, only on weekends, and it's different. I think that most people really don't like a total routine life and need a change now and then. This festival does that well.

Next up has to be the atmosphere. Sure, it's a festival, but it's a festival from the moment you walk in the gate. You don't really believe for a minute that you've traveled back in time, but you certainly can forget the current day for the moment.

It's amazing, but one of the biggest things that you do not see in this atmosphere is fear. I've thought about it, and that is the biggest difference between your every day life and a festival like this. Everywhere you go, everything you do in life today is primarily motived by fear.

The news media cannot report anything unless it is designed to scare you. Most advertising is based on fear -- fear of rejection, fear of dying, fear of SOMETHING -- if you don't buy what they're selling.

Your daily life, if you listen to the media, only exists because you're afraid to do anything else. You have to live in fear that your employer will fire you. You have to be afraid that the next big storm will hit you. You have to fear that the right (or religious right) will take over the government and you will be killed. EVERYTHING is based on fear.

That's not so when visiting the fair. But there's even more to the atmosphere that separates it from your average day away from life. There's NO undercurrents. There's no trying to determine what "angle" someone has. There's ZERO feeling of anything being politically correct -- or incorrect. There's not an underlying battle of hating or supporting President Bush.

Everyone is just whoever they are, and no one else attacks you for who you are. No one is battling to be heard over the crowd so that you will give them special rights or permissions. No one is trying to take anything away from you. No one is trying to tell you what you should and should not do with your life. You can just be who you are and no one complains about it.

But there's even more. Freedom and capitalism are rampant (and sales taxes are almost non-existent). People sit down and create things with their own hands and offer them to you for a reasonable price. If you don't like the price, you just move along.

People create performances and they perform for you. They practice their skills and showmanship for a chance to entertain you and perhaps earn a little money. If they aren't skilled, they don't get paid. If they don't work, they do not get a free ride. They have schedules, and I never once saw an act or a person miss a showtime for any reason.

And most of all, I think one of the reasons the fair really is so much fun -- every single person who is at that place actually WANTS to be there. There's no one complaining that they'd rather be ANYWHERE else.

If a patron doesn't want to be there, they just get their butts up and leave. If a performer doesn't want to be there, they're not there!

Talking to a number of people, I found that a good number of the performers there do not get paid at all -- especially all the extras. They just sign up, learn how to act, and show up, just for the enjoyment of it.

The performers honestly enjoy being there and doing what they do. You won't ever hear them complain about their job or not being able to wait until they finish their job so they can get home and do something else.

All together, it creates an absolutely wonderful atmosphere, at least for a few weekends a year. Now why is it that we cannot create that situation in society today? Why is so much of society driven by fear? Why are there so many people filled with evil in the world?

The fair is over for this year, and I'm sure it will return again to bring celebration and enjoyment back to our lives next year. Once again we will be able to escape from the daily battles to a land of enjoyment and peace. Maybe next year, I'll find a way to join them. I can't sing real good, but I can sure act...

Posted by: Ogre at 12:45 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment
Post contains 891 words, total size 5 kb.

1 So next year if you participate... you'll post pictures?!! Pictures of Ogre partaking! Yes. We think that would be a good thing. ;-)

Posted by: Bou at November 14, 2005 02:34 PM (5JHEt)

2 I dunno -- if I'm participating, who will take the pictures?

Posted by: Ogre at November 14, 2005 02:58 PM (/k+l4)

3 Festivals rule. Especially when they involve belly dancers, tons of food, and a sickingly diverse variety of beers. I'm a sucker for belly dancers, food, and beer. Hello, my name is Stevin, and I'm a belly-chicko-foody-beeroholic.

Posted by: Stevin at November 14, 2005 06:31 PM (LfL8N)

4 I used to go to the Texas RenFest every year and it had the exact same feeling; you described it very well!

Posted by: pam at November 14, 2005 09:58 PM (l6NIn)

5 Stevin, I'm not sure you would have liked these belly dancers. I mean, not to sound mean, but... well... there's some bellys that should NOT be exposed. My eyes are still burning. Thanks, Pam, nice to know I didn't just dream that!

Posted by: Ogre at November 14, 2005 10:04 PM (7PCNv)

6 Give your camera to a fellow participant. Sheesh! You can do it!

Posted by: Bou at November 14, 2005 10:49 PM (5JHEt)

7 Okay, okay. Now I just have to decide if I should just go as an extra or try and think up some sort of bit. I've been working on learning to juggle, but damn near everyone there can juggle. Maybe I can combine juggling and magic...

Posted by: Ogre at November 14, 2005 11:39 PM (7PCNv)

8 You could always Mime. Everybody loves mimes! Just talking about mimes is making me chuckle.

Posted by: Stevin at November 15, 2005 02:28 AM (LfL8N)

9 DO NOT MIME......Stevin LIES......EVERYBODY HATES A MIME!!! Now, Ogre, do you see why I love Faire so much? You should see the after party. Oh the tales I could tell.......

Posted by: kender at November 15, 2005 02:34 AM (tswkJ)

10 Mime? I so do not want to be killed on my first day. Besides, mimes have to be these little, tiny, skinny people. Not me. And yes, Kender, I have heard stories of the "after party." It's Tuesday now, and I'm not sure the after party has ended yet out there...

Posted by: Ogre at November 15, 2005 08:48 AM (/k+l4)

11 I love going to the Bristol Renn Faire in Wisconsin. It's just over the Illinois/Wisconsin border just north of Chicago. It's fun, I have a good time, and depending on the day, depends on whether or not I wear one of my costumes.

Posted by: Contagion at November 15, 2005 10:25 AM (e8b4J)

12 I've found via the web that there are renfests in pretty much every state in the country. That really amazed me until I really thought about the attraction to them. It's really neat. But Wisconsin's in November? Yikes.

Posted by: Ogre at November 15, 2005 10:57 AM (/k+l4)

13 Knife Throwing? Juggling while riding a unicycle? Wait. It's a renfest, not a circus. Hmm. I must think. I am sure there is a talent. I'm thinking fire breathing. D'Oh! There's that circus thing again...

Posted by: Bou at November 16, 2005 06:13 PM (5JHEt)

14 I learning juggling...it takes some work, but once you know how, it's just practice. Maybe simple slight-of-hand tricks? Maybe a magician of sorts?

Posted by: Ogre at November 16, 2005 06:15 PM (7PCNv)

15 Ohhh, don't say that about the bellydancers, Ogre...We (yes, I am one of the CRF bellydancers)love the guys, of course, but our primary reason for dancing is not to make fellas drool. We do it because we love it, and we're proud of the fact that we come in all different shapes, ages and colors. And we especially love that we give a lot of women the confidence to get up and move and not be ashamed of their size or shape (which sadly is often what keeps them from getting exercise in the first place). While we're creating a society that is absent fear, why don't we create one that appreciates women in all their shapes...the slender and the "juicy" and everything in between? As far as I see it - if you can move like that who cares what size you are? Annnyway, don't mean to preach, just thought I'd defend my sisters, lol!

Posted by: Ahlam at November 17, 2005 11:16 PM (sg6jO)

16 I can certainly appreciate the ability to dance the way you folks do (thanks a lot for stopping by, Ahalam, really!). And I am sure it does take practice and skill to be able to do it (I am more like the guy who was the MC of that show -- people would pay me NOT to try it). But, well... let's just say that one dancer had a costume that was sheer and black that covered her belly the day I went and another one perhaps would have been better served if she had done that as well... Seriously, though, thanks for helping to put on a really great fair this year! I did only get to the see the belly dancers once (the neat sword dance) because the schedule was such that your show was always on when I was at Dexter's show!

Posted by: Ogre at November 18, 2005 05:31 AM (7PCNv)

17 Hey Ogre! The festival certainly sounds nice. It would be fun to see next year. Can you let us know where and when the next one will be held here in NC? It would be cool to attend and to meet you there. I like a fear-free world too... Thanks for sharing my photos with Jane. I am learning that you and I both share a love for Carolina Blue skies... Take care. Ron

Posted by: Ron Hudson at November 21, 2005 08:52 PM (afBFi)

18 That certainly would be neat, Ron! The fair is in the same place every year -- on the county line between Meckleburg and Cabarras county -- I think they consider themselves in Concord. It runs for 7 weeks in October and November. Maybe next year we can have a Carolina blog meet there...nothing says Renaissance like Blogging, right?

Posted by: Ogre at November 22, 2005 05:40 AM (uSCkp)

19 Thanks Ogre...no harm no foul. I am trying to think which dancer that would have been (there are 12 of us total over both days of a weekend), but in deference to your opinion as an audience member (and after all we are hired there to entertain, so it would be remiss of me to just ignore your preference), we will try to encourage the belly covers next year. We all (even the skinny minnies like me) do actually like the belly covers a lot, and if it's cool out we generally all wear them, but it does get a bit hot (chiffon doesn't breath well) if it's warm outside. This year was warmer than normal through almost the entire run - usually we only have two weekends of heat and then it cools off. Glad you liked the sword dance! You'll have to try to make it to the last show of the day next year - we play with fire. ~A

Posted by: Ahlam at November 23, 2005 03:28 PM (g8Dvi)

20 To be completely honest, I think the sheer belly covers (that just sounds odd) actually add to the appearance and even sensuality of the costime...but then again, I represent the drooling, knuckle-dragging, male part of the audience. Thanks for stopping by again -- maybe I'll have to stop by and introduce myself next year. I'll be the one dressed as a pirate on pirate day, so I'll be easy to spot, right?

Posted by: Ogre at November 23, 2005 03:37 PM (/k+l4)

21 Ahlam is correct...belly dancers come in all shapes and sizes and actually most of the ones at CRF are in the smaller variety, but let me assure this is a most difficult dance...I play with the dancers in the morning and actually took a set of lessons from them last year... After "play" dancing with the belly dancers for 8 years I felt like a real clutz in class only to be reminded I had only had 5 hours of class....it takes years to have the muscle control to be as good as those gals are. Look forward to seeing you out there next year Orge...come dance with us in the morning...we encourage it.

Posted by: Tess at December 19, 2005 08:38 PM (w87vc)

22 I'm quite sure I don't have the muscles needed for that sort of dancing!!! I'm good at standing by and drinking beer while watching and encouraging, I assure you! I most certainly look forward to next year and seeing you folk there!

Posted by: Ogre at December 22, 2005 02:58 AM (dPyQ0)

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