https://www.hbo.com/series/ren-faire The 86 year-old founder of the Texas Ren Fest is looking to retire and needs to decide who should take over. I'm in. First went to the Texas Ren Fest in '76 when it was just a few tents in a field and the "jousting" was a bunch of guys on horse back aiming at a brass ring with broom handles. And there was the one belly dancing show...
My brother is a part-time amateur falconer, and looooves the RenFest. I can't wait to hear his opinion of this. I have great memories of going there as a kid (my brother and I came home with wooden swords and shields one time and proceeded to beat each other up in the back yard for a few years), and again going there as a teen/20 and camping out. The camping with those people was exactly as weird as you'd think.
Not a good representation online of "George". I suspect the TRF has succeeded maybe in light of this guy being crazy and general d-bag.
I haven't been to the Ren Fest in about 30 years. By the time I stopped, I was only going for the turkey legs and pretzels, anyway. There's only so much Ded Bob I can laugh at (not true... he was still good). I think he passed away a couple of years ago.
I went as a kid. Later I had friends who kind of traveled the country from Ran Faire to Ren Faire. They were insane and the life of those people seemed insane in an a way that might have been fun if they weren't all off their rockers. I saw the first episode and made me kind of sad and sick to my stomach, but because I loved it so much as a kid, I have a tiny bit of hope because I want it to be good so badly.
Watched a little bit of Ep 1 last night. It's really weird. The part where George was talking to his female assistant about all the Viagra and Cialis he takes and says he wants to die by being screwed to death. Aaaawkwaaaaard..... I went all the time as a kid but haven't been in probably 30-something years. I have some friends who live for it. They are also pretty weird. One thing I will say is that I see pics on Facebook all the time and there are lots of enormous breasts.
I will definitely have to check this out. A colleague was recently telling me that the TRF hasn't been doing well the last couple of years so they're having to scale back.
We’ve been going the past few years and it was jam-packed the day we went last year. If it’s not ‘doing well’ it’s due to mismanagement and leadership issues.
Watched ep 1 last night...yeah, the whole thing is weird, even the way it's shot. It seems scripted. If Baldwin and Migliaccio are the only 2 choices to take over, the whole enterprise is screwed. Baldwin seems to really care about the TRF and maintaining quality, but is a terrible businessman. Migliaccio doesn't care about anything but himself and his business within the Festival and seems only interested in wringing as much money out of it as he can.
With the exception of the first year we moved back to Texas, I've been to a Ren Fest every year since that first visit in 1976. I love 'em, but i couldn't make it a lifestyle. And I hate to say it, but TRF isn't a favorite. It's gotten waaaaaay too big. The Maryland Ren Fest in Crownsville is still our favorite...perfect size, FANTASTIC location and site in Crownsville, MD and, compared to TRF, it's dirt cheap. We still usually go to TRF, but Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie is so much closer and also relatively cheaper.
Aside from some time away for college, I have lived in Houston my entire life....and I have never once been to the Renaissance Festival. I find that odd.
Wife and I come down any year we can for a visit, it's a big time party especially as it gets later. We have one up here in Dallas but its much more low key and family friendly. For those curious about the style of the documentary, this article is solid...... https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/hbo-ren-faire-behind-the-scenes-1235012137/
If you're looking to sweat, wait in lines all day, pay a lot for 'authentic' food and merchandise, see a lot of pale chubby people get sunburned, listen to your kids melt down because you can't find the exit, lose your car (unless you valet) and still get stuck in traffic, drive home somehow tired af, it's the place for you!
you’re doing it wrong. Got to get there early and get leave by 3. And watching the pale chubby cleavage progressively change colors from white to lava red is a high point.
I had a friend go one year and up as a volunteer (using my name and deets) for every weird-ass, sir-gooberass org he could find. SMDH.
