NCRF

The North Carolina Renaissance Festival is a very very sad faire this year.  It's funny how one bad year plus a few bad decisions can snowball into something truly terrible. 

It used to boast hundreds of vendors.  I think we counted 8.

It used to be at a faire grounds where, while it sometimes had the feel of a flea market, there were paved roads, and an entire rodeo rink for the Joust.

Now. . .

Here's the joust

And the location of one of the more popular shows

And the pub

And pretty much the whole muddy fairegrounds, covered in a coat of straw.

Still.  Beer Fairy is still serving, and serving beer with a smile!

With a handsome mead ogre at her side.

The worst part is the catch-22 of no fun.  Rumors have gotten out about how un-fun the faire is, so nobody wants to go, so it sucks because nobody is there.  There are also a number of people boycotting the faire because of how past performers were not paid for their work.  This I completely understand, and I wrestled with working there again this year.  But we have some very good friends who invested money in having this beer tent, and I'm going to work my cute little tush off selling beer and mead for them!

It could be a lot more fun if certain people hadn't been screwed over last year, or if people just went ahead and came this year, despite the muddy conditions.  If the faire fails utterly then there is no chance of past and present acts being able to be paid for their hard work.  If nobody comes, then it will fail utterly. 

I'm in no way condoning the misdeeds of the management of the faire, but I do wish more people would come to support those of us who are at the faire.  So, for those who can, for those whose only reason for not coming is because they think it will suck, please do come to the faire.  I have comp tickets!  I have beer!  The people are what make the faire, and if you oppose supporting it directly, well, that's what the comp tickets are for!