Jan 11 2009
Cheap Advice - 10 Do’s & Don’ts for Patrons
I was thinking more about the whole “Renaissance Faire Experience” and came up with a few more bits of Cheap Advice:
DO’s
- DO Bring Small Bills
At the beginning of the day, all the vendors will have a “bank” of change to use when people pay with the $20 bills they get from Ye Olde ATM Machine. As the day progresses, the number of small bills available diminshes in direct proportion to the number of people who come by to buy things with a $20 bill. By about 3pm this can get dire for some vendors.
If you come to the Faire with your own “bank” - Ones, Fives, Tens and Twenties - you’ll find it easier to make little purchases through the day and you’ll have the gratitude of the vendors and boothies you patronize.
You’ll also be able to, you know, tip the performers. Asking a pass the hat act if they can break a twenty is a bit declasee, if you get my drift.
- DO Budget Your Funds
Faires cost money to attend, and there’s all kinds of things to do which might nibble away at your pocketbook - food, crafts, games, Variety Performers (ahem). Try and budget set amounts for each before you hit the front gate - it’ll make enjoying the day a lot easier. - DO Have a “Reserve”
As much as we all want to believe we can budget our time and money with precision, remember you are, effectively, in a foreign land. You may need to spend a bit more cash on something you hadn’t counted upon. So tuck a few dollars into a different part of your wallet or purse - just in case.
Heck, that’s a pretty good DO for Real Life, too! - DO Plan with a Schedule and a Map
Even if it’s right after you get in the front gate, pause, get some information, and plan! Plan your expedition before you and your mob scatter to the four winds
- DO Specify a “Meet Up” Time and Place If You’re With a Group
If you’re with more than 2 people - you’re going to get separated. Just count on that. If you pick out a time and place to meet back up when that happens, it’ll be easier on everyone’s nerves.
- DO WEAR SUNSCREEN
I hope I don’t have to explain this one. Even if you’re under the dappled shade of the mighty oak trees, the sun’s coming at you every moment you’re outside, and you’re likely to be outside for eight-plus hours at a Faire. Wear Sunscreen. - DO Play Nice
I’d like to think that no one comes to Faire to be a pain in the butt. People don’t come to the events to be grouchy, confrontational, abusive, and mean. So please, be kind to the happy villagers in their colorful native dress - even just a smile and a laugh will do if you’re on your way from point A to point B and you don’t have time to fully appreciate the Theatrical Brilliance that person who’s shouting at you has to offer.
And now… the DON’Ts.
- DON’T Count On Your Cell Phone
Renaissance Faires traditionally occur out where the busses don’t go. This can also apply to cell phone reception - there are very few relay towers in amongst the trees of a typical Faire. Even if there are - it’s likely reception will be spotty because if there are, a lot of vendors will be using their cell phones as makeshift modems to get credit card verifications and the like.
Treat going to a Faire like going out in the ‘roaming’ part of your coverage - yes, you can probably make and take calls, but you may be better served to text your cohorts on site, or plan to check messages once you return to civilization. - DON’T Try to Do Everything In One Day
Yes, I harp on this. Partially because it’s true - most faires are just too full of stuff, and partially because I’d love to see you folks come back the next day. If your time and resources are tight, pick and choose (see that DO Plan thing up there) - DON’T Forget to Eat and Drink
And I mean “eat and drink food and water” - man does not live on beer alone, regardless of how many songs about it you’ll hear at Faire. And eat something - whether it’s your own rations packed in or hearty fare from our vendors - you’re out in the sun doing a lot of walking (and if we’re doing our job, having a heck of a time with it) - make sure you’re properly fueled.
Phew. Ok. That’s ten Do’s and Don’ts for patrons. The Do’s and Don’ts for Performers will come in a bit.
Possibly-related Articles: (auto-generated)
I have had folks ask to break a twenty at which point I smile and give them a ten. If it works, Hey it works for me. If not, give them 10 ones and we both get another laugh.
How to make a performers day.
Walk up to him/her later in the day and donate. I have had this happen more than once “I went to buy a (incert item here) so I could get some change.
But Always, ALWAYS, shake a performers hand after the show. We know everyone can’t afford cash, but everyone can afford a handshake.
[PerfessorEvil] The biggest “challenge” in breaking bills *during* pass the hat time is that unless that person is willing to wait till everyone else has come and gone, I run the risk of losing X number of people to ‘drift off’ while I rummage around in my hat fishing out enough money to make change, holding up the line.
I have in fact had someone come to me with a twenty and ask if I could give them 19 bucks change *right at the beginning of the hat queue*. It hurts. It really does hurt.
Hat time is crucial to an act - it’s when you Get The (expletive) Money, and there are a million little things which can go right and a million little things which can go terribly wrong, all of which determine just how much you get.
… now that I think about it, this could also go right into the “do you accept change” conversation… which is almost an ethical / religious debate among some buskers. Hmm. *jots down another idea for an article*
… and a comment from Perryn Rynning from Facebook:
Perrin Rynning commented on your note:
“There’s a filk-parody of “Waltzing Matilda” discussing that very point: “Singles and Silver/Singles and Silver/Who has some singles and silver for me?” I suspect that anyone who uses small, unmarked bills or rolls of coins for most purchases would be welcomed most kindly by the boothies…”
… hee …
Those patrons who like to dress up and get into character themselves might want to consider the fact that we have these nice gold-finish US dollar coins now. A purse of “gp” would not be a bad form for your day’s faire budget to take.