Sherwood Forest Faire Blog

A Thought about Community

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 23:00:46 GMT

From the onset of the Sherwood dream, faire was about community—about the clans, the gatherings, the shared vision. It was about the fire circles, the potluck dinners, the communion at the Seven Sisters. It was about much more than the business of Faire. And over time, it incorporated Summer Camp and the Celtic Music Festival and Highland Games. But still, the experience was about attempting to create a place, experiences, and an atmosphere that encompassed a sense of belonging and comradery. Sherwood was to be a place similar to an artist’s blank canvas where everyone who wanted to be a part of COMMUNITY would have their own paint brush to add to the collective collage that would evolve over time.

It seems appropriate to put our recent Covid 19 Safety Plan in the context of the origins of Sherwood.

When we were preparing to open Sherwood in 2021, after all of us having endured the ravages of the pandemic, we drew a panel of volunteers to the table—consisting of patrons, clan leaders, merchants, entertainers, and management. Our goal was to examine what would be the best plan that all of us around a table could get behind and support … one that would forward the objectives of operating an outdoor venue safely and in accordance with the CDC recommendations. It was not going to be a political decision. It was not going to be a financial decision. It was to be a safety plan that would focus on the health and well-being of our patrons, our participants, and our staff—and still be an event that folk could enjoy and celebrate.

After weeks of zoom meetings and listening to all who participated, we arrived at a plan that we thought was reasonable and would meet the overall safety and health concerns.

I must digress a bit to discuss community.

Since our species moved from hunters and gatherers into communities, we set forth what the thinkers of the enlightenment coined “Social Contracts”—the agreements we would work under to live together. Different tribes formed different terms—different laws. But in general, there was a common thread—what would be in the most functional, best interest of the majority—what would work for the common good while allowing society AND the individual to grow and prosper.

Society from its origins set rules and expectations.

Eventually, those were encoded into laws.

It was a “give and take” scenario…again based upon what was best for us living in a community. Some would not agree and go their separate ways…either to live outside of community, or to form or join societies that better met their own beliefs and mores.

Tribes formed. City-states arose. Eventually, national identities took shape around various philosophies or perspectives of groups of common minded people.

But in all circumstances where society and community prospered, there were written and unwritten social contracts that outlined what values the community held—defining where the individual’s desires and wants would give way to the overall good of the group.

So as others have done in times of danger or emergency or public crisis, we gathered to determine what we could and should do in amidst the Covid pandemic.

When faced with a crisis—war, terrorism, smallpox, polio outbreak, and the like—we have come together to decide on a course of action that will best protect our society, our community. And at times, we sacrifice freedoms, we forego plans, we defer gratification, for the benefit our family and friends and fellow citizens.

Again, our decision in implementing the Covid-19 Safety Plan was not politically motivated or swayed by anything except what we as a group thought would be in the best health and safety interest of our community.

And the plan Sherwood presented was a consensus.

Then we approached the clan leaders because the Prime Directive (mask mandate and social distancing) would have some changes to previous year camping experience. The reaction of the clan leaders was heart-felt and touching. The support to the Safety Plan was accepted. The overall attitude was vocalized so beautifully by one clan leader, “We will embrace this plan and agree to follow its edicts for the good of our community; but in 2022, we plan to party like there is no tomorrow out here.”

So, there it is in its origins, its purpose and goal—temporary requirement to mandate masks and socially distance. And we believe Faire can still be exciting, meaningful and a profound statement that while Covid may cause us to restrict a few of our otherwise normal activities, for the good Sherwood, for the good of the Sherwood community, for all our brothers and sisters who might not have the vaccine in time, for all who might be immunocompromised, we will follow the Prime Directive—believing each other’s health is worthy of the minimal inconvenience. We will lay aside our political persuasions for the greater good (and actual survival) of each other for this one season.

Isn’t that what the symbols of the Seven Sisters, the Fire Circle, the Clans, have all been about? Bringing our best to each other!!!

We understand some who will stay away out of protest. We understand some will stay away for criticism we have not done enough. We understand the inconvenience. But we believe it is the most moral and responsible action we can take to protect our community.

We ask each of you to offer some understanding that we made this decision collectively and in hopes we could pull off a masked event that would be meaningful, responsible, and fun.

Join in the story line of Robin Hood!!! Join us this season in revelry, music and fun—think of it as a Sherwood Forest Faire masquerade.

Rengypsy

By order of Bastrop County, Sherwood is closed until further notice

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sherwood Forest Faire Announces Temporary Closure

Popular Festival Ceases Operation in Response To Emergency Declaration

McDade, Texas (March 16, 2020) – Sherwood Forest Faire, the popular medieval entertainment event outside of Austin, Texas, has announced it will cease operation in response to the Emergency Declaration issued by Bastrop County Judge Paul Pope.

“The health and welfare of our patrons and participants is always our foremost concern,” said George Appling, founding partner of Sherwood Forest Faire, LLC. “We will comply and cooperate with all local, state, and federal directives and try to do everything we can to support our community during this unprecedented health event.”

The Faire is suspending operations during the fourth week of its eight-weekend season. It has not been determined at this point whether the event will be cancelled outright. “Since there is no solid determination of how long this emergency declaration will last, we have not made the decision to outright cancel the event,” said Appling

Patrons who have purchased tickets for upcoming weekends should contact the Sherwood Forest Faire offices by email at info@SherwoodForestFaire.com or by calling their offices at 512-222-6680.

About Sherwood Forest Faire

Named one of the “Best Renaissance Fairs In The U.S.” by TravelAwaits.com , Sherwood Forest Faire, LLC offers a wide variety of medieval and Celtic themed events year-round. Established in 2008, Sherwood Forest Faire, the company’s signature event, now attracts over 100,000 visitors each year to its 162-acre village and campground in McDade, Texas. In addition, Sherwood Forest also provides unique summer camp experiences for both children and adults. The annual Sherwood Forest Celtic Music Festival is held every September and offers the best in world and Celtic music. For more information, please visit the website- www.SherwoodForestFaire.com .

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COVID-19 Statement

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 14:51:00 GMT

Sherwood Forest Faire has become a favorite spring event for the people of central Texas, who have visited our 160-acre enchanted realm. Our foremost concern is always the health and safety of our guests, participants, and staff. Like others around the country and the world, we are following ongoing developments regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

We have implemented preventive measures in line with recommendations from local, state, and federal health authorities and the input of our medical teams. We have health and safety protocols in place, including:

Training for our staff, entertainers, merchants, and food and beverage servers on the most effective preventive health practices.
Defined procedures and protocols for the frequent cleaning and disinfecting of public areas.
Easy access for guests and participants to handwashing and sanitizing stations.
Positioning hand sanitizer dispensers in all restroom facilities and counters of food and beverage shops.

We will continue to collaborate with health officials, monitor the situation, and act accordingly. We strongly encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Prevention and Treatment Guidelines which include:

Staying home when sick
Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Following proper respiratory cough etiquette
Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
Avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

A complete list of prevention and treatment guidelines can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

“We understand that for many people these are uncertain times,” said George Appling, co-founder and Marketing Director, “but we think the kind of first-rate, immersive entertainment offered by Sherwood Forest Faire can be just what the public needs to escape for a while. We encourage everyone to use their best judgement to decide what is best for themselves and their families, but if they want to get away from it all, Sherwood Forest Faire will be open to welcome them to step back in time and forget their cares.”

10 Years In

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 23:47:29 GMT

Over twelve years ago, this dreamer who had been an artisan and merchant at Texas Renaissance Festival for many years, and a patron long before that, heard through the grapevine that the owner of TRF, George Coulam, was selling his faire. I was not a wealthy man. I was raised by two public school teachers who took odd jobs with the school system to make ends meet. I had graduated in 79 from Texas A&M University and taught high school myself for 8 years. During the fall of 1985 or 86, I decided to go back to graduate school and signed up for a class in medieval history with a renowned Mediaeval and Renaissance professor by the name of Zolton Kostolnycz (Hungarian by birth). I sat in a room of about 30 at the beginning of class. When time had ended that morning, there were eight of us left. He spoke in a very deep accent—and in a high shrill voice. I knew it was gonna be one hell of difficult time in his class, but the knowledge, the stories, the way he weaved mankind’s past together, was addicting. I ended up taking him for 7-8 classes. They were all pretty much the same—early church history through the Renaissance.

But in the middle of my last class after having finished 30 prior hours, and all that was left was this one class and writing my thesis to complete my masters, I quit. I walked out with one paper left incomplete. I put a back pack on and hitchhiked across Europe for 7 months living in a tent. I had to feel and witness what and where he had spoken of…that land of Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Picts, and the like. I had to chant in Celtic caves, walk Robin’s Sherwood Forest. I had to drink a pint at the base of Nottingham Castle in Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem. I had to baptize myself in the land, the people, the buildings and streets, the history I had become so enamored with.

When I returned, I started working for a not-for-profit where I have been for the last thirty years.

Back to sitting in my booth at TRF years later when I heard the faire was up for sale. So, Monday, back at work, I made appointments with two prominent businessmen in my area. I had one simple question for both. “Could someone with my meager means ever dream of such a venture, such a financial undertaking”.

Both said “Of course. You just need a business plan that can convince either a bank or an investor”. So I was off. For months I put together and tweaked a business plan. I had back in forth with a critical investor. Then, I remember it as clear as day…when he said, Eric, we can do this.” He had used we. There was a chance.

Well, after I had spent approximately 10k on legal fees trying to get a real estate and business contract in place, Mr. Coulam was no longer interested in selling his creation.

But I was not deterred. My family would get in the car or truck some 75 Saturdays and Sundays as I walked throughout tracts of land throughout Texas from Katy to San Antonio to Austin and back to the Brazos Valley. We saw land that was perfect. We saw mining sites. We woods and pastures and land without easements to land almost inside town propers.

I must have executed some 15 contracts during that time, but for a myriad of reasons none went through. Mostly because they didn’t touch my heart as the right place. One or two would have been great, but others purchased it before I would get a contract executed. So the search continued.

Then one early morning traveling on U.S. 290 from Bryan-College Station to a meeting in Austin, I saw a for sale sign that had just been placed on the land where Sherwood currently stands. I pulled over, called the realtor, asked a few questions, and without walking the property, and told him to work up a contract. We would walk it later. There was of course a grace period where I would only lose my earnest money if it wasn’t a fit. But with 1200 feet frontage off 290…wooded…it felt that morning I had found the home for the faire.

That weekend my family walked it. I could see it all. We fought our way through land that had not been walked on for decades. It was perfect.

And thus, Sherwood was born.

But as you know, birthing a child is only the beginning.

Soon after, we would begin the tradition of holding Gatherings, meeting at pubs where playtrons gathered, holding tours for those vendors who might join in on this dream. And they did. I would be walking through recently cleared woods telling folk where stages would be, where paths would be, where booths would be located. We had fire circles and drumming. We had pot luck dinners and broke bread together.

Volunteers would come to the Gatherings, camp, cut wood, help build structures, and over time, with sweat and shared vision, this little faire was dream becoming manifest. One day, I think in September, I was giving a tour through what would be a stretch to considered much more than a dream constructed of thought more than of materials. But on that walking tour with some 30+ people, a tall man stood out and asked, “Are you Rengypsy?” to which I replied, “I am he” and he proclaimed “I Love Rengypsy”. And soon after, George Appling became my partner…and through magic, unbelievable hard work by so many of you, the gates of Sherwood Forest Faire opened for the first time in February 2010.

Sherwood was and will always be a Shared Vision—a mosaic where rennies, platrons, artisans and management all have paint brushes, all add their dreams upon this canvas.

We welcome you to our 10th Season. It’s been an amazing venture. Thank all of you for making this faire what it is, what it will become.

Respectfully

Rengypsy

Humility and Respect

Tue, 02 May 2017 23:31:00 GMT

The eighth season of Sherwood Forest Faire ended last evening. We were plagued by six rain days, thus for the first year, our attendance numbers were down… but the last weekend was still a testimony to the future of our Faire. I wanted to reflect on our community, the faire, experiences I have gleaned as […]

I wanted to reflect on our community, the faire, experiences I have gleaned as the season progressed, especially in contrast to our beginnings.

The entertainment was great. Joust, music, Washing Well Wenches, Falconry, Bedlam Bards, Robin Hood and cast, and so many more excellent performances.

The grounds were beautiful. Spring is when our magical forest awakens.

Our village crafters and artisans are enduring and supportive in bringing both art and skills while finding means to keep a good cheer even as rains kept patrons away.

Grounds Crew were stellar.

Our pub folk poured a good amount of ale and mead for thirsty faire-goers.

Over $30,000 was raised for RESCU Foundation, a 501©3 not-for-profit that assists Rennies with uninsured medical expenses.

After hours, walking through and visiting various Clans, was as meaningful and fun as it gets.

And stories—oh, the stories—people tell me of their love for our Faire, our community! I am so humbled and thankful.

Over the years, I have seen Sherwood grow from a dream and aspiration into a vibrant and evolving community of art, music, a respect for our participation in life and consciousness, and sharing.

Each year, there are some who enter our community and are, as I once heard the type described, psychic vampires—beings that live off of others’ spirit and soul and drain the life force from the healthy. They take more than they give. And as Faire has matured, we have become more astute at recognizing these type and kindly escorting them from our midst. We have become warriors of sorts to protect what we have and are creating here.

I had several conversations with people this weekend. The message was similar: Sherwood is their home. Sherwood is a faire that respects the Rennie Community. Sherwood is genuine. Sherwood is more than business venture. Sherwood is about expressing a vision for what Faire can become when silos are torn down…and patrons, actors, performers, clans, artisans, management, and ownership are all toasting a loud HUZZAH to the company.

From the inception, what we hoped for, collectively, was a share journey. And here we are 8 years later—stronger, more assured of our future, more humbled by all who have gathered around the fire circle.

We thank you for being a part of a dream—Sherwood Forest Faire—and we will see you next at one of our Gatherings, and if not then, we will swing open the gates again for our 9 ^th season in the Year of Our Lord, 1197AD!

A Living Tale

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 01:41:00 GMT

About the time we were clearing a woods and thicket that had not been traipsed across for some 20-30 years, I was thinking of the theme for Sherwood. It seemed so many of the names known to most history buffs or rennies had been taken. But as a commoner, as a proletariat, in my upbringing and adult life, I was drawn to the tale of Robin Hood. Maybe fictional, maybe based upon some loose history of the acts and deeds of a lessor Lord around the time in England I loved best—smack dab in the height of the High Middle Ages—almost a renaissance of its own making. Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine had recently left the throne as two of the most educated, enlightened rulers of any county on the European continent. Their son, Richard the Lionhearted had ascended to the throne and was also known as a very educated man, as well as one of the best warriors/leaders England had known. But his interest was in fighting the infidels in the Holy Land. Thus, this left the country to be menaced by his younger brother, John. John cared nothing for the people. He would impose heavy tariffs and taxes on the people… and the people were tired of it, yet felt helpless – at least until the arrival of Robin of Loxley. He gathered families—mostly commoners—into the Sherwood Forest within Nottinghamshire. From there, he and his men (and surely women) would ambush the tax collectors and turn the coffers over to the people who had paid them. His legend has lasted since that time. Ok, that would be a great theme for the faire. A de-emphasis on the royalty and nobility so prominent in other faire. A faire for the common man!

But just as in life, personalities, events, and circumstances can change the course of history.

George, my partner in this venture, had lived his own life with visions and dreams. When we first sat and talked about our partnership, he told me a story that if past-lives exist, he had always felt certain one of his past incarnations had been quite close to Richard—either the warrior king himself or one of his valiant knights who fought by his side. In all that I could glean and all I have known of George since that time, if reincarnation is a reality of human existence, then I believe he either sat upon that hallowed throne or served it loyally with heart, soul and mind.

And so, as the Faire developed and grew in its own identity, it was pure and natural for Robin and his band of followers to receive an occasional visit from the King of England when he had returned home for his crusades in the Holy Lands.

In some tales, Robin had once fought in Richard’s army… and was as loyal to him as any of his closest knights… and welcomed him into the Forest to partake in the Spring Festivities where Robin’s archers protected the common folk (and fae) from the likes of Richard’s evil brother, John.

And so, as it sits in Nottingham today, the Royal Keep and Great Hall sits atop the hill overlooking the grounds. And on most prized and special occasions (often toward the ends of faire days, Richard and his knights may be seen confronting his hated brother, or any other darker forces attempting to establish a foothold within the midlands of England. Long Live King Richard!

And this very year, 1196 AD, out of a genuine love and respect for King Richard, Robin’s men constructed a beer garden and entitled it, The LionHeart Tavern.

Rengypsy

The Evolution of One’s Dream

Mon, 13 Mar 2017 22:57:00 GMT

The Evolution of One’s Dream Imagine an artist sitting before an easel…charcoal in hand…sketching an idea from the heart and mind—one that somehow encompasses his inner dreams, hopes and aspirations. Day after day, the artist returned to this very place. Stroke after stroke, there appeared a picture. Still very much impressionistic. All shades of black […]

The Evolution of One’s Dream

Imagine an artist sitting before an easel…charcoal in hand…sketching an idea from the heart and mind—one that somehow encompasses his inner dreams, hopes and aspirations. Day after day, the artist returned to this very place. Stroke after stroke, there appeared a picture. Still very much impressionistic. All shades of black and white. But the illusions of color began to appear.

A collage of things past, things of fairy tales and history books, things linked together by faith and desire. Things essential for a sense of unity and peace, happiness and joy, family.

The page seemed to get larger with every stroke.

And then, the dreamer put down the chalk, folded up the easel, and took the drawing and its stand to the middle of the town square. He set it up…and left it there.

As time passed, the seasons changed. Rain fell upon the picture and smeared some of the original markings from the artist. The sun and wind took its toll on the fiber and upon the drawing’s original look. Other townspeople eventually began to draw their expressions upon the fabric. Some in black and white. Some in color. Some in blood and sweat. Many came to view the picture and cried. Others mocked it. Still others felt a great warmth from the ever-changing image.

Vandals attempted to damage it. Others scorned it as something evil. Scholars and sages studied it and made their own deliberations on its origins and what it had become. Thieves twice tried to steal it from the town square…but each time, townsmen stopped them.

And for eight years, the cotton paper stayed in the square exposed to the elements. Eight long years the dreams and fantasies of others were marked upon it. Eight years of wear and tear. Eight years of evolution. Stains. tears, patches, precise strokes, blotches…

It had, in part, become as much of the place as the old clock that rung every hour on the hour for hundreds of years above the entry to the cathedral.

Wood workers brought benches out to be placed around it. Various tinkers were often set up about it selling their wares to strollers, admirers and doubters.

The town council once voted to encase it in some kind of wood or stone structure to protect it from the winds and rain, but, there were never enough votes to do so. Some on the council expressed monetary concerns to protect an old browning sheet of paper. Others believed it represented something of the town’s soul and was meant to sustain the effects of nature and man’s impacts.

And so it was…

On full moons, late in the night, the artist would come to that easel, stare at it, look at what was, and what it had become…and once or twice, he removed a piece of charcoal from his shirt pocket and made another stroke and went about his way.

Rengypsy 1196AD

Sacred Ground

Thu, 17 Sep 2015 01:26:00 GMT

Before Sherwood Celtic Music Festival opened for this season, that Saturday morning I was making my rounds saying hello and thanking the vendors and all for participating. Believe me, it’s important to thank the artisans and artisans because many times the weather or lack of attendance weigh heavy on them…as this is their livelyhood (and on that note, please realize we have attempted to minimize the number of importers and retailers within the faire to encourage independent crafters…even though in historic accuracy there were peddlers back in the middle ages, as well, who travelled afar and sold their wares they had purchased from foreign lands).

Well, back to my story…

So, as I am walking, I came to Klaus Weiland, a musician, hippie and artisan getting his booth ready for the Celtic Music Festival that was to open soon.

I thought he was of German birth…and events regarding the flood of immigrants from war-torn Syria wanted to me to tell him that I was so impressed with the numbers his home country had indicated they were willing to take in as refuges—a staggering number in comparison to Great Brittan and other European countries…as well as the almost non-existent number our own country had committed to. Germany’s Prime Minister has said Germany is prepared to absorb up to 800,000 refugees. Nothing short of amazing.

Anyway, the conversation went longer than planned. We talked about Germany’s past. We spoke about the fact that the USA has yet to truly embrace the horrors of its own past relative to Native Americans and African Americans and other ethnic minorities. We spoke of our travels. He went on his own pilgrimage along the ancient Silk Road some 15 years before I trekked across Europe and parts of northern Africa at the end of the 80s. We spoke about the true wonder and beauty of people—less the corruption and power-centered focus of governments.

We spoke of consciousness—that life of thought that permeates the universe. The Big Bang. The reality that there are multiple universes and realities all happening about us. We spoke of why we both found our way to faire because of the people, the values, the simplicity.

And then I went off on a tangent, as too often I do, about the grounds, Sherwood, its sacredness to me. Everything from the importance of the Seven Sisters and the rituals we have created around the rocks. About the pond that exists on the outskirts of the land that still is home to beavers. About the fact that some of the earliest maps of Texas show that pond and a creek that starts on the property fed underground that keeps water flowing 365 days a year regardless of drought.

It was a beautiful and enlightening, but too brief, discussion with Klaus. As I walked away, I turned and said, “Klaus, you know, these discussions, these kinds of interactions, are the primary reasons Sherwood was created.”

Sherwood is a sacred place. It is a place where people feel they can come not only to drink and play and experience diverse forms of entertainment, but it is a place people can come to bring their ideas, their inner selves, their souls…

Sherwood is a place that is much more than faire or gatherings or all the musical and theatrical acts. It is a physical and spiritual place where we can find our center in the midst of a chaotic and disenchanting “real world”.

It is the home Gual and Hazelnut. It is the place Kevin and Stacey Breaux come to volunteer more than most anyone knows. Where Alan Cameron has dedicated so much. Where individuals and couple have tried their hand at being a merchant…even in the coldest of faire days…and have stuck through the sometime disappointing attendance numbers because Sherwood is something different.

It’s where clans have found their place in the woods.

It’s where Autouloucous has brought together perfect combinations of actors and musicians and given of his heart in a hundred thousand ways. It’s where Andy Perry has since the beginning brought us Friar Tuck.

It’s where the legend of a lesser lord of Merry old England gave up his life of grandeur to challenge corruption…while the kind was away fighting in the Holy Lands.

It’s about Vallhala and Celtic Rogues.

It’s about fire spinning and solstice ceremonies.

It’s about Brian and George who have given so much to a dream.

It’s about the very thing Klaus and I spoke briefly about—the wonderment and magic and cosmic gift of consciousness.

If you have yet to experience Sherwood on a very personal basis, I invite you to take time to look beyond the façade (and let me assure you, the façade is only a veil and is easily penetrated), and open your spirit to the true wonderment of Sherwood. The trees are alive. They speak. The ground—it breathes. The souls that permeate the land are crying out for you to become a part of its celebration of life.

Rengypsy

A Changing of Seasons

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 02:26:00 GMT

Tens of thousands of years ago, man began a journey toward civilization…an evolution of the human consciousness away from mere survival and one toward planning and development. In the caves of southern France, we can witness the evidence of man finding both the time and desire to express himself/herself through art. New tools were invented. […]

Tens of thousands of years ago, man began a journey toward civilization…an evolution of the human consciousness away from mere survival and one toward planning and development.

In the caves of southern France, we can witness the evidence of man finding both the time and desire to express himself/herself through art.

New tools were invented.

Agricultural techniques and the domestication of animals were developed.

Religion seems to have formed very early from what we find in ancient graves.

And we as a species looked up into the heavens and attempted to make sense of things by associating the formation of stars with our psyches and lives.

We erected stone circles.

We made primitive calendars reflecting the seasons.

Rituals arose from our coming together in tribes and clans.

Music—drums, the beating of sticks, song, and the like—could be heard as we gathered around the fire in the evenings.

And storytelling became the means of passing down our traditions to the next generation.

Sherwood is young. We have a long way to go in our evolution; but, our foundations are solid. We have created our spiritual spaces. We have clans. We have music. We have basic laws of what we mutually accept as right and wrong. We gather at the changing of seasons to recognize we are part of nature. We understand the significance of fire and earth and wind and water. We have a respect for our place in the cosmos. We realize that we are all sojourners…so we give gypsies their due. We know all is not explainable or understood and thus magic is all about us…so we pay homage to the fey and fairy folk who wander about causing mischief.

Sherwood remains a canvas for all to paint upon. It remains a living, breathing experiment in culture…as well as a place and time where we may still dream.

Sherwood is evolving like the rest of creation. It is neither stagnant nor stationary. It is like all of us as individuals—an imperfect composite of living organisms attempting to co-exist and survive.

Sherwood, like each of us, is imperfect, flawed and in need of grace and forgiveness. Sherwood needs your love and patience. It is in a constant state of becoming…and like us, sometimes becomes overzealous or imbalanced.

But like us, Sherwood is composed of stardust…and with roots in earth spinning around our sun….swirling within the Milky Way Galaxy, one of a billion such galaxies…and our place is to find acceptance and peace with our existence.

Sherwood is for me passing through cycles – seasons – not circles, but rather loops that never connect, and instead spiral.

It is essential that as we look forward to the seventh season of faire, we each take time for introspection—to think, to vocalize, what brought us here, what keeps us here, or if some have left…what pushed you away—what caused the disillusion?

So, we dance, we sing, we drink, we come together in celebration. We see each other aging and young ones coming behind who will carry the torches and banner from the various clans to the Seven Sisters.

And like the ancient Greeks, we will struggle to find the balance between the various aspects of our existence. We will allow Bacchus to have a festival of wine. We will work at planting and harvest season. We will expand our rituals. We will continue to encourage our storytellers to repeat the events we feel are worthy of passing down.

We will respect the land, the animals, each other, and we will know as we gather in the place called Sherwood that there is no king. There is no absolute power beyond the collective wisdom and compassion we bring.

Join us this coming week at the Texas Music Jamboree. Put the 2016 Faire on your calendar. Come to our gatherings and volunteer as well as break bread with us. Bring your drums. Touch our sacred grounds. Bring your magic and your awe to the experience we have called Sherwood.

Love and respect,

Rengypsy

Faire, its attraction to many…

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 18:58:00 GMT

Have you ever considered what it is about faire that has allowed the “business” to survive and even prosper these last 50 years? It is, from my perspective, because it offers so much—so many different facets—to so many. For some, it is an escape from the humdrum existence of the mundane life…where one can dress […]

Have you ever considered what it is about faire that has allowed the “business” to survive and even prosper these last 50 years?

It is, from my perspective, because it offers so much—so many different facets—to so many.

For some, it is an escape from the humdrum existence of the mundane life…where one can dress up and be a character created from their imagination—an alter ego of sorts.

To some, it is a place where all kinds are accepted: everyone can find their niche somewhere amidst the illusion of medieval and renaissance times.

To some, it is the refuge of the hippie who simply does not desire to fit into the normal corporate world of 8-5, mortgages, etc…but desires more than anything a community of free gypsies who wander the countryside working faire, living in tents, and finding a place off the grid.

To some, it is magic…a place where those who found AD&D to be an allure…can play it out a bit in life.

To some, it is a more genuine type of free market without all the Wall Street marketing, packaging and mass production—where artists and artisans can still squeak out a living by selling wares they actually make.

To some, it is Shakespeare’s “All the World’s a Stage” where they can delve into their creative and thespian soul and entertain in the lanes or on stage.

To some, it is simply a more grassroots amusement park where people-watching can happen around every tree.

To some, it is a place to drink and party in safe setting with friends.

But for me, it is a part of the spiritual journey of my life. It is art, music, fire, drums, fire spinning, gathering together to break bread as mankind has done since we wandered the plains of Africa eons ago. It is about the expression of the soul. Trying to reconnect with something primitive, tribal, within us. It is about being a part nature. It is about creativity & expression.

This last weekend at the Gathering, folk met at the Seven Sisters Saturday night for drumming and fire spinning around the fire. It was amazing. Clouds, a near full moon, wonderful fire spinning and breathing…amidst our own “ancient stone circle”. One young guy was smoking and threw his cigarette on the ground…and another fellow Sherwoodian reminded him this was a sacred place and asked if he wouldn’t mind picking it up. He did and threw it into the fire.

Earlier that day, a rennie who I have known for years, a gentle soul, a drummer, a henna artist, a sojourner on this grand adventure, had approached me about all the small oaks that have come from the acorns and rain falling this year…and suggested we dig them up and put them in pots for later replacement of the many, many trees we lost during the drought a couple of years ago. He also suggested besides planting them as memorials to faire folk who have passed on…that we might consider using the small oaks as gifts to those who bring so much to the community of Sherwood.

My sixteen year old son who has struggled with teenage angst and trying to figure out what life is about has found his place within Sherwood. He has learned humility and service within these woods. He has found people who accept him with all the flaws and defects he sees in himself. Thus, he willingly cleans toilets, picks up trash, works diligently on volunteer days, hawks and sells wares during faire, listens to the woes of other teens at night under the stars.

These are the actions that so inspire me. These are the acts of community, of respect and genuine belief we have a duty and obligation to “Pass it Forward”, to make this journey about more than the consumption-based capitalism where the soul is lost in the rat race—and an empty goal of acquiring things and power.

I believe as we experience faire in our own way, we should consider the spirit of faire—even amidst the ale and good food. We should always be about strengthening our community and those who are within it. We should be about growing a spirit of acceptance and respect for each other. We should know we were never to have dominion, but rather the role of caretaker, over the earth, our environment, and the creatures who inhabit it.

Faire is many things to many people. I lift my mug to each of you have brought more to Sherwood than you have taken.

Huzzah!

-rengypsy

Letter from a Summer Camp Parent

Wed, 08 Oct 2014 04:56:00 GMT

Dear Sherwoodians, Sometime the muses move me to write. Sometime others write me with words more meaningful and heart-touching than I could ever write. This is a letter I received from one of our patrons and a mother of a summer camper. With all humility and appreciation, we thank each of you for making Sherwood […]

Dear Sherwoodians,

Sometime the muses move me to write. Sometime others write me with words more meaningful and heart-touching than I could ever write.

This is a letter I received from one of our patrons and a mother of a summer camper. With all humility and appreciation, we thank each of you for making Sherwood what it is to this family and many others.

Respectfully,

Rengypsy

Dear Sherwood,

I’m writing to let you know about the experience my two daughters had at Sherwood Camp this past summer and its wonderful lasting effect on our family. We first came to Sherwood Faire in February of this year. We live in Dallas and are regular patrons of other Texas faires (since the 80s) but for some reason we never made it to McDade. I really needed a break from the work/school rat race, so we made plans. It instantly became my favorite Faire EVER. I was blown away by the labyrinth hiding in the trees, the stone circle, the awesome vendors with handcrafted wares (no mass produced crap), the reasonable prices, the amazing fairy garden, the respectful children’s area, great music and most of all, the great energy coming from patrons and employees alike.

But I digress. I loved it so much, I signed up my 12 and 8 year-old daughters for summer camp. The focus on real-life skills seemed a perfect fit for our kids. And it was. The girls have both used lessons learned at camp in school projects this year already–one for science (a PowerPoint presentation on herbology) and one for language arts (an original, fairy-tale version of “The Muffin Joke”).

But beyond the skill set that they walked away with, they acquired a sense of place at Sherwood. They bonded incredibly with the other kids and the staff (there were tears upon our departure, as they sang us farewell). This past weekend, we attended the Celtic music festival along with a fellow camper who lives in another city. When my 8 year old saw her 13-year old camp-mate at the motel, she charged toward her at top speed, leaped into her arms, and hugged her with arms and legs. When the kids got to the faire grounds, they said they were “Home.” Whatever your counselors did, it fostered a sense of belonging, stewardship of the land, and protection of the like-minded people who share it. I am jealous and want “in” the Club!!

My kids have both attended sleep-away camps before and always said they had a good time “but. . . .” With Sherwood there was no “but. . . “. They loved the activities, devoured the food, felt respected, and gained independence. Both girls want to camp multiple weeks next summer, and we are happy to let them do it. Thank you so much for creating a place where our kids can learn practical skills and also experience first hand the magic of community–their community.

Kim

Mom to a Summer Camp Sea Dragon and a Summer Camp Druid

A Tribute to Texas Renaissance Festival

Sat, 06 Sep 2014 19:08:00 GMT

The sixth season approaches back-dropped against TRF’s 40th season. My goodness. I think I will spend this time of rambling about the faire experience and why I think many of us came to this place in our lives where we would don ourselves in costume and take on a character from the inner recesses of […]

The sixth season approaches back-dropped against TRF’s 40 ^th season. My goodness. I think I will spend this time of rambling about the faire experience and why I think many of us came to this place in our lives where we would don ourselves in costume and take on a character from the inner recesses of our being.

So, many years ago, when I was much younger, I heard of the Texas Renaissance Festival. I had just started teaching high school. I had been introduced to Dungeons and Dragons only a few years before that. I went to faire unsure of what to expect. It was an amazing place. A world not of Disney’s making, but something much, much more. The characters were ogres and trolls, witches and wenches, pirates and knights, ladies in waiting and Royalty themselves.

There was comedy, tragedy, magic and music. The setting was illusionary. It was the time of Henry VIII. English accents…some with a Texas twang.

And so, over the years, I returned to the grounds of TRF. I joined SCA – not because I was one of them, but because working the games two hours a day would allow me to enter faire for free and camp behind the scenes. I remember the first time I camped and stayed in costume. Among the SCA folk, that was fine; but, among the entertainers and old timers, I stood out as a nooby.

But I found my niche over time. I eventually found toontown…and the drumming circle.

One year, in the early 80s, I even took my history classes out there. The kids eyes were wide open as they took in the scantily clothed men and women, the bawdy shows, the strangeness of it all.

As time passed, and I became a vendor there in 1990, I realized TRF was not a strange place at all; but rather a sanctuary from the demands of the world outside.

It was a place where people could be who they were, who they wanted to be—without condemnation or judgment. It was a place to “let one’s hair down” and act silly or crazy or even sane (in our insane existence).

I saw the two faires—the one during the day and the one at night. I saw the camping for patrons and the place the participants and entertainers stayed. I saw the nurturing of art and a subculture that transcended much of the ideologies of the hippies of the 60s. I saw children being taught how to dance in traditional gypsy fashion. I saw tents and campers. I saw community.

I saw escape from the demands of the eight-to-five that seemed to beat people down and make them conform more than was healthy for their psyche.

I witnessed fire spinning and breathing for the first time up close.

And I knew I was hooked. I knew it would forever be a part of me.

Over the years, my crew at our shops attempted to break into the “inner circle”—the ol’ timers—but we realized that was not very feasible. They, by that time, had huddled into various back quarters playing their music more quietly and keeping to themselves. So, we started our own rites and rituals on the grounds at night—always attempting to be respectful of Mr. Coulam’s creation. We would sing under the moon light at the chapel. We would wander through the Magic Garden. We would perform poetry and drama on the steps of the arena. And we would make up tales of our own.

We would sneak out to the patrons’ campground and partake of the revere out there. Then, in the wee hours, we would wander back, sleep, only to rise early to begin for faire the next day.

And as time went by, my soul would yearn for the fall where we would walk and play in the world of our making. I say “the world of our making” because we felt we were a part—not just a cog in a machine. Our roles sprung out of our own creation.

So, hats off to George Coulam and the Texas Renaissance Festival. Hats off to the entertainers and vendors and participants and patrons for these four decades of excellence. Hats off the vision. Hats off to the many who are happier and their lives more full because of faire.

And Sherwood is very much here and alive because the Texas Renaissance and the mastery of Mr. Coulam.

Cheers and we will see you in that east Texas forest setting soon… and then at Sherwood Forest Faire come the spring of 1194.

Rengypsy

When the Newness is Gone

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 17:27:00 GMT

Sherwood celebrated its 5th season this year. It was cold much of the first half. Rain threats kept folk at a distance—until the end—and then we experienced record crowds. Our patron base is remarkable. Even on a horrid day with rain and close to freezing weather, some 700+ loyal Sherwoodians came out. We closed the […]

Sherwood celebrated its 5 ^th season this year. It was cold much of the first half. Rain threats kept folk at a distance—until the end—and then we experienced record crowds. Our patron base is remarkable. Even on a horrid day with rain and close to freezing weather, some 700+ loyal Sherwoodians came out. We closed the faire down for the most part by 1pm and asked people into the Great Hall. Musicians, the Washing Well Wenches, the Falconer and other entertainers took to the impromptu stage and a grand time was had by all in a very intimate setting.

We thank you all for making this dream your dream. We thank you for the patronage, but more so for your unending giving to Sherwood.

But what the muses have inspired me to write about is something challenging: when the newness is gone.

There was great excitement at the start of Sherwood. The thrill was everywhere. It was a new approach at faire—owners being rennies themselves. Owners who wanted to be inclusive. Owners who believed that ownership was a myth… and that Sherwood was something quite different—about the sharing of a vision, about genuine desire for community, about embracing diversity, about the blank canvas I have written about before.

And as the five years have passed, it is time to reflect. It is time to consider what some have said—that the glow has diminished or dimmed, that Sherwood has become like other faires as they age.

I had one guy at the May gathering tell me as we sat at the Seven Sisters on Saturday night that he had had a realization that Sherwood was much a part of the real world—not separate. He spoke of working as an actor this last season and feeling somewhat disenchanted. He said he met too many jaded rennies who had worked the circuit and they brought with them all the same old baggage as people outside the faire.

I listened for a while. My mind was spinning. I thought about how I had even lost a bit of the zeal. Partly because we have had to face the realities that even amidst the beautiful and wonderful souls gathered at Sherwood, there are people who bring their worst. We have been sued. We have been stolen from. We have had to remove some from the campgrounds and even participants for behavior unbecoming.

Yet I thought: The world of dreams and hopes does not mean the world will be without its ugly side, its detractors, its spiritual vampires of sort.

And as I continued to reflect sitting there within the Seven Sisters…and person after person came up to reflect on the magic of Sherwood, on its beginnings, on the soul of the Stones…I challenged the young man.

Sherwood, while philosophically is part of the whole of creation, of the human experience—inside and outside of the faire experience–still remains different. It will remain a sanctuary—even when it is occasionally defiled. It was built on firm and lasting foundation stones that many believers laid. No other faire has the creation of clan space in camping. No other faire I know of have owners who share openly their love and respect of patrons, playtrons, and the rennie community. No other faire has had since its inception Gatherings throughout the year. No other faire have the Seven Sisters. No other faire has the community Sherwood does. No other faire has offered the creation and ongoing evolution of its existence and future into the hands of so many.

So, when the newness is gone…and the original shine has tarnished, it is a time to take out our polishing rags and put a little more elbow grease into assuring the aging of the faire only makes it more valuable to all who have given it its initial sparkle.

We will have bumps and dings along the way. We have some enter our sanctuary who do not bring their best to the fire circle. And at times, because we ourselves are human and imperfect, we will stumble. But we are the care takers: we are the stewards of a great ideal and vision—one we committed to for 700 years or more.

Rengypsy

we dream

Tue, 17 Dec 2013 21:21:00 GMT

we are a strange species. we dream. we vision. we are more than today and this presence. we plan. we create structures and monuments and systems and paradigms that will last a thousand years or more. we stand atop pillars and see tomorrow. it seems to set us apart from others of nature. and thus, […]

and thus, sherwood.

i am an older person now. i didnt have the foresight or resources mr. coulam of trf had to begin this dream sooner…but i never intended to build sherwood for me…but rather for generations to come. and when my partner, george, entered the picture…and he spoke of sherwood standing for 700 years, we met at a place of the soul…and understood each other as no two business partners would.

sherwood is very much about the here and now…but what we hope and what we plan for is that it will exist for all of us for more than those initial 700 years. george and i speak about succession of management…which will likely be a committee (possibly consisting of some of you or your children)…who will collectively assure through its counsel that sherwood will endure in its purest and most noble form…because we both know some about history…and heirs eventually ruin what was built out of greed or neglect or simply not having the same passions and visions of their predecessors.

we believe the seven sisters were erected for eons to come as a testimony to a collective vision of folk at the beginning of this century…reflecting values that have been passed on for hundreds and hundreds of years.

we want our clans to prosper. we want to one day duplicate what mr. coulam did with toontown, but to also include a school for our rennie children, a center (oh wait, we have the pub!!!) where we can grow a sense of community, and who knows, one day, we may even incorporate our village into nottingham, texas.

we want councils and elders and guilds to re-emerge.

we want trade to be fair and reasonable. we want artisans to be the foundation of our free market who make and sell their wares…and teach the next generation their trade.

we want the nobility and chivalry of knighthood to be available to our people..still based upon skill and valour, but also open to the peasant boy not of noble birth.

we want music and art to be an expression of our very souls. we want children to be respected and revered. we want to learn from our elders. we want technology to enhance–not drive–our society. we want to gather often to break bread together and lift our cares with ale and wine. we want to be our brother’s keeper. we want to learn skills and talents from each other. we want to gather as the poets share their tales of gallentry and love with us. we want to cherish and rekindle the lost art of storytelling.

we want to believe in the basic goodness of human nature, yet be willing to hold people accountable for their acts–even in extreme cases daring to ostracize those who are a cancer to our community. but, we want to believe in the act of redemption and offer forgiveness when repentance is heartfully sought.

sherwood is and will be this amazing experience of integrating the faire business into the faire community with direction and democratic input.

so, we welcome you to offer your critique, your suggestions, your magic and art and music and artisanry to this wonderful emerging community.

see you soon in our forest,

rengypsy

Sherwood, Five Years Later

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 17:45:00 GMT

In less than two months, the gates of Sherwood Forest Faire open for the 5th season. And it is time for a bit of reflection and visioning. In the mystic studies, there is this belief that when one has in one’s mind that which seems right and good and in line with the forces of […]

In less than two months, the gates of Sherwood Forest Faire open for the 5 ^th season. And it is time for a bit of reflection and visioning.

In the mystic studies, there is this belief that when one has in one’s mind that which seems right and good and in line with the forces of the universe, then it can come into existence through a series of acts. The first is seeing what is desired in a manifested state sometime in the future. The next step is to realize that the creation has already happened within all of time-space. And the third step is to then act in every instance as if this is true. No obstacles, no hindrances, nothing can stop it from becoming a reality.

Thus, Sherwood was created.

We believed the time was right for a faire to be born out of our hearts, minds and souls. This faire to be called Sherwood would have the attributes taken from other faires as well as our own needs and desires. Central among the characteristics of Sherwood would be community, authenticity, a melding of patrons-participants-administration. Family would be at the center of Sherwood. Respect. Acceptance. A value of the individual. Shared responsibility and creativity. Music would be paramount. Rites and rituals specific to the Sherwood family. Generational understanding and appreciation. Love. An ever-evolving desire to be better.

And there would be trials and tribulations that we like any community would face. We would, likewise, at times, fail to live up to our lofty goals. But at other times, we would soar with eagles toward the heavens.

Together, we cleared a raw virgin land. We built structures together. We shared resources. We realized the importance of fireside gatherings. We constructed a Celtic Stone Circle which we believe will outlive us all and be a focal point of energy as well as a physical symbol of our respect for nature and the earth we inhabit.

We believed it was important to bring our families to Faire and teach our children the ways of this community. We developed clans. We, in humble ways, have begun a transformation of attitudes about faire—what is desired and what is expected.

We built on our individual strengths and have become better as a whole for it.

So, here we are…five seasons later. More clans. More other-faire events. More conflict at times. More people joining our family. More tears. More laughter.

I think we are at an interesting place in our journey. We have been together long enough to know the heartaches and loss and suffering experienced among our community members. We often join at the pub and forget our day-to-day woes… but we know they are upon us and we carry them like great weights… and no amount of music or alcohol can lessen the weight they press upon our souls. We see folk struggling in their respective relationships. Others burdened by alcoholism or loss of jobs. Illnesses, loss of family members, and the like. All a part of this amazing tapestry.

Therefore, it is so important that we understand the role each of us plays in the Sherwood Community. We need to be supportive. We need to be understanding. At times, we need to be critical. I believe—I sincerely believe—we are our brother’s keeper. We need to offer our ear to those who need to be heard. We need to offer our shoulder for those who need a shoulder to lean on. We need to offer kind and respectful critique for those who are wandering. We need to share with each other from our hearts and our souls. We need to judge, but not be judgmental. We need to treat others as we want to be treated.

I think the business of Sherwood is sound and will succeed. It is our collective and community soul that we should concentrate on for the future of what we have built. For what we have built reminds me of Jesus’ admonition to the priests and Sadducees when he said, tear down this temple and I will build it again in three days. Sherwood is not the structures or roads, but it is the hearts and minds of each of us who have painted upon this canvas.

Offer your brother and sister within Sherwood your very best. Offer them your vision of what this community can and should be. Do not ever shirk your responsibilities to this family. And offer redemption as a possibility when one of us goes astray…but seeks to make appropriate amends and reparations.

Next time you walk into our sacred forest, feel the life within a tree, feel the wind, touch one of the stones of the Seven Sisters, and embrace one another as you desire to be loved. Sherwood, as I have said many times, is a grand and precious experiment of people longing for something more. Give more than you take..and by doing so, Sherwood will live forever.

Best to you these Holidays.

Rengypsy

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Sun, 26 May 2013 15:27:00 GMT

Just as this season had its share of challenges for us at Sherwood, my life as a father of a 14 year old son with teenage angst also offered hurdles to overcome. I realize I am at best a half-ass parent, but after searching the libraries of the world, I have found no “parenting without mistakes” manual…and so I let some of the guilt glide off my already torn and frayed cloak of protection (not even a +1 at this point).

Yes, so, back to the story of teenage angst…

My son, a product of my sarcasm and cynicism, a child has had to endure my humanistic preaching of logic, reason, social contract theory, Darwinism, agnosticism verging on atheism…and of course diatribes about religion, philosophy and politics…when all he really cares about are girls, sports and video games…has struggled during his eighth grade year in school.

For some reason, unbeknownst to me, he confronts the status quo, questions the importance of memorization, has gone so far as to say nothing but math and science have any realness or validity because all other classes are based upon speculation.

Can you believe it: he even dares to question me?

So, after one of many of his ongoing conflicts at school, I asked him, “what is the problem, guy?”, he retorted…”the kids at school are judgmental, critical, and sometimes just mean. They are prejudice against minorities and gays and all sorts of other people.”

With tears in his eyes, he said, “the only place I ever really feel at peace is when I am at Sherwood. Papa, why can’t people be like they are at Sherwood?”

WOW!!!

And so I thought about the people at Sherwood…Rob Roy, Queen Bonnie, Mike Moya (and his mom), Jeffrey Lord, Andre and his family, Robin, Aleric and his beautiful lady, Emelie, Robert Ray, Al, Zane, Harriett & Zane, George & Brian, Mike Pullen, Jonah, myself…and thousands of others who have come to realize Sherwood is somewhere/something different/special.

I thought about the vendors who on a promise invested their savings in this faire. I thought about the entertainers and stage acts who have brought their talents to this forest. I thought about Randy and Kevin who came with chainsaws long before there were any gravel roads and helped build the infrastructure. I thought about the evolution of the clan camping which Mike brought to the table…and all the endless hours of labor, sweat and blood that went into clearing the grounds. I thought about Kevin and his fellow knights who have given and given to Sherwood. I thought of the patrons who filled the front gates that first day in February 2010…and entered because they too believed…and when the temperature drops to freezing and the rains are pouring down during faire, it’s those die-hard Sherwoodians in full garb who still come in numbers nearing 1000.

And I turned to my son and said, “Sherwood is unique. It is not at all like the world out there. It is a place where few judge others. Most accept one another where they are—not where they want them to be. People invest of themselves. Personal responsibility and an obligation to bring one’s best to the fire circle is a mantra, a badge worn with pride. Sherwood actually believes in concepts seemingly long forgotten such as love, friendship, comrade, sharing, accepting, equality, community.”

He was puzzled and asked, “But why, Papa? Why do people want to live their lives otherwise?”

Profound question.

George and Brian treated me to a Saturday Sherwood revival this last weekend. I had been down in the dumps over the drama and conflict that was rampant behind the scenes at Sherwood this faire season. It seemed the outside world of lies and betrayals, hurt and slander, had invaded our sanctuary. While it was still a great season, it felt an infection of sorts had beset our precious retreat: and the woes of the mundane world weighed heavily upon me. So, our administrative team gathered at Sherwood: we swam, we drank, we laughed. George even treated us to an evening listening to the wonderful music of Puente at the Three Stags that night. At one point during this spiritual and emotional cleansing, I was rambling on about some forum I had attended in my mundane job regarding all the breakthroughs in medicine and technologies that is revolutionizing the health industry…and George turned to me and said, “yes, and here we are trying to fight our way back to the 12 ^th century as quickly as we can.”

Sherwood is unique in this time of alienation and discombobulation. It stands apart because of what each of you bring to this growing community. I am in agreement with my son…Sherwood is where I feel most at peace.

You people are wonderful, strange, challenging, creative and stimulating. You are the very soul of Sherwood and what you have manifested in such a short time is amazing accomplishment. Zane Baker sent me a text the other day that was uplifting: “I get reports from far and wide that we are thought of as the promised land of faire. She’s a sturdy ship now, whoever is at the helm.”

Blessed be our Sherwood Family,

Rengypsy

Transitions

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:49:00 GMT

Sherwood Forest Faire has completed its fourth season as a medieval faire. Sherwood is now well over five years old as a living, breathing organism—an assembling of people, dreams, ideas, art, desires, theater, plants, animals, water, sand, history, and much, much more. Sherwood is a wonderful experiment of community based on basic principles that we as a people want to be accepted, want to be loved, want to be appreciated, want to give as much as we get. It’s a journey into the world of Plato’s realm of Ideals. And since we still stand in the darkness of the cave…seeing only reflections from the fires…our applications, our understandings, our methodologies, and the final product (though, I think there is never a final product, but rather only an periodic examination of where we are presently juxtaposed against where we were and where we envision we shall be sometime when perfection is realized) is woefully lacking.

We stumble and fall. We paint in the shadowy light what we think should be a masterpiece only to find out when real light is shone on it that it’s no more than a child’s markings on the cave wall. We try and try to ascend in actions and plans to heights that only avatars and fools reach, but we usually fall to the ground with wings of string and sealing wax scattered around us. We are fallible creatures of nature. We see and operate through the Apostle Paul’s “Glass Darkly”. We continually fall short of the ideal.

Yet, we continue to dream. We continue to learn from our mistakes. We continue to move toward the light…that light in far off in the distance amidst the darkness and emptiness.

This is the journey of Sherwood. This is the pathway we are all on. We desire to create something better than the present. We hope for a community around Faire that is more representative of our ideals and needs.

Today, we are closer to that ideal than when we gathered in a field within Bastrop County and shared ideas of what the village could become. And tomorrow and the next day and the next year, we will be even closer.

But there are times along our journey when we will be overtaken with disappointment and obstacles will block our pathway. There are times when unforeseen enemies will besiege us. There are times when weather and other disasters will test our resolve. But we are on a noble path. We are on a spiritual pilgrimage. We cannot be dissuaded. We cannot stop. We cannot retreat.

Sherwood is our sanctuary and our dream. Yes, it is Faire. Yes, it is drink and merriment; but, it is more. It is sacred and it is soulful.

I tell a tale at the spring equinox gathering some years about the time when I was headed out the Sherwood hearing the grounds were already ablaze as part of the great Bastrop fires. I called George on the phone while travelling there and we spoke and we cried and we tried to see past the destruction the fire had sure caused. I hung up and drove more…but somewhere between Caldwell and the faire, I called George back to offer hope because of a vision I had experienced. I told him that all was ok. I had seen in my mind’s eye the forest all burned to the ground, but there among the ashes were the seven obelisks which compose the Seven Sisters. And I knew regardless we would rebuild. Obviously the fire did not reach Sherwood and we did not have our wonderful village with its inspiring forest burn. But from that moment onward, I knew Sherwood was to survive and flourish regardless of what beset it…because it was more than wood and nails. It was a circle of people, a collection of souls, a union of spirits.

This year was a trying time for us at Sherwood. Drama, accidents, threats, loss of good people and friends…a time of transition.

And now we regroup. We reassess our values. We point our compass to due north…and head forward with our travels. We are a strong and determined people. We huddle in clans, but we act when need be as a forceful tribe, a nation of sorts. We believe in where we are going. We support one another. We modify and correct our ways when we have strayed. We strategize collectively because we are in this together.

And we realize as seasons pass and our tribe grows, it is paramount to stop along the way to evaluate, reflect, and recommit to the Sherwood Odyssey. So, dear brothers and sisters, check your calendar and plan on joining us for our Gatherings—let us lift our cares high, let us break bread together, let us dance around the fire at the Seven Sisters, let us walk among this forest and know our place in nature, our place in this grand and glorious family of Sherwood. Each of us are the bricks and mortar, the paint strokes on this canvas.

Humbly and Respectfully,
Rengypsy

Something is different about this faire experience!

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:10:00 GMT

I read the forums, the yahoo chats, Facebook, and other social media concerning faire, and there seems to be something different about Sherwood. Recently, a lady posted in renaissancefestival.com: “This year will be my first year for my group to visit SherwoodForest Fair, we usually just hit TRF and Scarborough but have heard so many good things about Sherwood we decided our year would not be complete without attending.“ She then went on to ask questions about our faire and the camping experience. Here were some of the responses from our patrons: “If TRF were a big holiday party, then SWFF would be a family reunion. I would also recommend camping with a clan. The experience can’t be beat.”

“We are only able to make one trip a year since it’s a 900 mile round trip, but it is SO worth it! Facilities are a bit more rustic, the grounds are beautiful, and the people are awesome. This will be Sherwood’s 4th season, but the development of the faire belies its young age. You will find the faire to be much
more intimate, partially due to its smaller size, muchly due to the owners and management, who seem to be Rennies first, and operators second…there is a magic at Sherwood that is not as apparent in the others. I hope that magic never fades.” What beautiful sentiments from our patrons. And be assured, our patrons are our family.

We have had several workdays and gatherings since TRF ended. Though some have been smaller than usual because of weather, all have been extremely intense. We are believers in the vision where all are equal, and where all have the opportunity to create their respective artistry upon a canvas that is
constantly evolving. At the December Gathering, we had a few missteps by newcomers to our fire circle. But, even then, the experiences allowed us as a group, as a community, as a family, to reflect upon what we are doing here: creating our ideal of faire experience. We are all planners and participants; we are all actors and entertainers; we are all patrons. We are all clan members—some more tightly formed some who wander in seeking sanctuary after a long journey in the wilderness. In the comfort and warmth of the fire circle, we will lift our mugs and cheer. We dance as our drummers attune us to the cosmic rhythm. We pay homage to the eons that have passed before us. We gaze up at the night sky and know we are connected to each other and to the vastness of everything. We bring our children to the circle and watch them play…and know they will replace us soon as the builders of the fire, as the storytellers, as herbalists and seers, as the ones who fix the wagon wheels and patch the canvas on our tents. They, too, will gaze up at the stars and feel the universal connection.

I think these things, be they spiritual or philosophical, set Sherwood apart. We have a communal soul that drives us, directs us, and causes us to be better. We can party with the best of them, but we pay respects to the whole of creation. We are dreamers. We believe in clans and the importance of tribe. We try to glean the meaning of the past as it impacts and influences the present. We are lovers of music and of art and of artistry. We are people of passion and principle, and we have some understanding why our ancestors envisioned gods of wine and song and merriment.

Sherwood is not one person’s dream. It is a mosaic, a collage, of many people’s vision. Look about the grounds and you will see the fingerprint, the brushstroke of so many beautiful, soulful people who brought their gifts to this wooded place. Yes, I think Sherwood is different. I am always humbled to sit among you with my wine and listen to your stories, enjoy the aura of your spirit, and raise my kids among yours. What better accolade could we hope for than for our campgrounds to be likened to a homecoming, a family reunion!

The Spirit of Sherwood

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:27:00 GMT

I sat Saturday night at the edge of the Seven Sisters watching Huerta Cultures, a fantastic Austin band, set up; it had been a great volunteer day at Sherwood and the Gathering was a success. As I gazed up at the full moon overhead a tremendous feeling overcame me: Faire is organic…it is spiritual and […]

The human journey is a complex one, filled with relationships, obligations, worries, child-rearing, catastrophes, philosophical struggles, and the whole puzzle of life and death.

But, we are transient souls. We are unsettled. We are of the stars and of the earth. And as part of this great journey, we seek balance and acceptance and respite.

We need to escape from time to time. We need illusion. We need to know there is a haven where we can feel a sense of belonging and acceptance. We need to believe in extended families and to have a sense of community.

Sherwood, after four years, continues to grow, but without losing the fundamentals of its inception: seven obelisks to ground us in our past, yet always pointing toward the heavens; a fire around which we drum and dance; gatherings; breaking bread together; community and communal projects; inclusion; and most importantly, a shared vision of where we are going.

You and I are Sherwood. We are creating the future of faire every day. You are welcome into the fire circle.

Join us for our second Sherwood Celtic Music Festival. Join us for our Gatherings. Join us on Facebook & Twitter. Join your spirit with ours as we continue with the creation of the next evolution of faire.

Random Musings

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 23:17:00 GMT

This weekend, i spent much of the time buying and delivering items for the summer youth camp coming up at Sherwood in a month. My family joined me in delivering all the multitudes of items to Cori Roberts, our Camp Director. My wife, Hazel, met with a Sherwoodian, Paul, who has been at Sherwood since it was just a pasture and woods. She had met Paul on several occasions, but never had a chance to share more than a friendly hello. But Saturday, as me and the boys were busy unloading, she and Paul walked around and discussed gardening needs for the faire. Hazel has been adding flowers and trees to our grounds this last season…and is continuing her planting. Paul volunteered to water the plants during the summer – an extremely kind gesture.

When we were driving home Hazel continually spoke of her time with Paul… and how impressed she was with his vast knowledge of a wide array of topics related to nature, herbs, medieval healing remedies and the like. During the weekend, she must have commented another dozen times how impressed she was with Paul.

Paul portrays Saladin during faire and is also our resident Chess Master. You will likely see him traipsing through Sherwood barefoot at any given day under any weather circumstances. He is a charming addition to our Sherwood family. As i thought about Hazel’s encounter with Paul… and her very positive reaction to him… I thought about how many Pauls there are within Sherwood’s family. So many eccentric, artistic, brilliant souls there are gathered in these grounds…having made their way to Sherwood to offer their wonderment to our community. Many gifted people each offering the community their very best… and only desiring in return to become a part of a vibrant, evolving experiment of the human soul.

If you have not met Paul (or Hazel) or the hundreds of other beautiful and talented spirits who wander these woods, you are missing out. Join us. Become a part of this wonderful tribe of sojourners–minstrels, musicians, artists, thespians, sages, and dreamers. It really is a fantastic community… and we are thankful and humbled that so many of like minded folk have made Sherwood a part of their lives.

Looking Back at the 2012 Season

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:04:00 GMT

the signs have been stored. the booths emptied and locked up for the season. the tents and campers all gone…and the forest is quiet, except for the birds, frogs and occasional winds rustling through the tress. but the spirit of sherwood permeates the grounds. and the stones of the seven sisters exudes the energies of […]

what a season! what a season!!!

season three started cold and rainy. george and i spoke after the first four weekends and wondered if this was to be that season when it would rain almost every weekend…and we would have to dig further into our cauffers to make it to season four. but, even amidst the rain and small attendance at the onset, our spirits were high. we believed in sherwood. we believed in our family.

when it was pouring down one saturday, there were close to seven hundred patrons drenched, yet still walking the grounds, visiting our vendors, and watching what shows could still happen in the flood. there were two hundred faithful campers who survived the flood. and the next day, over twelve hundred showed up.

this is family. this is patronage.

and as the season moved forward, the rains let off, the temperature warmed, and the faire grounds begin to fill up. weeks fsix, seven and eight continued to break attendance records.

remarkable success for a third year faire. people traveled from all over texas and from states as far away as tennessee, michigan, oklahoma, and arkansas…

the talent from the entertainers was astounding for a start up faire. the workmanship of the artisans shown. but most of all, the collective spirit of the patrons — both mundanes and playtrons — was over the top. we are collectively succeeding at building a community around a faire!!!

we are a living breathing spiritual and loving experiement — creating something that is unique and powerful, something that is having an impact on other faires…not because we have the biggest named acts or the fanciest grounds, but because sherwood was begun and remains a faire about the human spirit and holds respect for all the various parts that make up our faire. we see faire as a living organism with a soul. and we are all a part of that entity. we all have a special role to play in the growth and nurturing of its spirit.

this year, there were kids galore running around. up around the castle, at the fae’s tea party, dancing around the seven sister’s drumming at dusk, etc. kids, parents, the aged…generational experience. that is paramount in the growth of our community.

the closing of faire was harder this year. we had all endured challenges at the beginning, but it ended in such fine fashion that we knew sherwood was strong and on the right path.

the exit surveys were overwhelmingly positive. two out of hundreds and hundreds expressed disdain for faire, but 90+% said we were on the right track and gave us exceedingly high remarks (even when we take into account our running out of water on the last day).

we love yall. we believe in you. we thank you for the spirit and soul you bring to this organic and beautiful mosaic of art of wonderment. we are all creating what we envision faire should be.

we welcome your suggestions, ideas and critiques.

onward to the celtic music festival in the fall…and then season four. see ya at scarby and trf. thank you.

much love,
rengypsy

Sherwood: A Stream of Consciousness

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:49:00 GMT

This past weekend we hosted the last Gathering before the Faire opens its gates for the third season, which runs February 11-April 1, 2012. Prior to the weekend I had had a dream that I arrived at the Gathering and there were a thousand people there. It was like Faire with hordes in costume and festivities everywhere. And, lo-and-behold, the Gathering was not dissimilar to my dream. I am certain there were four hundred Sherwoodians present. Kids were all over the grounds. Young and Old. Tattooed and Jeweled. Every ethnicity. Every political slant. The Pub was the site of the pot luck dinner. What a great tradition that we assemble and break bread together. And then we made our way to the Seven Sisters where a fire was burning strong in the middle of the stone circle…where the drummers and gypsy dancers and fire spinners entertained us with their primitive and age-old talents and skills. We all came from the fire circle amidst the drums…and they call us back!

All weekend merchants and artisans readied their booths. The acting company were busy preparing for lane and stage performances. By the way, did you know there are no scripts to be memorized, but rather Robin, Little John and rest must create their own character nuances and live the part? Critique them when you encounter them at Faire. We think you will feel and sense the difference.

Patrons were clearing their camp grounds. We have more clans this year than ever before. We love our patrons. We pay them homage for what they bring to the making of Sherwood Forest Faire.

The flock of fairies are donned in pixie dust and wings and are of every color under the heavens. They fill the magic of our forest and are respected and loved deeply.

But I am always drawn to the children. They are the future of Sherwood. And so, I share with you this story from a mom who attended last year:

For our son Donovan’s 13th birthday, he wanted to attend a renaissance faire. We attend TRF and Scarborough every year and have since before the kids were born. Ren Faires are a part of everyday life around our house. And of course we dress up.

His birthday being in March always prevented us from celebrating his birthday at the faire. He (and us too) were so very excited when we heard about Sherwood Forest Faire. I contacted the staff at the faire to see what we could do to celebrate his birthday, but never did I expect the events of the day. We have had parties at the other faires before; we were married at Scarborough. Anything special you usually have to provide for yourself. I was contacted back by Denise, the Group Sales Manager, because they wanted to make sure that Donovan’s birthday was indeed a day to remember and they provided just that ten-fold.

After much communicating back and forth, the day finally arrived. We got to the faire and before we even got all the way to the gates we heard cries about Lord Donovan and his party arriving from afar. We were then met outside the gates by Robin Hood and Maid Marian, who invited us to a show and invited Donovan to sit in the Royal box at the joust (which is real by the way and truly astonishing). We went to the show and Donovan was included which led to an invitation to another show later in the day.

While the kids played at the many wonderful games, I slipped off and purchased a sword which I handed off to the Entertainment Director (who was just as amazingly helpful as everyone else). At the joust Donovan was presented with a gold coin minted there at the faire. We were then invited to attend Robin and Marian’s wedding and Donovan was asked to be one of the Honor Guard at the wedding. He was so very excited by this point he could hardly contain himself.

We got to the wedding and Donovan stood tall and proud next to the other Honor Guard, proudly displaying his wooden sword. Then, right as the wedding was over, King Richard announced that there was a young man who was brave and worthy of knighthood. Donovan did not realize they were talking about him, when they called his name he looked so astonished. He timidly walked up to he dais (and he never does anything timidly) knelt in front of the King, who then gave the most amazing speech and knighted Donovan and then presented him with the sword. Donovan was on cloud nine for the rest of the weekend. He says that it was the most amazing birthday ever and that he never wants to celebrate anywhere else.

We are going back again this year, now to celebrate the 14th birthday of Sir Donovan. I have never seen such attention to detail or concern with customer satisfaction as we saw at Sherwood Forest Faire. It is the best Renaissance Faire in Texas!

– Katt G.

And so, this is the essence, the very spirit of Sherwood. We ask that you join us this season for what we expect to be a splendid faire. We bring you our very best and ask that you bring us your presence to share in the experiment of community. This is much more than a business to us—it is our soul and our spirit and our aspirations.

Blessings,
Rengypsy

Year Three of a Dream

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:38:00 GMT

Sherwood, ancient in legend, engraved in the heritage and myth of western man, Robin of the Hood, Friar Tuck, Little John, Maid Marian, and the rest of the Merry Men, The eternal struggle of between the rich and the poor, between the just and the unjust, between the elites and common man, between real and […]

Amidst the Loss

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:02:00 GMT

Our Texas Faire community has experienced significant losses this year due to fires. Scarby had a fire that destroyed property and took the life of a kind and generous rennie, Will the Pickle Man. The Bastrop fires have burned over 1000 homes, some being those of brothers and sisters of Sherwood. Folk around Texas Renaissance […]

It seems to be a time of testing.

Our economy sucks. Politics is amuck in partisan bickering and grandstanding. Wars abound abroad. It’s not the best of times.

Yet, amidst all of the hardships, the Rennie Community and Spirit has proven strong and resilient. Just within Sherwood, we have had over a 100 folk all over Texas who have willingly opened the doors to their homes and welcomed in victims of the fires. Matt Daniel and others have worked diligently to assure livestock was moved to safer grounds. Volunteerism and an outpouring of love, sympathy, concern and hope has been comfort and inspiration to many.

We come from very diverse socio-economic and political strata. Not much other than our love of faire—that strange and freeing spirit that is associated with this gypsy-like life—holds or binds us; yet, that glue is strong and enduring.

As one of the scribes of our faire lives, as one who believes and lives for the continuation/expansion of this spirit, I am convinced that is the microcosm of community that offers hope to our children: not politics, not social engineering, not religion, not psycho-babble from self-help gurus. It’s the hearts and minds of you people who give because it is right to give. These are the values which will endure the hundred generations from now…and will be the foundation stones which demands Sherwood and other faires remain as a shining example of the human spirit.

Monday, I received a report that the Bastrop fires were encroaching on Sherwood and it was inevitable that the faire would be engulfed in flames within the hour. I live about an hour away…and I knew going there would produce no meaningful outcomes, but I drove there all the same. My wife asked what did I expect to accomplish? My response was, “none. But I need to go all the same.” On the way, I called George several times. We talked about the loss. We talked insurance. We talked about tears and laughter and purpose and hope and our beautiful community. But in the discussion, we committed wholeheartedly to having Sherwood reconstructed before the February season was to begin. I described an image I had in my head while driving…the faire burned to the ground. No trees. No buildings. Just ash. But from the ash, seven sacred and telling stones stood erect—The Seven Sisters. And with that image, I knew Sherwood was more than wood and buildings and paint and fencing. It was a symbol of our hope in this community.

I arrived and Sherwood was safe. The report had been incorrect. The fires remained miles away. I walked the grounds for an hour. I felt the spirit of Sherwood. I felt good that you and I came to this place several years ago…to build something greater than ourselves.

We love you. We thank you. We raise our tankards to you and the spirit of love and respect that you bring to Faire. May 2012 bring us rain!

Respectfully and always humbled,

Rengypsy

Family, Community, and a Hundred Generations From Now…

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:00:00 GMT

We were born into a family. Our parents’ blood runs through our veins, as their parents’ and grandparents’ did before them. We feel some connection to our name, to the place where we were born, where we were raised. But, as we become older, as friends from our childhood fade into distant memories, as the nuclear family fragments and brothers and sisters move on to raise their own families, we begin to realize the social fabric of our culture is frayed. It’s often held together by illusion and dreams of the past, and we find ourselves isolated. Our immediate family suffices, but we yearn for deeper roots—roots that feed us today: roots that offer us some sense of stability.

Twenty three years ago, I stood on the outskirts of London hitchhiking. Me and my traveling buddies were picked up by a couple from the Peak District in Derbyshire. And from that chance encounter, my family structure expanded. They asked us into their home. They fed us. They showed us Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, the Crooked Spire, the Nine Ladies. We drank pints at Ye Olde Trip and ate Bakewell Tarts with them. We walked over their beautiful country and trolled across the moors in Burnley. We smelled the burning of coal from their fireplace at night and drank a thousand cups of tea each day.

Since that time, my family has traveled with them and their children all over. The first of only two overseas trips my parents ever made was to visit the Richmonds. When my sons, Andrei and Evaughn, came into our lives, Matlock, England was the first overseas trip they made to visit their other family. The Richmonds came at the opening of Sherwood and brought a Proclamation from the Sheriff of Nottingham to read on opening day. During August, we spent two magical weeks with them. And when I was leaving, reflecting on the two weeks, I thought about how three generations of the Richmonds and three generations of the Todds were integrally linked, emotionally and spiritually melded. And I pondered back on the meaning of family and wondered how many generations of Richmonds and Todds would travel and share their lives together. I think a hundred, maybe more…

But this is only a example, I think, of what we are creating at Sherwood.

How many generations of O’Leary-Applings and Todds will walk the grounds of Sherwood? How many generations of our whole extended tribe will be born and create a vibrant and thriving community around Sherwood? How many of your children’s children will dance within the circle of the Seven Sisters or toast the day under the roof of Ye Olde Trip? How many clans will survive and spread? How many children will be born into our self-defined family of Sherwood?

We love the journey. We are thankful for each of you finding your way to this place. We hope you will see yourselves as part of our tribe and desire to raise your kids and grandkids in the traditions of this community. We call it a family faire—not because we candy coat it like Disney, but because we actually believe in this community. We want to nurture what is being created in these woods. We want you to add your flair, your wonderment, your art and beauty to this tremendous experiment of soul.

Blessings to you all. Join us at our Gatherings and the Celtic Festival in late September.

Likewise, send all positive and healing thoughts to Scarby and their family in their time of loss. We are connected to all the faire family nationwide. Let them feel the love and caring of Sherwood.

Peace

Rengypsy

The Little Girl and the Drums

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:59:00 GMT

I have spoken about the desire and mission of Sherwood being the development of a sense of tribe or community. It is a core value of our business and our souls. The transmission of traditions, values, mores, and rituals from generation to generation is paramount for Sherwood to be enduring. The time since we closed the faire this year and today has intensified my feelings of this matter…as I have found myself wondering why we are not all together on an ongoing basis if we truly enjoy each other’s company and the extended family we are creating. I have actually found myself sometimes floundering in my 8-5 job of late without the escape come friday evening when I would otherwise be traveling Highway 21 to find myself amidst your love and comradre.

Enclosed is a beautiful articulation of the hope we have for Sherwood as an enduring and passionate expression of family…from one of our very own fairies regarding an experience her daughter had within the magic of Sherwood.

Read, enjoy, know that Sherwood is yours. Embrace the vision. Bring your best to Sherwood!

Love and respect (and see you in July at the next Gathering),

Rengypsy

The Little Girl and the Drums

Faire has always given me a sense of “coming home” – a sense which is renewed each and every time I set foot upon those familiar, hallowed grounds, surrounded by a family made up of friends with open arms ready to welcome me back to where I belong. To welcome me back home.

This year I was able to share that experience with my daughter, Cayley. She fell in love with faire, with Sherwood Forest, the second she walked through those gates on the way to the Greenwood Stage for rehearsals. I recognized the expression that came over her face — the awe, the sheer wonder of it all, and that sense that there was something truly magical lingering beneath those giant trees.

That same expression returned one Saturday night in January, the weekend that was to be the final gathering before Sherwood opened its gates to the public for its second season. This time, however, it was coupled with a gleam in her eyes and a flush on her cheeks. There were drummers at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem that night, and she was positively mesmerized by the music they made, by the way their hands moved over their instruments.

Cayley never moved far from that stage, eventually finding enough courage to actually go and sit by those men and women she presently revered, drumming with fingers on her thighs in some effort to replicate the rhythms. When one of the drummers put his drum in her hands and another sat next to her and taught her some basics — and continued to offer pointers throughout the evening — I knew she was hooked. I had never seen her as happy as I had that night. Her smile was a permanent fixture, and I of course, was telling everyone I knew — or anyone I didn’t know, but was within earshot — that that was my baby up there, with a similar expression. She played for hours and was still tapping out beats in the car on the drive home. Imagine her disappointment then when she learned that the drummers weren’t going to be at the pub every single Saturday night from there on out.

Those familiar tribal beats would lead us to the Seven Sisters the following weekend, however, to linger around the fire, to soak up the sounds, to watch people moved to dance to the rhythm of those drums. It was there that she sat as if she were entranced, eyes fixed on the drummers, and said that she had to have a drum in a voice that wasn’t much more than a whisper. I’m still not sure if those words were meant to be heard by me, or if they were some sort of wish whispered to the trees or to the magic weaving its way through that circle of stones — it was heard all the same. There was no demanding in those words, no pleading. Instead, there was an undercurrent of something that I can only describe as pure need.

It was only right, then, that Cayley be presented with the drum in that same circle where she’d hoped for it. She wouldn’t be contented with standing on the edge of the crowds gathered around the Seven Sisters to watch the drummers at the close of the day, nor would she be happy with dancing in the sand along with other members of the faery group. She made her way to the other side where the drummers sat playing, watching them yet again with wide eyes. I remember grinning to myself because she had no idea that she was standing less than ten feet away from a drum of her own — it was sitting in its case on the end of the bench, hidden from the world.

I was watching her when one of the drummers stood up after a song had ended to announce that they had something that they wanted to present to a very special faery on behalf of her mom. Those hazel eyes of hers got wider and her head snapped in my direction, just long enough to see the small smile on my face. Judging by the way she was glancing around, I don’t think she fully realized that that was her drum being pulled out of that case on the bench, at least not until he’d placed it within her arms. I thought she’d be beaming, but that didn’t come until later. Cayley clung to that drum. Embraced it as if it were some long-lost piece of her returned and wept.

A few minutes later, with a big hug from mom and a kiss, her drum strap adjusted carefully over her shoulder and through her wings, she went and sat on the bench with the drummers and begin to play. I don’t think she stopped crying until just before the crowds began to march towards the front gate for the fire show. She didn’t stop playing until we were back at camp and it was time for bed. And even then, I think she stared at that drum for half the night before sleep finally overtook her.

There hasn’t been an opportunity missed to play it since, whether at Sherwood or at home. The neighbors in suburbia here south of Austin don’t seem to mind the near-constant thrum of that doumbek either. And “Gypsy”, as she has been christened, has made numerous trips to the 6 ^th grade Band Hall as well, where Cayley plays percussion in beginner band.

She’s been asked to play a solo at her band concert next week.

My whole-hearted thanks to everyone who shared their time, their knowledge, and their passion for music with my daughter during this, her first year at Sherwood. We are truly blessed to be a part of this growing family and this magical world.

Much love to you and yours.

Tara Koonce
Sherwood Forest Faire Cast Member

After the Dust has Settled…a look back on 2011

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 05:30:00 GMT

We will call this “The Year of Sand”…and sand there was. We put down $6000 of mulch, so just imagine how much worse it could have been. The result of no significant rainfall for 9 months. But we survived it in grand fashion. Sherwood’s second year was memorable, meaningful and rewarding. While we are still […]

We will call this “The Year of Sand”…and sand there was.

We put down $6000 of mulch, so just imagine how much worse it could have been. The result of no significant rainfall for 9 months. But we survived it in grand fashion.

Sherwood’s second year was memorable, meaningful and rewarding. While we are still young, as faires go, we are one soulful bunch of gypsies. We danced, we sang, we drummed, we laughed, we ate and drank (sometimes a bit too much of our own Kool-Aid), and we loved. What more could one ask for? MORE PATRONS!!!

Sherwood grew from an estimated attendance of 30,000 during the first year with 12 days of faire to 42,500 the second year with 15 days of faire. Not a bad growth curve—though with as much marketing, including all the wonderful work our volunteers did at festivals, parades, etc, we had hoped to exceed 50,000.

Be that as it may, we still are doing fine from a new business perspective…and from the objective of building a sense and feel of community, Sherwood scores an A+. We love our tribe!!!
Here are a few of the highlights I would like to recall:

Sherwood is surrounded by beautiful souls and a wonderful spirit of acceptance & inclusion.

We love this faire. We love you. We appreciate and are honored to be with you on this magical and extravagant journey into medieval Nottinghamshire where life is simpler, cozier, more familial, and tribal.

Blessings to each and every one of you,
Rengypsy

The Spirit of Sherwood

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:10:00 GMT

My blessings at Sherwood are overwhelming. On a daily basis, George and I have folk from all over who extend a thanks or praise for bringing Sherwood into existence. It is rewarding, humbling and meaningful; but, let’s be clear: we are only the catalyst for the artistic and creative spirit within many who have longed for the canvas to paint their version of Faire upon. This festival and all the gatherings and activities around it are about a much greater experience—it is very much about sharing this life with each other. I had one individual give me a big ol’ bear hug this weekend and express, “Sherwood is a beautiful place where there are no kings or religions or edicts. Yet everyone feels a part and understands their responsibilities as part of this place.”

The trees of Sherwood stretch upward and outward. They are symbolic of the philosophy of inclusion within our woods.

We walk these lands with open arms. We are envisioning something grander and larger than ourselves in the experience.

We embrace difference.

I don’t know if many of you have worked your way throughout the entire Faire during the day examining the vastness of perspectives displayed within the Faire experience…but it’s really extraordinary. An example of this is at day’s end. The Pub Scene is a vibrant and exhilarating expression of Gypsy music with Wino Vino…that starts soon after the last Full Contact Joust of the day. But simultaneously, another music scene is taking place on a small pavilion near the front gate where the Bedlam Bards, Abby Green, The Rambling Sailors, and many more get together to jam. As soon as that ends, the tribal dance and drums let loose at the fire circle at The Seven Sisters. And then, after the cannon sounds, volunteers entertain us outside the gates with the phenomenal fire spinning show.

Our Faire—your Faire—is filled with talent. It is very much a manifestation of love and art and theatre.

Our enchanted creatures—25 strong—are all volunteers. Their passion and wonderment is unbelievable.

We have folk flying and driving in from all over the country to see and feel what this Faire is becoming.

And it’s not George and myself—it’s every one of us…the patrons who fill our grounds in costume or blue greens. It’s the campers and clans that entertain us with their own tribal gatherings way too late into Friday and Saturday nights. It’s the cast of Sherwood who work all year and now don’t even memorize a script, but rather live the experience of their twelfth century characters. It’s the stage performers who have accepted less than what is due them because they feel the energy and spirit and want to paint their art upon this wonderful canvas. It’s the grounds crew, the lepers picking up trash, it’s the operations team who makes sure everything is working most of the time. It’s the hundreds and hundreds of you who send us emails with praise and critique. It’s our sponsors. It’s Kevin and the Dragons of the Round. It’s the hundred or so who faithfully come out in the off season to volunteer your blood sweat and tears to clean the grounds and build a stage as folk did in the middle ages. It’s the children dancing around the fire and playing in our sand. It’s the vendors and artisans who invested in this dream and stay positive and see the big picture when we don’t get the numbers through the gates on occasion to make payroll. It’s the county which has allowed this strange and eccentric group of rennies and hippies to find a place to express themselves at the edge of the Lost Pines of Texas. It’s the family that is continually growing and becoming stronger around our Faire.

We are dreamers, you and I. And seldom in one’s life is there the real and plausible means to actually build one’s dream into reality. This is our dream, Sherwood. Be a part of it. Take up your brush and paint your masterpiece upon this fabric. Make us better because you felt a part of this tribe.

Bring others into the wonderful experience. We want to reshape and redesign the paradigm for Faire, for Community, for Inclusion.

Much Love and Appreciation,
Rengypsy

Happy Holidays

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:50:00 GMT

Greetings and well met! We had a phenomenal gathering earlier this month with 400-500 people showing. Some stayed in the camp grounds and worked on their clan camping areas. Some came for the Job Fair or Casting Call and departed when your tasks were done. But lots of you hung around for the pot luck […]

Greetings and well met!

We had a phenomenal gathering earlier this month with 400-500 people showing. Some stayed in the camp grounds and worked on their clan camping areas. Some came for the Job Fair or Casting Call and departed when your tasks were done. But lots of you hung around for the pot luck and music and socialized around the Seven Sisters until the wee hours of the night.

All day, I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness and a sense of contentment. As I looked around the grounds with hundreds of people out there on a December Saturday…what I saw was a community. What I heard were many different voices expressing the same satisfaction with the direction and future of Sherwood. What I felt was some real sense of “rightness” in our path to grow Sherwood into a stellar experience that far exceeds the faire, alone.

More than twenty people approached me during the day voicing the same sentiments, “this is home to me,” and my response was always the same, “yes, i am at home here, as well, brother/sister.”

I spoke to Robert Ray late in the evening after he had concluded a round of drumming . . . and in the discussion relayed to him a discussion George and I often have…that of ensuring that we don’t lose our souls amidst the business of Sherwood. And Robert responded, “We, on the renaissance circuit, are also talking about that and hoping yall can keep the balance and focus that Sherwood presently has.”

But, in truth, I feel fairly confident that we will remain loyal to the core principles we originally set out for Sherwood. We have both found ourselves in the corporate world…and yet, this is where we desire to spend our time. Sherwood is where we feel most complete and whole–among all of you! This is where we want our families to learn music, business, commerce, art, crafts, values, and a sense of tribe.

It’s around and within the energies of the Seven Sisters and all the trees that adorn Sherwood that we want our children to get a sense of community and family.

Circa Paleo rocked our lives that Saturday night. Their music, like so many other musicians of Sherwood, are a picture of what we cherish and hold dear.

Autouloucous and The Fool danced the spirit of the universe before us.

The drummers took our souls to a primitive place from whence all mankind once huddled around open fires.

Our tree dedication earlier in the day to the two among us whom we lost this year was a touching ritual we will continue.

I think we are just passing through this world…and it is important not to place too much value or importance in the significance of our own individual lives; but, what we leave behind–this, Sherwood, a magnificient statement of what we value and see as worthy of our time and effort–does hold some sense of spiritual importance…as it attests to the evolution of the human consciousness and spirit.

Sherwood does not belong to George and myself. It belongs to the collective soul of everyone who “paints” upon this mosaic. Sherwood is an living organism and we make up its varied parts.

We had a management meeting Friday evening. There was discussion on how to deal with incidents that could harm Sherwood, people who violated rules, dammaged the grounds, etc. Some suggested making hard and fast rules with written consequences. But we decided upon a different approach for now–expecting folk will be and act responsible.

We all need to be stewards of Sherwood. We all need to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We all need to embrace the nature that makes up Sherwood and pledge to protect it. We need to be noble about of role within Sherwood Tribe.

Our members need to protect and watch over our kids. We should give our elders the time and attention their age and wisdom deserves. Our tribal members should treat each other as we desire to be treated. Pick up trash. Care for the trees and animals. Hug each other often. Attend to the ailing amoung us. Bring our best to the tribe.

We are a living testimony that the world does not need to self-serving and all-taking/consuming. We are a witness that many from all walks of life can come together without weapons or having to lock the doors to their inner chambers of their souls. We are evidence that the spirit of man desires and wants to be close and loved and loving…as well as carefree and playful and crazy at times.

We love you. We thank you. We are continually humbled by the experience of having this moment in time-space to build something grand with and beside you.

Happy Holidays and see you at Faire,

Rengypsy

Trust

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:52:00 GMT

As I have walked around Texas Renaissance festival this season, I have been approached often by folk saying how much they like Sherwood and leaving us a bit of caution, as well. “Don’t lose your soul in the business,” said a lady to me this weekend. “Don’t get too large too quickly that you forget […]

It’s a discussion George and I have routinely. Don’t lose focus. Don’t become too blind by drinking your own Kool Aid. Hold fast to our core principles. Enjoy the experience—it was always about much more than a business venture.

The discussion moves me to a topic always near the surface—that of trust. We need your trust. We need to be able to trust you. Sherwood is very much a joint venture between all parties. We are all learning together. Thus, trust is necessary.

The study of ancient Greece during the Golden Age reveals the existence of temples of worship. And throughout the temple were portals which took one from the outside into the outer sanctum and then eventually into the inner sanctum. There were ceremonies and rites that the spiritual leaders would take place in as they were allowed into the deeper recesses of the temples…as they proved themselves worthy. I think of self much like a temple. The world sees the out structure. Some walk close enough to examine the details of the reliefs carved within its outer walls. A few even walk upon the steps and peer inward…wondering about what lays within. But only a few ever step into even the outer sanctum of our complex lives. And inside, deep inside, where we have constructed various mazes, locked passageways, and even traps to keep people from within our own tightly guarded inner sanctum.

But in truth, I think we long to trust one another. It is part of the human experience to be connected with others. We want to put up the pretense of being guarded, but what we want more than anything is to have our souls revealed before those we love . . . in all our frailties and shortcomings and lies . . . and still be accepted for who we are.

We come to Sherwood very open and trusting. When faced with an issue on whether to CLAMP DOWN and be more authoritarian, we have chosen to keep the reigns loose . . . as we want many good souls affecting how Sherwood evolves.

We want to trust that the Clans will govern their own. We want to trust that folk will clean up after themselves. We want to trust that Sherwood Forest Faire will be perceived as belonging to the greater tribe, thus, theft and destruction of property will be kept at a minimum. We want to trust each of you to keep us honest and on the right track.

We are approachable folk, by our natures; but, also, we work toward breaking down walls between the different parts of our grand experiment which is Sherwood. So, do let us know what you think. Be a part of this Faire’s creation and evolution. Come to the tribe with a strong sense and desire for trust. Give us your best and we, in turn, will give you our best. We are offering you the keys into Sherwood’s inner sanctuary. Walk therein with reverence and a profound knowledge that you are one of the keepers of Sherwood’s Light.

Rengypsy

Magic in the Air

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:32:00 GMT

Sherwood Forest Faire is a vibrant, alive and dynamic organism. It is changing, evolving, and in a constant state of becoming. George and I are transfixed at the its development…and feel very humbled to be even a small part of what is happening in these enchanted woods. I received an email from Lady Songbird shortly after one of the last gatherings that I want to share with you. It is a testimony of the spirit of something quite unique within this social and community experiment we are all engaged in at present:

We asked folk to come out and volunteer for four straight weekends recently. We didn’t expect many to show except for the one planned Gathering; and even up until the time we had posted for work to begin each Saturday morning, we talked among ourselves and said how it was likely few would make it. Yet, each Saturday, you astounded us with your numbers, with your love, with your dedicated work ethic, with your commitment to making Sherwood a better faire.

We finished the Mud Show Stage backdrop. We collected yaupon. We picked up sticks. We sowed (literally) a ton of rye grass seed. We ate pizza, drank soft drinks and beer; but more importantly, we talked and laughed and learned more about each other.

I have referred to Sherwood as an experiment many times…and I meant it. Our society is in flux. I think about it all the time. We are so alienated from each other. Our social fabric is frayed. The extended family is all but destroyed. We don’t know our neighbors anymore. And we have a desperate need to belong…

So here we are… each with that proverbial paint brush… and the canvas is Sherwood. We are all painting our desires, our wishes, our dreams upon this backdrop. Some are painting art. Others notes of beautifully orchestrated music. Still others scenes from plays being written within their psyches.

Our children are running around the grounds playing as children should with other kids. Few to no computer games. No TVs or radios. No Nintendos. Just conversations, imaginations, sticks seconding as swords or wands.

And what diversity!!! We are plumbers, carpenters, truck drivers, executives, school teachers, preachers, Christians, Wiccans, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Jains, Blacks, Whites, Native Americans, Hispanics, Gays, Straights, Transgenders, Artists, Athletes, crazies, sanes, and the list goes on and on.

I remember walking the streets of Amsterdam years ago… having been raised in central Texas… and having this amazing realization of how diversity can co-exist and thrive. We don’t need to put people in boxes…but rather, for the greatest creativity to occur, we need everyone free to be themselves and bring their best to our tribe.

Not a day goes by that I am not appreciative of the fates or providence or happenstance that has caused me to be among you within this strange and reinforcing family of Sherwood. I am the luckiest soul who’s ever been given the chance to breathe and experience this gift called life. I am proud to walk among you as an equal and as a friend and a brother.

We will soon be gathering again during our faire to celebrate what Sherwood has become. And every year hence, we will open our gates wide to the patrons and be inviting every one of them to enjoy the magic… and if they so choose, to join the family/the tribe… and be a part of something quite spectacular for years to come.

See many of you at TRF!!!

Hugs,

Rengypsy

Community Amidst a Business

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:46:00 GMT

Sherwood is a business. It is a desire of ours that the business is successful and prosperous. We have invested a fair amount of money and time and analysis to make this happen. But why a renaissance festival? Why not a fast food chain or a service industry business? Both George and I have been […]

Both George and I have been drawn to the middle ages and the renaissance era most of our lives. It’s partly because we are both romantics…and have a bit of chivalric blood running in our veins. It’s also because of the mixture of work and play. Who could dream of a better job than one where one’s work was considered their entertainment?

When I was just out of college, I became engrossed in Texas Renaissance Festival and went all the time. I worked SCA just so I could stay there over night. When I married, we started a retail business so we could spend more time at the faire…and there I learned something very powerful about faire business. I realized the purity of free enterprise in an eye-opening experience. No pretense. One could have fun while selling and making a living. One could mix the best of two worlds. Work hard. Play hard. Enjoy life. Celebrate this journey with others. Understand that some from the hippie culture found their space in the artisan and entertainment world of Faire. Live a bit under the radar.

I remember clearly sitting down at the Copper Rose one Saturday night after a long day on the sales floor of my booth. There were rennies playing “Magic” or some similar fantasy card game. I asked them if they enjoyed WoW or Everquest… and they looked puzzled at me… and asked, “does it look like our lifestyle allows us to stay “connected” to the internet? I felt a bit foolish. And I realized these were the gypsies of our time. They lived in tents and traveled the circuit almost year round. And I loved it. I gained a tremendous respect for their chosen lifestyle. The booth owners had found a bit more permanence in their once vagabond lives. They had campers, homes, running water, etc. At least, many of them. But they still lived off the grid. And their entertainment was seldom television—but rather a musical gathering of friends behind a booth at night.

As time passed, I was fortunate to employ folk to work my booths. I would work less and cook more. And at night, we would play music, explore the grounds, and participate in creating our own tribal rituals around our experiences at Faire. We engaged in hours and hours of dialogue.

The creation of Sherwood was to be the culmination of what I had learned and experienced about business and capitalism; but also, a desire to grow and expand on community. More folk. More minds. More hearts. More music. More dance and drums and art and dialogue…

Community is tough. The concepts, in theory, are wonderful; but, successful community experiments are rare. Too often ego gets in the way. Some cult figure takes people astray. Interpersonal struggles happen. Sharing and equality give way to regimes and rules and edicts and laws. Personal responsibility is lost if the individual is allowed to totally “be him/her-self”…because in the end, we are still animals not far removed from our primordial sludge. Thus, when irresponsibility occurs, an iron fist is usually brought down on all to bear…and the illusion of the ideal is crushed.

But I am an idealist. I think we can ascend to higher, mutually agreed upon goals. Fun, spirituality, creativity, fairness, respect, empathy, the golden rule, ethical consideration in business, holding others accountable for their actions as one agrees to be held accountable for his/her actions, the binding obligations of entering into a social contract with another.

We are on a great journey, you and I. We tout Sherwood as having no King. Our King is away in a distant land… and we govern ourselves. The responsibility of our behavior rests solely upon our shoulders. And what we create within Sherwood will be reflection of our minds, our hearts and our souls.

It is essential each of you who enter the community of Sherwood assume your responsibility of watch over this creation as you would a child of your own blood. It is important – no, paramount – that you bring to the gatherings and to faire your artistry and your love and your passion for life. We have decided that the business of Sherwood is not separate from the community of Sherwood. Embrace your role and responsibility in this exciting endeavor.

Our second season is just around the corner. Spread the word. The spirit of Sherwood grows as your commitment to Sherwood expands.

Peace (and see ya soon at TRF),

Rengypsy

Looking toward 2011

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:42:00 GMT

Six months from now the Second Annual Sherwood Forest Faire will open its gates and welcome in a new season of merriment, theatre and song. But more importantly, it will begin another year of growth and evolution for this social experiment in community. Well over two years ago, a vision was put forth in the […]

Well over two years ago, a vision was put forth in the form of a dream. It was to be the best a Renaissance Faire could be. It was to emphasize handmade crafts from artisans around the country. It was to be the collection of musicians and performers who would “get” what Sherwood was attempting to build… and would bring all they had to the faire. It was to be a festival that would dissolve so many lines between patrons and participants, between vendors and actors, between playtrons and patrons, between owners and everyone.

It was to be a faire which truly strove to have no despot who made decisions unilaterally. We wanted a real sense of community to grow. We wanted to offer every nerd, every playtron, every little kid with a dream of dragons and knights, every biker, every Goth, every Christian and Muslim and Buddhist and Pagan a place where they, like Norm in Cheers, could feel at home. Sherwood was to be a place of gypsies, of misfits with good hearts.

And here we are! Our numbers are growing. Our spirit is strong. Our commitment to the business and to the community is equally balanced.

We gather in the off season because we like each other. We agree that Sherwood should be different. We want our individual voices to be heard. We like to dance under the moon. We appreciate our differences. We understand the precepts of Robin of Loxley when he stood in the woods outside of Nottingham to fight for a bit of justice for the common man.

Some tell us that they feel the magic permeating these grounds. I must admit: I too feel a beautiful spirit here—be it something intrinsic within myself where Sherwood gives me hope that dreams and miracles can happen in this jaded world of here and now…or perhaps, there is an ancient spirit that was called to protect this place when all of you joined in this joyous journey.

I think we are blessed…to have a chance to make something grand. Something beautiful. Something bigger and better than the individual parts we each bring.

Each weekend, I take the 65 mile trip from my home to walk around Sherwood. I see so many of you there working on booths, volunteering of your time to build this or that…and I read the posts on Facebook and the Yahoo group about your exploits in regional and local parades…spreading the word and good will of Sherwood.

You make me cry. You make me believe. You make me know that I am where I should be…and I thank you.

Kahlil Gibran, in The Prophet, wrote of Friendship and said (paraphrased)…bring your best to those you love. And you have done that to your family within Sherwood Forest.

With deepest respect,

Rengypsy

Retrospect and Forward

Wed, 26 May 2010 05:45:00 GMT

i have spent the last six weeks dealing with my father having suffered a major stroke the last week of sherwood. it’s been a difficult time, to certain. the finiteness of our lives, the lack of control, the realities that we are all but grains of sand on a vast ocean…and waves wash us where […]

but amidst the struggles and sadness and moments of doubt and despair, i have often found myself wandering amidst the woods of sherwood’s first annual faire…and such memories have inspired me beyond belief.

were you there?
did you hear the drums or the music all about the pub?
did you dance?
did you feel the amazing spirit that permeated the forest?

my wife and i took our young boys to the inauguration of obama in january of 2009. we stood in the capital’s mall with over two million people. it was 24 degrees outside. the experience was overwhelming.

and yet, the season we found refuge in sherwood surpassed even that.

there was a magic about the experience.

i went back and read emails and orders and contracts dating back to 2008 regarding sherwood. all the work. all the planning. all the dreams of many that went into this year.

and here we sit. it’s over. no, it’s just begun.

we wanted the business to succeed; but, more importantly, we wanted to build community and a sense of tribe.

we made enough money to pay the bills. no profits. no extras. we are taking out another loan to build on the infrastructure–permanent toilets, more parking, and a great hall. we are committed to the future of sherwood and have invested pretty much everything we have.

but i am drawn back to my christian upbringing and teachings…when jesus said something to effect of “tear down the walls to the synagogue and the place of worship will still abide.”

sherwood is the culmination of a thousand people’s dreams and hopes. it’s the music and art and conversations and relationships which will outlive the physical structures built on the land.

sherwood is a testimony that we all want to belong and be accepted.
sherwood is the expression of our hearts and minds.
sherwood is the beginning of something greater than ourselves…

i received an email last week that brought me to tears. i asked the gentleman if i could share it in a blog and he agreed…so here it is:

“Dear Rengypsy,

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating Sherwood Forest Faire. I have lived all of my life in Texas and for decades I have heard about TRF and Scarborough, but I have never made it to either one of them for a visit.

By divine synchronicity, I met Sherry at a party last February and we struck up a conversation about spirituality, metaphysics and Ren Faires. She told me about Sherwood, that it was new and that it was opening within the week.

My first day to attend any kind of a faire was on March 20th, the day that cold front blew into Texas. I’d promised her I’d go, and after the rain blew through, I threw on my garb and headed out to McDade. The first thing I did after entering those gates was to go buy a warm cloak!

But, dear God, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. I have always loved history, and European culture, Medieval and Renaissance music, and the days of plain old manners. So this faire was just an absolute feast for my mind and senses.

But in that cold, I experienced a transformation. Sherry’s favorite place is the hookah tent and we went in there to get out of the wind. As everyone huddled for warmth, smoking and drinking, the music began to play. I was sitting just inches from the musicians of Circa Paleo. I felt transported back in time. Back when life was simpler, not easier, but simpler. When people didn’t live such isolated lives. When a person’s world was their village and everyone knew everyone else. And even though most folks there didn’t know me, they accepted me and welcomed me.

And I thought this must be what it was like all those centuries ago. Everyone would huddle in the local pub for warmth and wine and convivial company. A woman sitting on her lover’s lap, the villagers listening to the musicians, the barkeep serving up steaming hot liquids, and the dancers leading everyone in a chorus to the song.

And I felt I was a part of something larger, something primal, something that modern American society has lost and disconnected itself from. I really felt a part of the human tribe that day, and it was the most wonderful experience I had in years, if not ever.

I lasted 6 hours in that cold until I just had to go home to get warm. But I knew one thing for certain. That I would come back. I had to come back, like salmon to the river where they were spawned, driven by some primal instinct. I came back for both days of your closing weekend. On those days I really felt the Spirit of the Forest. I could feel everything alive, like a shaman can, and I could hear the spirits talking to me. Like the faerie of the woodlands, calling me to return again and again and again.

I attended churches regularly and faithfully for 22 years. And I volunteered and gave them so much of my time. But never in my life in those places did I feel what I felt in Sherwood Forest.

And I saw the most wonderful thing on the last day of faire. Two men, in full regalia, hand in hand. And this lonely man thought to himself, “this is what I want. I want to find love here. Because here, my love is not scorned. It is celebrated and welcomed and accepted.” And I have to tell you, I hate the modern bar scene. It’s just not a place for meaningful conversation and connection, at least not for me. But out in the forest, I believe I can find that love. I know it. Let the spirits lead me where they will. I will find it.

That Easter Sunday afternoon I was taking my cloaks out to the car and stopped by Two Spools to pick them up. I hugged Stacy then went inside to shake Chad’s hand. And that big ol’ pirate pulled me in for a hug. I was moved. And that’s when I knew.

I had found my family.

A new family, a new place to belong. To be where I was accepted and not judged. Where I didn’t have to prove myself. Where I don’t have to live in fear of being rejected or abandoned because I am not what someone else wants or expects me to be. To be where everyone is free to be who they are. How I have looked all my life for such a place. I had begun to think it was mythical. That only in the After Life could I find this. And then I came to Sherwood Forest.

And I’ve been reading your blog and I really resonate with your spiritual outlook on life and living. And everyone who has been going to faires for years has told me how completely unlike a first-year faire this is. And how spiritual it is and how there really is magic in this forest.

I am a dreamer, sir. I have been studying my dreams for over 20 years. And I had this dream that I was helping to build a castle in Sherwood Forest. A Norman castle with crenellated towers, a drawbridge and a moat. And a medieval garden inside the walls. Oh what a wonderful thing that would be!

And I read in your blog how you have these gatherings out there in the forest. And how I so want to be a part of this. And I will be there on June 12th. I don’t have much to offer you, sir. I am lousy with a hammer, but I can paint. I do not possess great physical prowess. But I will do what I can to make this dream keep coming alive. Because I want more of what I found in the Spring of 2010. And I want to get to know you all and help make these dreams come true.

I am yours sincerely,

David”

this, my friend, is what sherwood is about. and this is why our beautiful faire will continue to grow and prosper. it is a spiritual faire. it’s a human spirit that yearns for the best in the human experience and expression.

we are grateful and much humbled by your presence this year. we hope not to disappoint you in the developments and evolution of sherwood. we urge each of you to consider the faire as yours…to take some ownership and responsibility to mould and form and nurture the faire into what it can become.

we are planning for 2011. we will continue to have gatherings under the trees, within the seven sisters, around ye olde trip to jerusalem pub. bring your best to the tribe. lift up your cares and know that sherwood is as much your doing as ours.

send us your thoughts, criticisms, suggestions. tell others to join us in 2011…as there is always room for another within the protective walls of sherwood.

we love you. we appreciate you. we need you.

HUZZAH!!!!

rengypsy

What a Ride!

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:55:00 GMT

I haven’t written much lately. Apologies. But it is hard to write when living a dream. The allure is to dive head first into the dream and experience the wonderment of the colors and sounds, the feelings all about that tickle and warm. Dear sojourners, this has been an unbelievable excursion into the realm of […]

Sherwood is alive with its own unique spirit. George A. texted me yesterday as he sat beside the Seven Sisters watching birds, feeling the cool breeze blow over him, and said, “It’s hard to leave this place.” I responded, “Soon, we will just stay.”

We have been so touched by the gracious love and acceptance of the people who have to come to these woods as patrons, vendors, entertainers, workers.

My faire days are spent observing, interacting with everyone, asking how their experience has been…and the responses are almost universal—“”Wonderful. I feel at home.”

And the exit surveys have remained “over the top”…with “friendliness” rising to the top of what patrons like best.

I was told several stories this last weekend I wish to share: the first came from a patron who had stopped in McDade gas station on their way to the faire. They were in garb. When the gentleman was walking in to pay, an old grizzly farmer/rancher guy walked up to him and said, “you’re headin’ to that faire, aren’t ya?” The patron replied, “Well, Well yes sir, I am.” And the older man said, “Them there are good folk. They have done a good thing for us around here. Good for business. No troubles. They are gonna put McDade on the map. We like them a lot.” One of the workers of the faire, a rennie who works the circuit, relayed another similar comment about the locals, “The people at that Whoop Station on highway 21 have been nothing less than great to all of us camping and working out here. They have extended their hours. They have welcomed us with open arms and have gone out of their way to accommodate our needs. That’s rare on the circuit.”

One last conversation to share…

At the end of the third weekend, we had kind of met the benchmark in first year attendance dreams—Saturday exceeded 5,000. Sunday was a bit over 3,000. All the stages had been filled. Vendors made a bit of money. The Faire was even looking good for the weekend relative to cash flow. It was a time of celebration. So, after the fireworks, I found my coat and headed to Reo’s, a cantina just outside the faire grounds that caters to the folk who work the faire—more of a place to enjoy music and fellowship after a long weekend. As I was sitting there, a female vendor came up to me and sat down. She said, “I have been on the road doing faires for twenty-five years…and this is my best faire. I love it. Thanks.” Very Powerful testimony to what’s happening in this forest setting.

We are humbled by the experience. We take to heart all the comments and suggestions. We do not let the accolades go to our heads…because we do believe this is a collective journey…and Sherwood has no King. We look around and see what was accomplished and know that without so many volunteers and dedicated believers in this dream that Sherwood would not be what it is today.

From the start, we wanted to support a not-for-profit that attends to the social and medical emergencies that arise within the rennie community—a 501©3 called, RESCU. At larger faires around the country, RESCU holds RESCU Rallies behind the faire scene for rennies. Entertainers volunteer. Vendors contribute wares for an auction. And a good time is had some nite after faire. So, we made it clear that RESCU was gonna be sponsored by Sherwood and we wanted them to let us know what we could do to facilitate their fund raising. Rallies are not held at first year faire, but they met our request and held one this last Saturday evening, even though the temp was dropping into the mid thirties. The results of the rally exceeded some faires that have been up and running for 20+ years. This is just another testimony to the spirit and soul that everyone is bringing into Sherwood.

George and I, along with many of our management team members, walk through the patron campgrounds at nite to meet folk. Exciting times happening on Friday and Saturday nites. Good, decent people who also are bringing a wonderful spirit to Sherwood. We love yall.

Thanks so much for being a part of this experience. We are tearfully appreciative and hope our paths will be parallel ones for years (and centuries) to come.

Rengypsy

Beautiful Beginning

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:28:00 GMT

The First Annual Sherwood Forest Faire is well under way. We are dreaming in color and three dimensions. We’ve pinched ourselves many times to see if we will wake up, but the dream just persists…and so many of your shining, beautiful faces are all around us in this dream. It’s been amazing trip to get […]

It’s been amazing trip to get us to this point.

Our attendance numbers have exceeded 7,500 for the first two weekends. The exit surveys have been over the top. We have addressed glaring shortcomings (ie. too few restrooms, need for more trash cans, better parking directions, signage)…and we will continue to work diligently toward making Sherwood a first class entertainment venue for Texas.

Our internal goals for Sherwood are extremely high. Our business principles are: (1) Authenticity, (2) Quality, (3) Family Orientation, (4) Fun, (5) Respect, (6) Support of the arts, music, and theatre.

Our forest is magical. It is magical because we entered it with the deepest respect for nature, for protecting the wonderment of what was there before we arrived. It’s magical because it is a place where many people have built their individual dreams. It’s magical because there is a strong sense of community being developed here. It’s magical because magic attracts magic. Love attracts love. Peace attracts peace. Trust attracts trust.

The world too often has been jaded and has lost any belief in miracles or dreams coming true. But dear friends, Sherwood is a physical and spiritual manifestation of the power of many people hoping, desiring, and, hand-in-hand, building something spectacular that will outlive our own lives.

I am taken back to the streets of England twenty two years ago when I watched stone masons working on one of great cathedrals of the old country. I stood there as skilled masons chiseled away at rock…and realized the original builders started a work they would not see finished in their life time. They were building something more substantial–something to stand for centuries.

George and I, with your help and commitment, are building Sherwood for centuries to come. We know property values go up…and the allure is to cash out for great profits; but, George and I have had long discussions about our mission, our purpose for Sherwood. And we want our kids and your kids– kids for generations to come–to be humble caretakers of the vision of Sherwood.

We are dreaming with you. We feel your passion, your respect, your bathing praise for just allowing Sherwood to have a life of its own…over and beyond what structures we build.

It’s such a spectacular journey walking beside you. Each day of faire, before, during and after, George and I are touched beyond belief by your energies.

We find ourselves in tears by the warmth of each of you. Sherwood is yours. It is built on firm foundation of a respect that we are all on this journey together and each of us has a means to make the experience more meaningful.

Sherwood is a journey of shared responsibilities, shared work, shared vision, shared hopes.

Embrace this Forest. Bring your best to this experiment of business, entertainment, community, art, music and love.

Tell us what we can do to make the experience even better, more meaningful. Swim with us in the deep waters…and know the fullness of this excursion.

Sherwood is strong. It’s spirit, it’s soul, it’s family, is well-rooted in fertile soil…and will continue to grow, fed by your energies.

Thank you for making this venture a heart-felt one that has changed us in so many ways.

Humbly and most respectfully, your servants,

Rengypsy and Lord Antioch

Providence or Chance

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:02:00 GMT

Last night around 5:30pm, I sat in George A’s office adjacent to his home in Houston as he signed the partnership agreements and various and sundry other legal documents which made him half owner in the land and a major partner in the ownership of Sherwood. George A is an accomplished businessman. He is a […]

George A is an accomplished businessman. He is a respected consultant. An Aggie. A Harvard graduate. And has been attending TRF since he was in high school. At the very core of his heart and soul, he is a paladin knight.

He reads the same fantasy books as I do. At forty, he still revels in games and ideas and holds a belief that we can meld best business practices with the wonderful experience of Faire.

I met him in June or July of this year during one of Sherwood’s Gatherings. He had actually arrived earlier that Saturday morning to pick up sticks and help clear the grounds with Zane and other volunteers.

He was on one of the four tours of the grounds I was giving. He walked beside me and asked questions and cheered and lifted his tankard when the vision of Sherwood was shared with the thirty some-odd folk walking in the group.

Later that evening, he approached me and said he wanted to be a part of Sherwood. I said I appreciated that and mentioned that I hoped a lot of folk would be a part of faire. He replied, “No, I mean I want to be a part of Sherwood in a big way! Like building a watchtower with
a pub in the ground floor.” I responded, “We should talk.” And later that next week, we visited. I met him at his house in Houston. We spoke for five hours. I felt I had known him all my life. We connected on so many levels.

We met a couple of times out on the faire grounds and talked all day.

I don’t know how many of you have been in a business partnership, but the rule of thumb is: “don’t, unless it’s absolutely necessary.” But it all felt too right. I am not a control freak. I don’t have to have my way all the time. I don’t have to possess or own everything. So, we courted one another as prospective business partners.

While I had attempted buying TRF years ago, George A had been pursuing the purchase of Scarby. We each had decent knowledge of these two very successful faires.

And thus, the journey I was on was taking a quite different path–a partnership, a sharing of ideas/control/ownership. And there was never a moment that it felt wrong or out of balance.

He brought passion and the love of the faire to the table. He brought business experience in marketing, as well as fantastic analytical skills to the team. And, he brought his spirit and his soul as a brother to Sherwood.

Rengypsy