Looking toward 2011
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 […]
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 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
