Something is different about this faire experience!
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 […]
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!
