I heard many preformers say great things about the planning and exacution of the faire this year, and as a preformer myself, it was a pleasent experince.

Honestly ladystardust, you can let this drop already, the faire was a big hit in Janesville, in spite of your bashing. YOU LOST! The faire and the community won by enjoying an affordable event that brought in bussiness.

Your wannabe faire was sad and you lost many friends because of your poor event planning skills. Maybe next year you will have a better system of obtaining and keeping vendors.
Have a good day!

Wait, on second thought, after reading through multiple other posts that you have made, I do know who you are. Your criticism is not constructive. Please stop slandering the event.

ladystardust,
I'm an the co-owner of this event and neither myself or my business partner went to Bristol with you to get the idea. I don't know who you are and frankly, I don't want to.

Have a good day!

Thanks, proartist.

Business wasn't very good at my food stand where I featured:

Deep Fried Lard

Soup ON A Stick***

Bunny-Ka-Bob

*** Free seconds for Soup On A Stick (Offer good only on day of purchase with original stick.)

Oh and my family of 6 LOVED the Janesville Renasance Faire. We went on Saturday and had a ton of fun. The kids area was of special interest to us and we spent a great deal of time there.Wish it hadn't been so windy, but you can't control mother nature. But all in all, I was impressed...and Lady it may not be your beloved Bristol Faire, but it was DEFINATLY worth going to.
*
Great job to all involved!

Actually, I think a 12 year who came up with the comparison was very smart, it didn't seem at all to be a bad remark. It just stated a obvious question. Too bad the lady is such a sour puss. I guess she just can't take what she perceives to be criticism from a kid. Glad she is not my friend. I wouldn't want to be friends with someone who tried to turn people away from a event I was trying to put on.

ladystardust, you are mistaken..I did indeed help a friend of mine push a stroller through the grass all the while holding a bottle of root beer, and several other things...it was not difficult at all. I have even pushed a stroller through much much worse terrain than that, such as out a Thresherman's park, not only is it hilly, but it can be a mud pit if it rains. Never once did I not manage to push it.
*
Also if your friends with the people who helped to create this faire, why are you knocking it down so...stating it "is a sad attempt to bring culture to Janesville"? Instead I would think you would give them your full support and do all you could to help make it a even better faire. Oh and please don't be so mean and downgrade a kids healthy opinion ( I am glad she cares to take a interest in such topics and likes to take part in a healthy discussion of current events), just because she came up with a few good questions to your first post, doesn't mean she is being snide or anything else...it was just a question she wanted to know the honest answer to, not at all being snide or sarcastic.
*
Thanks again to all of those who made our visit to the faire enjoyable. Loved the pizza booth, I was a little afraid to try 2lbs of turkey (thought I might get sleepy and want to take a nap in one of the tents LOL)oh and I must have missed gfans booth...I really wanted some bunny kabob, oh well there is always 4H fair :)

Thank you all who came to the faire! I enjoyed interacting with the patrons. I also pushed a stroller over the grounds with my grandson in it. We never had an access problem.

I was on the grounds until 8:30 last night helping take down tents and pack up. That's a chore that makes you appreciate the efforts of the organizers. A lot of work for 2 days of fun.

Time to set sail for Port Washington's Pirate Fest.

gazettefan: Culvers (burgers, salads,custard etc.) offerings and pizza just didn't seem to fit but were an attraction for many. Among favorites sighted were the 2 lb. turkey legs attracting carnivores while baked potatoes with toppings were available for the vegetarians. There was the always popular kettle corn and giant dill pickles came with jokes and fun; soda, beer, root beer, plus various other historically-correct libations were available. Compared to some other Janesville events, the variety was wonderful. Only disappointment was seeing some of the re-enactors walking about on the grounds smoking. I can't begin to tell everyone how incredibly well this was organized, how much fun it was with constant entertainment, how many visitors were from Milwaukee, Madison, and elsewhere, spectacular costumes and demonstrations, and I ENCOURAGE others to come to the Renaissance Faire next year for living history and very inexpensive, memorable day out!

Any comments on the cuisine?

Ah-ha! Sounds like a case of sour grapes.

Gypsy Geoff was even better this year than last. That man is hysterical :) My kids and I enjoyed the Faire very much. It's a nice way to spend a lovely May day and gear up for the eventful summer. Pirate fest is next on our list and we're looking forward to our trip to Port Washington. I'm not sure if we'll make it to Bristol this year or not. We may just skip it and try an SCA event.

twerp13 how would u know the strollers manuevered fine? Did you push one? NO? Then you don't know what your talking about. It's easy to WATCH people push strollers in the grass, but it's harder than it looks. And your the one who kept bringing up your daughter, and her obvious statements. Of course I know there was no stroller paths in the ren age, that's the beauty of Bristol, it's the past married to the present. They also sell soda and beer, and use electricity to keep the beverages cold. I could go on and on stating the "obvious" just like a 12 year old. Don't mean I'm smart or that she is either. I have to compare the faires because I've been to Bristol FIRST unlike YOU and because I know the people who run the faire and they got the IDEA from going to Bristol with ME! So I am allowed to compare the two and obviously Janesville's isn't that great because oh look at that the weekend is over and the faire is gone. Whoopdee doo.

I had a great time with our family today. We spent less than I anticipated we would.
I have not been on a vacation since 2005...

All work and no play...
(sigh)..

ladystardust, we do intend to go to Bristol, and I am sure we will enjoy it, but for a local event, our faire did just fine. There were people speaking with accents, and there were entertainers walking throughout the crowd. Maybe it wasn't as much as Bristol is, but it was indeed fun.
*
As for your comments towards my 12 year old daughter...shame on you. She was just stating the obvious...you can't compare the faires (there is a totally different atmosphere about them, and they didn't have strollers to worry about back then, and she thought it was silly to worry about a path for them. Gosh to step so low as to pick on a kid's opinion sheesh.
*
Oh by the way we did see others there that had strollers and there was no problem with them maneuvering through the cut grass alright. You really did miss a good time, small as it was I kinda got into it. It made for a wonderfull afternoon.
*
Enjoy Bristol, perhaps we will see you there.

nurse4u- I 'm sure you spend way more than $400 on your annual 'vacation' or whatever leisure activity you look forward to all year. Bristol is my "vacation" I have never been to the ocean, heck I haven't even left the time zone. I am content spending an awesome weekend in Bristol and Kenosha so that I can escape the daily modern dramas. Bristol is worth it. The Janesville faire isn't worth $7 a head because when I walk in there aren't really "actors" speaking in the proper dialect, there aren't random performers entertaining people walking by, and there isn't even a joust. I'm just saying for anyone who hasn't been to either faire to just skip this one and save up for Bristol.
*
twerp13- Im sure you had a good time. You said yourself you've never been to a ren faire before so you have nothing to compare your experience to. Check out Bristol sometime then talk to me about how much fun you had here.
If you really want your daughter to enjoy the full rennaissance experience (as you keep bringing her up and her snide comments) take her to Bristol.

WOW what a good time we had today. I want to thank all of the people who were so kind to tell us about their booths . In particular we liked the sisters who were sitting in their ten squabbling back and forth. My daughter loved getting to throw axes and knives and to see the falcons up close. I think the highlight of her day was actually trying on the armor and getting the homemade root beer.
*
I also want to thank the young man who was our guide this morning. He greeted us at the gate and led us to several booths, while telling us a bit about the faire. I did have a bit of a time, trying to talk as the faire folk did...but it was fun to try. We learned soooo much.*
Thanks again...we will be back next year, maybe even in period clothing.

The Janesville Renaissance Faire vs the Bristol Renaissance Faire is kind of like the Beloit Snappers vs The Milwaukee Brewers. They are different leagues, but the same form of entertainment. I recall going to the Bristol Faire before they had indoor plumbing and before they switched from Coke to P*psi products. I'd rather have Diet Coke than flush toilets at the Faire.
.
If you are counting your coins this year, the Janesville Faire will save you $10+ on admission and gas money for nearly 3 hours time in the car. You don't get as much as the bigger Faire, but you don't pay as much. A smaller local faire like this allows performers and artists who may not be able to commit to 9 consecutive weekends plus Labor Day to attend. It also is nice for people with limited mobility who cannot comfortably cover the larger area of rough sloping grounds at Bristol. The smaller sized crowd allows more time to talk to individuals. I spent sometime watching a clothing maker and learned quite a bit about linen the last time I was at the Janesville Faire.
.
If you are planning on going to Bristol anyways, the Janesville Faire will help take the edge off waiting until July 11th, when it opens. Of course, if you insist on big Faire entertainment in May, head south for the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. It's only an hour south of Dallas http://www.scarboroughrenfest.com/
.
If the Janesville Faire can sustain growth, Riverside park would be a nice venue. I can imagine jousting on the golf course "fairway" ☺. Big Hill Park, north of Beloit off Afton Road, would be another nice location.

(In regards to toileting) To get the true feel of the Ren faire~you need a chamber pot or a handy tree/bush!!

ladystardust~ you state that you are taking $400 to Bristol, & That you can NOT afford Janesville's faire because it is too expensive. IMO~$400 is ALOT of money, especially in these hard economic times.

ladystardust: When I said that Janesville's Ren Faire was not a tourist destination, I meant that it was not a permanent set up that came complete with period buildings. Bristol has all of that and it runs 9 weekends during the summer...whereas Janesville has it 1 weekend a year, and makes due at a city park...the two faires are completely different in those aspects. It is sad that you feel the need to put Janesville's down. I am sure they are just trying to do the best they can, until they are bigger and can afford to do things in a way more like Bristol (that is if that is what they want to be like, after all maybe they are happy being a smaller faire without as much work that a faire like Bristol requires)
*
As for it being expensive I don't think that $5.00 a person (using the $1 off coupon I got at the farmers market) is all that much to pay. Sure food, and some entertainment might be extra, but hey it is close to home and I save money on gas. It is a great staycation. As for the port a pottys (even though they are blue plastic) I think they are more true to the feeling of the time...after all flush toilets were not around back then LOL. Perhaps if they made the pottys into a little straw covered shack it would blend in better for those who need period looking buildings.
*
I hope to have a good time tomorrow when we attend. I don't plan on spending much (as you said it is tough times), but a afternoon of strolling through a park filled with the sights and sounds of a past era sounds good to me. I may spend a coin or two and buy a souvenir.

Wow. I know that this faire isn't what Bristol is, but lets keep things in perspective!! I'm sure when the Bristol Ren Faire first started, things weren't quite as professional as they are now. But year after year, things improve. More people hear about the faire, and more people get involved. Bristol didn't happen overnight, neither will the Janesville faire. But as a huge fan of Bristol, I'm excited that someone is trying to something similar here in town. Kudos!!!

as i was reading these posts i just stopped to comment. i cant beleive what some were saying.this i thought was suppose to be something to talk about people enjoyed.you got one posting about hurting a child and punishments and another running it into the ground.ive never been to a ren fair, because i dont enjoy those kind of things but i dont think i will have anything negative to say about it.for those of you who enjoy these type of outings have a great time,for you two, and you know which two you are. you just stop it and be nice and quit trying to ruin these other folks good time.

sssshhhhhh

Yes, hannah, as appetizers we have small portions of deep fried lard on a stick.

And, Mikki, we have over a thousand herbs and spice to choose from including baco-bits and cupcake sprinkles to sprinkle on our deep fried lard. And as always, you are allowed to bring your own.

I will be there on Sunday!

twerp13 what would you call the Janesville Ren Fair? NOT a tourist destination geared toward a complete experience with trained entertainers? Yes it is a small event one weekend a year, and yes it may not be fair to compare the two fairs (lol) You can go and waste your money I don't care. You can go and spend even more money to prove someone somewhere a point. I don't care. I just thought that people should know there are two sides to every story and that if there are newbies who've never been to the Ren fair before thinking about going they should just skip this one and save up for Bristol.

Yes I am well aware of the time difference. I was just sharing my experiences. Bristol has gravel paths (walk ways) or streets as you might say, traxler park is a park. Full of grass. It's difficult pushing a stroller in it there for it's difficult for young mothers to enjoy the experience with their children. I have friends who run the faire and I know they work hard trying to bring something different to Janesville. They know what I think, because they asked me. I have told them my constructive criticism they fully understand, unlike Mikki. I was just stating my observation and announcing that I will not attend this year because a. it's impractical and difficult to be mobile b. it's too expensive in these hard economic times and c. it's not as entertaining or fun as Bristol. I love the Renaissance Fair but Janesville's is sad and not worth the time or energy. Go ahead and find out for yourselves, no accents, drunk guys in kilts, overpriced vendors and no shade. Oh yea and the Port O Pottys really add to the "feel" of going back in time. At least Bristol has real bathroom buildings with sinks and running water.

ladystardust...just so you know, nowadays, we HAVE cars, and trains, and you know what? We even have airplanes!
Your little judgmental attitude is funny. This is MAKE BELIEVE. If you don't think so, up your meds.

Ladystardust, although I have never been to a "faire", I can't imagine that you could compare a weekend event in Janesville to a tourist destination that is geared toward a complete experience with trained entertainers. As I read this to my daughter she said that it would be like comparing apples to oranges...and she asked since when does a Renaissance town have stroller paths, thought they weren't invented yet.
*
We will be going and I hope to learn a few things about that time period. And maybe get to gfans booth for that bunny kabob...mmmm I am getting hungry.

the "faire" at Traxler Park is not that great, I have gone the last two years, paid an outrageous admission for me and my children and had to trudge around in the grass pushing a stroller (there are no path ways) half of the "Rennies" did not speak in any sort of accent and everything was overpriced and almost cheaply represented. I will not attend this faire but I will be going to Bristol in July because that is a REAL REN FAIRE, where you don't see cars or hear trains going by, where there are actual Rennaissance buildings and entertainment. I will be taking at least $400 to Bristol because they have hand made crafts, clothes and trinkets and the people there are awesome and devote their entire lives to their craft. The "Horde"'s wanna be ren faire is just a sad attempt at bringing "culture" to Janesville. Maybe if they had the faire at Riverside Park it would make a world of difference, where you actually feel like your in another time period.

g-fan....will you put sprinkles on the lard? Or dip in chocolate?

Right, twerp.. and Deep Fried Lard.

And don't forget: Free seconds for Soup On A Stick.*

*Offer good only on day of purchase with original stick.

My wagon is being loaded with the garb and necessities my family will need at the Faire this weekend. After my twins finish their studies and my husband his labor for the day we will journey to Traxler. Once there we will set up camp.
Please wander over to the Northern Horde's encampment and learn a little about siege weapons. For a few coins you may have a friend put in the stocks! I look forward to seeing you there.
Kilda of the Northern Horde

gfan...let me guess..soup on a stick & bunny kabobs right.LOL

Would anyone like to hear about my food tent?

This should be fun. My husband and I attended one in Novato, CA a number of years back. I was commenting to him how it would have been cool to live back in the middle ages. Without warning, a guy in full costume lept from behind a tree and chastised me. "What say ye, wench, thost like to live in these times? Dost thost not know of the unspeakable living conditions, the suffering, the short life expectancy?" I'm like, "Dude, have a little more grog and some more meat on a stick!" It was fun to watch the intensity of the players. We were just dressed in 20th century attire, as were many of the attendees.

Will there be a mead tent?

You don't actually have to dress up to go, you know.

MIKI: you had me laughing about that one....., but we will attend anyways and take our chances. Never been to one before sounds like fun and it can be a extra credit project for my middle schooler who is studying it right now. I know her class is planning a trip to medieval times in Chicago as well, so as to help the kids understand the time period better. What better way to learn than hands on, living and breathing it for a afternoon.

I've always wanted to go, but that guy from FreeCreditReport.com kinda scares me.

I saw this in a family on wife swap! It's really weird, but to each his own!

The one I went to in Florida in April was amazing. Hopefully I will have off and be able to check this one out too.

gmao, me to. I am planning on going saturday. I really want to go to Bristol but never get the time.

It's tons of fun but my favorite is the Port Washington Pirate Festival the first weekend of June. www.portpiratefestival.com

I've never been to one, but have ALWAYS wanted to attend. I'm taking the grandkids!

I love the renaissance faire and I plan on attending!

Here is the website for the Janesville Renaissance Faire
http://www.jvlfaire.com/