FAQ
Why was your gate fee set as it was?
Why is there a Weapons Policy?
Why wasn't I allowed to bring my pet in?
I had difficulty finding/following directions to the site.
There wasn't much shade...
I/We had an issue with lack of disability access.
Is your story improv or scripted?
Some of your actors appeared pretty intoxicated, were they?
I couldn't find some of the performers listed in the program.
I have comments about the Jousters or stage/wandering performers.
How come there was a lack of games, rides
& demos?
The food wasn't authentic to the period.
I liked/didn't like Vendor quality/product.
Can you control/limit religious items offered by vendors?
What was the deal with the family handing out flyers?
Lost and Found
Have a question that's not answered here? Contact us.
Why was your gate fee set as it was? : It was set at $10.00 ($7 for kids) based on the original survey that was set up 3 years ago. We had a lower price on that survey originally but it was never clicked so we changed the survey to reflect that. Our gate fee is less than a single stage show and one of the cheapest prices for a renfest in North America. Most renfests have a $12 and above admission. We can not have a free admission as we would have to charge the vendors more in order to be there, thus driving up the cost of product and over 2-3 years we will lose the vendors and the revenue. This estimation comes from a number of local and provincial statistics of festivals and tourism projects.
Why is there a Weapons Policy?: Our policy is clearly stated in the program book and on our webpage. The peace bonding is to ensure attendees' and performers' safety. The only time a weapon should be unsheathed or pulled out is when it is being used by one of our storyline performers or on a stage. Three times someone went against that policy (and you know who you are) and they were taken care of. In future we plan on having a bigger security team on the grounds and at the gate. Vendors have already had a 'secure bought weapons' clause in their vendor contracts and should be holding by it. As far as we know they have and we are proud of that. Like other renfests we would like to avoid a 'no weapons on your person' policy (that a few others have been forced to do) and hope that in the future all will respect the weapons policy.
Why wasn't I allowed to bring my pet in?: The Pet Policy was put up on the webpage months ago and is a common renfest policy. Due to a personal experience as well, we could not allow pets as we did not want a repeat of the incident. When it comes to animals on the grounds we can not allow them to roam freely. As much as that would be authentic it is not deemed safe nor insurance friendly. Thank you so much to the people who understood and either made their pets comfortable in their cars or brought them back home and returned.
I had difficulty finding/following directions to the site.: Our location was an awkward one and we used the address our conjunction festival gave us to use. We are sorry if that was confusing. The webpage directions were based on the various services that 'direct people' and have been on the webpage this whole time. If you got misplaced, we are sorry. We hope to be able to support a more ideal location once we can acquire a permanent site.
There wasn't much shade...: Yes the property did not allot for much shade. We are talking about possibilities for next year.
I/We had an issue with lack of disability access: Once more the property was our downfall. We are looking into what to do for next year.
Is your story improv or scripted?: The answer is both. We are following an already existing format for successful renfests throughout North America. A script is written but it is constantly improv 'd in order to keep things personal and lively. The main rule is to work with your audience and let them know that you are amongst them. We also have very little ways to tell if another character is there and ready for the next character. There has to be improv in order for characters to arrive and continue the story. We have had much praise and we are very happy with our actors learning how to go from script to improv back to script.
Some of your actors appeared pretty intoxicated, were they?: Not a single actor touched anything with alcohol content during the hours of operation. Drinking vessels were filled with water, cool-aide and various juices NOT alcohol.
I couldn't find some of the performers listed in the program.: A number of our performers were coming from various areas and due to problems (one case a vehicle, another case the problem with the ferries, etc.) some of them did not make it. There was also a sudden change in Command team staff in order to resolve some issues created by an outside force. We lost a few of our performers in the shuffle but we gained a few others last minute.
I have comments about the Jousters or stage/wandering performers.: Their stage shows are their own and as much as we do want to hear about the great stuff (so we can bring them back) it is not our job to pass on compliments or criticisms to them. Please take the time to let them know directly if you liked or didn't like the show.
How come there was a lack of games, rides & demos?: There were many more games and rides planned and created. Unfortunately we did not have enough volunteers to run them as well as some of our volunteers we did "have" didn't show up. There was a slew of demonstrators set to arrive and they never did either. We have been told that there was pressure from their social group to stay away as we are not part of their group. We were not aware of any of this until it was too late.
The food wasn't authentic to the period.: Most period foods and items are difficult to make and/or find and are not popular enough to convince a food vendor to carry. As much as our goal is to increase the number of vendors we can not convince them to sell items that are not in their best interest. We hope to attract food vendors similar to our US and Canadian counterparts and provide more and more selection.
I liked/didn't like Vendor quality/product: Completely beyond our control. They are responsible for their own product and if you have complaints (or compliments) we recommend that you contact them directly. Most of them can be found on our vendors page. If you have compliments we'd love to be CC' d the info so we will know who to pursue next year.
Can you control/limit religious items offered by vendors?: We have been asked to limit such items. We can not do so. If an item is influenced by history or has images and symbols on it that did exist during the Renaissance then it is within the vendors' right to sell that item. Canadian Law does also cover this issue. If you wish to see something in particular and it is historically influenced please help us out by finding the right vendors for such things. We can only feature vendors who approach us in order to be part of the renfest.
What was the deal with the family handing out flyers?: We do not know who they are or what they were 'promoting'. As the parking area is not officially part of either festival (it is public space) neither group could do anything about it.
Lost and Found: There were a few items left on the property. If you feel that it is something of yours please let us know.
