Renfests have been around for a while now. And like any other art form, they need a framework and they need elements in the framework.

You can say it's all for fun, but nonetheless, after a while bawdy songs and fake accents jokes are not enough to keep people coming back. It seems to me that authentic music and crafts would a natural 'new element'.

That said, I want to describe my latest visit to a renfaire.

1. $16 to get in. (that was 3 hours pay for me at the time)

2. to see lots of booths selling clothes that would never fit me

3. didn't see certain interesting exhibits (e.g., Raptor Rescue)because mgmt left them off the map

4. saw one harper doing variations on the C major chord. Saw a duo (hammer dulcimer plus fiddle) playing a jig. Both acts wanted money, of course.

5. got hassled by a guy not-playing a rebek. Hadn't even tuned it, didn't know how to play it. Ugly, ugly sound! He kept following us till I put my hand up like a cop stopping traffic to say 'Leave me alone.'

6. Watched the jousting till a rider got thrown and dragged across the ground with his foot caught in a stirrup. Sis and I looked at each other and said, "Let's not watch this."

7. Enjoyed a concert by a man playing a huge set of bells. Not authentic, but still quite good.

8. Thought I might buy a piece of pottery, but the seller ignored me for so long that it gave me time to realize how uniform and machine-made the pieces actually were.

9. When we left, a dozen musicians showed up to smile broadly and play "Greensleeves" at the exit. Where had they been all afternoon?

Yes, I think it's definitely time to 'freshen up' that particular fair.