SCARBOROUGH FAIRE |
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HOME TEXAS REGIONS | |||
Near the town of Waxahachie in the county of Ellis south of the town of Dallas a 16th Century English Village comes alive every Spring, celebrating a Renaissance Festival called Scarborough Faire. Covering an area which seems as large as Six Flags (but with free parking) with over 200 Artisans and Crafts Stores, with Shows in 22 different venues, with Entertainment ranging from a Mud Pit Theatre in the Ground to Singing Executioners (very Texas appropriate) to Jousting (both men's and women's) to dozens of Purveyors of various Food and Drink items, from Smoothies to Beer, from Spinach Pie to Jalapeno Poppers from Fried Peasant Bread to Baklava with blessedly very little, if any, authentic English food. |
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APRIL 4 - MAY 25, 2015 |
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Note: Several Scarborough Faire participants have emailed with interesting comments such as "you have quite a few incorrect references". However, none of the anguished missives seem able to elaborate many of these supposed incorrect references. So, after reading the various comments the only change to the original text has been that a character misnamed Stretch has now been correctly named Scratch. However, the original version of this Eyes on Texas look at Scarborough Faire has been altered to add some of the comments from Scarboroughites. Those comments are in the same color as the text you are now reading. Retorts to the comments follow in brown text. Note #2: We received many emails verbalizing enjoying reading the additional input of those with opinions about the following photos and comments. You can now read many of the emails and newsgroup postings and additional comments. Note #3: A fresh complaint from a new email---" I do HATE that you refer to it as Scarbo...it's very demeaning sounding. The term Scarby is the correct nickname for Scarborough Faire. To continue to call it Scarbo shows a lack of consideration. " |
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click a thumbnail to view a photo Scarborough Faire is known for its many Ladies and Wenches dressed to creatively display their Rubinesque figures. It is also known for its many Men in Tights. But heaving bosoms seem to greatly outnumber Men in Tights. Here we see Selena and Bast, with Selena being the Wench on the left. |
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Bearing a striking resemblance to a woman of regal splendor and ravishing beauty, this is the Queen. This likely means the guy in purple is the King. | |||
Click for directions and a Scarborough Faire Location Map | |||
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This may be either a Lady or a Wench. It is not known if one can be both. |
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Many of the Wenches have their drinking vessel secured to their midsection. This lovely Wench listened as a group of Troubadours serenaded her. | |||
Soon upon entry, prior to realizing the entry fee was a bargain, it seemed aggravating to come upon attractions requiring an additional fee, such as the Tower of Yorkshire which is some sort of castle where things go on which are not suitable viewing for children, according to the PG-13 warning on the entry sign. | |||
In many places Scarborough Faire has the look of Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. Which seems appropriate since the day of this visit is Pirate Adventure Weekend. | |||
I just read your article on Scarborough Faire and would like to point out there is one picture taken at the Texas Renaissance Festival near Houston, not Scarborough Faire near Waxahachie. The picture has a comment about the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.
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Restaurants selling Fajitas and Jalapeno Poppers. All standard fare in Merry Olde England. | |||
Members of the Royal Entourage walking among the people. | |||
A Lord and Lady on the right and a pair of 21st Century Ladies on the left. | |||
The Mud Pit Show in the Theater in the Ground. A messy messy display with globs of drippy mud flying towards screaming kids rushing to get out of the way. | |||
The shows are rated. The Mud Pit is a PG-13 rated show. An R-rating may have been more appropriate. At one point one of the mud men said he was upset because overnight his favorite coffee store in the village had been turned into a, well, house of ill repute. His description of his dismay at what was done to him when he ordered his usual coffee drink is likely what gave this show its PG-13 rating. That and the contortions of the character named Scratch using his tongue to remove mud from sensitive areas. We'll see Scratch again later, being the Village Idiot. | |||
This would appear to possibly be a smoking Pirate, with his lovely Wench. | |||
Click for directions and a Scarborough Faire Location Map | |||
Thank you for visiting our humble place and giving press to our quaint village but perhaps next time, you might wish to consider calling ahead and arranging a personal guide to help you with your facts.
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Seeking refuge from the heat under the shade of a big oak tree this Lady in Red has a ten dollar bill stuck in her top. | |||
The non-Wench half of this 21st Century Pirate Pair wears an interesting shirt that says 'Flaming Ass Special Chili'. | |||
A store just for Frumps. Their numbers are legion. | |||
A lovely pair of un-frumpy Ladies consume a noonday libation and some victuals. | |||
Another Lady and Lord walk about the village swinging and swilling their mugs of ale. | |||
For 2 bucks each you get to ride this dragon. It swings back and forth. | |||
When it gets hot in this Olde English Village it is a bit refreshing to walk through Ye Olde Mister. Note the baby on the right being held directly under the mist. He seemed to be enjoying it. | |||
A collection of Ladies and Wenches. | |||
Two women in interesting attire, particularly the one on the right, seem to be leading a rickshaw carrying a band of musicians. | |||
This group appears to be a cross-section of non-Royal Village Inhabitants---a Lady, a Peasant, a couple Wenches and a Belly Dancer. | |||
All our cast members and a lot of "playtrons" do a lot of work researching their garb and portraying their characters. They are historically accurate and you mischaracterized many of them. How could one have mistaken a belly dancer for a lady of the court?
Hello, I just took a look at your site. Actually, I'm in one of your pictures, the "cross-section of non-Royal Village Inhabitants." Just to let you know, there were no ladies in that picture. From left to right: wench, Friar, Gypsy, belly dancer, wench. I'm rather curious to know what your definition of Lady is?
A Lady? Usually the most telling thing is a hoop skirt, or extremely fine looking brocades and velvets...lots of jewelry and embellishments.
A "Playtron" is a person who dresses in garb, but pays admission to the faire. Not a cast member. "Mundanes" are the folks who pay admission, but don't dress up.
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Click for directions and a Scarborough Faire Location Map |
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This looks to be a group of Southern Belles from the New Country visiting England with one Belle being carted about by her manservant. | |||
Many Wenches with tops barely covering their upper torsos and none of the rumored Men in Tights. Til this one was found. | |||
We forgot to make note of this shop's name. Judging by the attire on sale it must have been Fredericks of Sherwood. | |||
These Scottish Lasses look as if they may have acquired their clothes while shopping at Fredericks of Sherwood. | |||
Many of the Lasses and Ladies and Wenches look as if they may have done their clothes shopping at Fredericks of Sherwood. | |||
Dozens of shows throughout the day in locales all around the Village. This is a Bird of Prey show with birds ranging from Eagles to Turkey Vultures. The Queen and her Court watch the show and participate at times. | |||
Meanwhile on the other side of the Village a master of balancing performs for an appreciative crowd. | |||
This is a very hot day, likely nearing 100. Another walk through Ye Old Mister is needed. | |||
Several trails and bridges connect the more open part of the village with the more heavily wooded part. One of the bridges is owned and operated by trolls. | |||
The green cover of thick foliage reduces the heat and makes misting unnecessary. | |||
A trail leads to a pub in the deep woods. | |||
Wazelle's Wood Wizardry looks like a house where an Ewok might live. | |||
Another view of the shaded village. | |||
A pair of village inhabitants having some sort of face-off. The winged creature on the right seems to be casting some sort of spell on the seated creature on the left. | |||
Some sort of religious figure walks about casting water out of a bucket. | |||
That would be our Bishop and he's sprinkling Holy Water. On hot Texas summer days it feels wonderful to be sprinkled.
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A beast of burden in Merry Olde England. Followed by an llama. | |||
Though the sign says Royal Jerk, this is actually the Village Idiot, named Scratch. We saw Scratch earlier in the Mud Pit. When Scratch is not in the Mud Pit he sits at a busy intersection on a dusty road in the hot sun extracting quarters from Villagers. | |||
A fearsome Knight stands guard at a passageway to another part of the Village. | |||
I just finished viewing your web site. It might be beneficial to at least have some of the characters correctly named --- the "fearsome knight" is not a knight but Shilo the Nubian.
CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED AS 'SHOLO THE NUBIAN'...ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES...
SHILO IS A PLACE WHERE A CIVIL WAR BATTLE WAS FOUGHT AND THE NAME OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND IN A NEIL DIAMOND SONG...TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CHARACTERS AT SCARBOROUGH FAIRE YOU NEED ONLY ASK MOST OF THEM IN PERSON WHEN YOU SEE THEM...
MY NAME IS HILTON JACKSON...I LIVE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS...AND I AM, INDEED, SHOLO THE NUBIAN...WARRIOR AND WORDSMITH WITHOUT EQUAL AT SCARBOROUGH FAIRE, THE TEXAS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL AND TABLEROCK FANTASY FAIRE...THE CHARACTER IS A SWORD FOR
HIRE...WHISPERER OF SECRETS AND RACONTEUR OF CLASSICAL VERSE OF FIRE AND ROMANCE...YOU'LL HAVE TO VISIT
TABLEROCK IN SEPTEMBER OR THE TEXAS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL IN OCTOBER TO CATCH MY SHOW...HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE...
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Don't know if these are Pirates or some sort of ragtag William Wallace brigade. |
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As a reader, I truly appreciate the background research and impromptu confirmation of facts in your piece. I especially like the ongoing confusing of roles by the actors who take great time in their preparation of their role. It is apparent that you acquainted yourself with historical costuming as well as general English/Scottish history knowledge. How else could one have mistaken the Scottish Regiment for a "troupe of pirates"?
(edited to fix spelling and syntax errors) While it may have been "Pirate Adventure weekend" the Scottish Fencibles remained just that, the Scottish Fencibles. Not the "Pirate Troupe that once were Scottish Fencibles". With the exception of possible 6 of the Fencibles, the rest of us (On an average day over 50 of us would march) are all "playtrons" marching because we are friends with each other, we're proud of Scotland and we have no need/desire to be tied to someone who died a couple hundred years prior to our faire's period.
Sorry about the spelling mistakes in my previous e-mail, I had yet to be to sleep in almost 2 days, simple error
;-) This isn't a blast or anything, just clarification. I was actually looking down at the boots of the Pike Sgt. standing
in front of me making sure I was instep, and I am not a MacGregor or MacDonald or any Mac/Mc...I am
descendant of the Clan Munro, my grandmother was born a Munro, her grandfather was the first of her part of the family to come to America...I would also invite you to see the website for the Scottish Fencibles so that you would have a chance to learn about us...
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This kid is definitely a Pirate. He is armed with a pistol. And a pillaging attitude. |
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As we leave Scarborough Faire this Fair Lass blows us a kiss. |
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Some of the folks get WAY too wrapped up in the Ren (Renaissance Festival) way and their own social scene and can't lighten up when someone pokes a bit of fun at the faire in general. You listened and fixed some of the glaring boo-boos and explained about some of the others. If they wanna get their noses out of joint...so be it...I think it's fun to find out how others see us.
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Thus ends our visit to 16th Century England in 21st Century Texas. Next year we may return, as a Playtron in period costume, for an update. We will likely not be a Man in Tights, more likely we will be one more Village Idiot... |
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Visit
our Eyes on Texas Blog to make a comment about Scarborough Faire... |
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