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Last weekend I went for the first time to the Hamlet of Mid-Missouri Renaissance Festival, a one weekend a year faire on the grounds of the state fair in Sedalia, Missouri - a town of about 20,000 people 70 miles south-southeast of Kansas City.

The weather was mostly sunny both days, with the highs getting into the lower 80s, and starting to feel hot by opening gate time at 10. The fairesite was basically a field of mowed grass, with isolated broadleaf trees here and there. The trees were mostly large and provided a goodly diameter of shade, and most of the stages and tents were clustered around them - but it was inpossible not to spend a lot of time in the sun, and at the end of the day I saw on the performers a lot of clearly defined sunburn lines. I wore only a bodice and chemise over my shoes and carried an umbrella. However, the trees extended into the parking area, and by arriving early enough I was able to have my van in the shade all day, a luxury I have so far enjoyed at no other faire.

The whole area surrounding parking and faire looked like it might be where the midway is at the fair without the e. It had immediately to the north and east two commercial streets that were part of highways. You could see the signs for the McDonald's and the KFC over the tops of the tents, and the sound of groups of recreational motorcyclists frequently rumbled in the not-that-far distance, along with occasional Jake-brakings. I was able to find a motel at a distance that would have been short enough to walk.

The faire was totally soft, only tents for shelter, and a front gate that was two small wooden ticket booths with a crenellated plywood top connecting them. The stages were defined by a background of three banners hanging on PVC pipe frames standing on the grass and a semicircle of hay bales - which were frequently moved as the day and the shade patterns progressed. The joust was done on a tiny area of grass that couldn't have been more than 50 yards long. The place never seemed really crowded, at times I was even wondering if they were getting a large enough attendance.

The setting for the faire was Scotland in 1562. There was no king, only Mary, Queen of Scots, and the scenario at the opening gate show was the arrival of a suitor from Spain. Like at Wentzville, someone had stolen a gift, and the rest of the day was to be spent finding it. (I didn't catch any of the rest of it.) I saw a few street performers that I had seen before at KCRF et.al.: Malvito the Malevolent, the Toy Man, and the Tickler with his long handled feather duster. Other than these, there were not many street interactors. There were also some highland games going on, that I didn't spend too much time observing.

The main entree of the faire was the music, and it had all of the midwest's finest. Outside the gate before opening I immediately met Minstrosity and Bruce the Bruce. Three Pints Gone was inside, as were Lady Nancy and the Lily of the Valley. Adrian was carrying on in front of Tartanic, flashing a lot of leg as he twirled in his kilt (no he wasn't, he had on black skivvies). The best remark of the day was when a woman asked Adrian if she could "lie down flat in front", and he replied, "Lady, you couldn't lie down flat if you tried."

The Brobdingnagian Bards were there, this time with Andrew and Marc both in kilts, and a woman playing bodhran, in trousers. The irony of two men in skirts and a woman in pants had to be pointed out to me by Wendy Z'ski, I had lost my own consciousness where I notice such things. Commedia Sans Arte was also there, with his former majesty Dean Kinsey as Gerard Fawkes now added, but missing Katarina Svoboda, who I was told couldn't make it that weekend. There was also a pirate song and comedy act that I hadn't seen before called the Scally Wags, and an amateur recorder band from Warrensburg nearby

There were only five stages, and the bands had only three or four gigs each day. As a result, the musicians weren't as hurried and schedule-bound as usual, and they had some time to hang out and behold other band's acts. A few informal jam sessions also occurred where playtrons like me were able to join in (on a pennywhistle that I had bought there on-site) - including one intense one with the Brobdingnagian Bards sitting on the lawn where they dug out a lot of their old songs, that was better than their usual scheduled stage sets.

It was a small faire, but what it had was very good and more than enough to occupy me for two days. It deserved a bigger attendance than it seemed to have.

-Butterfly Bill

"Greetings, milady...or is it milord?...or..um...."
"So did you lose the bet?"..."No, I won it, he bet me I wouldn't"

more faire reviews like this one are at
http://www.grapevine.net/~butterflybill/RbStories.htm#renfair

some of my computer music can be heard at
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/247/butterfly_bill.htm