What a weekend we had at Hoggetowne Medieval Faire
Florida
We had a great time at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire this past weekend. The first faire of 2009 for us, it was a long anticipated and planned for trip. We saw family and friends that we’d missed since Lady of the Lakes, watched shows, and shopped till we dropped.
Friday
Friday was incredibly busy with mundane things before we could ever leave. As a supplement to our Faire Fund, I’m going to do substitute school bus driving. To get ready for that, I completed the class work in the AM (tested at 100%), then went for my background check fingerprinting and passed the DMV tests for my passenger and school bus endorsement permits in the afternoon. Leinad worked through 2pm (his normal schedule on Friday’s), then took his truck for an oil change. On the way home, he picked up payment for some consulting work I’d done and Chinese for lunch *grinning* Spicy Shrimp Chow Mai Fun for me, Sweet & Sour Chicken, hold the sauce, for him. I love it when he does that!
We’d already decided what garb to take with us, so packing our little car, Autumn, took very little time. We were on the road by 6pm, heading for the Super 8 Motel just off I-75 on Archer Road. I was concerned, when we arrived, that noise from the interstate would keep me awake but the hotel layout avoided that. We got the luggage upstairs and I went for supper while Leinad unpacked. We always get a room with two beds *chuckling* one for us, the other for the garb. By 9pm we were unpacked, settled in, and having Moe’s for supper. The only disappointment was finding that the Sci-Fi channel was not available to watch the next episode of Battlestar Galactica.
Saturday
When we went downstairs to see what was available on the continental breakfast the next morning, we discovered that the guys from Bunnies in Peril and their families were staying in the same hotel. It was fun to see them after the winter and a lot of fun getting to interact with them out of character.
I made coffee while Leinad went for his morning pipe. 
When he came back in, he said it was clear and sunny and around 50° out. Anyone accustomed to the Northern climates will laugh but that’s a tad chilly for my taste. I was pleased that I’d chosen the medieval garb for that day as it’s the warmest that I have. We headed for the room to change and, after putting on the cotehardie, I turned on the air-conditioner. I knew that, if I was warm in just one layer, I’d need the AC before putting on the sideless surcoat and he would be boiling in the long sleeve pirate shirt. We finished dressing, gathered all our accoutrements, and headed out for a day of fun.
Upon arrival, we found that security was again penalizing early arrivers by parking us as far away as possible. Surely there’s a way to adjust the traffic pattern to avoid that and still maintain safety. Putting on our cloaks and hefting the 10lb bag of tangerines, we joined other garbed and mundane patrons on the trek to the gate. The tangerines were from our tree, we’d picked part of the bounty to share with all.
A young woman was taking pictures for uHaps.com and shot the one above. You can see all her pictures at uHapsGainesville.com and may even find a picture of yourself.
Once we were allowed inside the gate, we shared tangerines with many as we headed for the Enchanted Chains’ booth. Melissa is a personal friend and one of several RESCU representatives at Hoggetowne. We knew that the rest of the tangerines would get shared well from there.
Then it was on to The Rolling Galley for real breakfast. Jodi and crew provide some of our favorite faire food, Scotch Egg for me and a cheese and cracker platter for Leinad, and they always have a smile.
I discovered the first of several new merchants at Hoggetowne this year when I went looking for coffee to round out my breakfast. Odyssey Coffee, normally only found at SCA events, was on site with their large tent; tables and chairs; and espresso and slushy machines. They willingly put my latte in my hanging goblet and I was set for the morning.
Since it had been *gasp* two months *chuckling* since we had seen many of our friends, much of Saturday was spent wandering the faire. Leinad purchased a new Knox Steinbrecher bowl for me in the pattern I collect. It’s the same pattern that’s on the teapot pictured on the site. I try to get one new piece from her each year and would love to have one of those teapots but I’ve never seen one at the show.
The other new-to-Hoggetowne merchant that we found was Catskill Mountain Moccasins. I’ve coveted boots like that for years 
and trying one on was probably a mistake. If you’ve never had them on your foot, imagine walking on a cloud. My friend, Lady Red, who tried on a pair at the same time, said they tickled her. Well, I guess I know where my first few bus-driving checks will be going. Yep, I ordered a pair and I look forward to getting them paid for and being able to wear them the first time.
Empty Hats finished my Faire day out perfectly when, while talking with Louie the Horn Guy, I heard the first strains of “Dunnenkirk and the Gypsy.” Promising to be back, I rapidly crossed the lane and settled close to the front to listen. This is absolutely one of my favorite songs and can be found on their 2006 CD “Released.” When the set was over, I returned to tell Louie good night, then found our group to see what was planned for the evening.
We decided that more Chinese sounded like a good thing and, after changing clothes and collecting more friends, headed off to the China Super Buffett for more laughs and munchies.
Sunday
We didn’t make opening gate Sunday morning, but we weren’t too late. First we had to pack and load cars, take pictures, and say farewell to some of our friends. Can you tell we were having a good time?
The crowd was sparse before noon, which is fairly typical for a Sunday. Leinad headed for Thunderhead Leather for some practice at the post. Gillius had promised to give him some tips. I left him there, swinging the flog at various targets, and headed to The Rolling Galley and Odyssey Coffee for breakfast. This could be habit forming *chuckling*
He was still fully occupied when I had finished, so I took the opportunity to wander in and out of each booth along the lane. That wandering paid off later in the day when I was able to help a friend find a gift for her daughter. As it got warmer, I headed back to Odyssey and tried their Cappuccino Slushy. Oh la la, that was marvelous.
When Leinad came off the post, we went down to the trading post and he tried on felt hat blanks until he found one that fit correctly. That’ll be a work in progress as we mold and modify it to suit him. One of the first things we’ll have to do is include some breathing holes in the crown. He’s still not completely used to Florida temps and, with the hat, got over-heated later in the day. We caught it in time and got him cooled off. To complete the cool down, I introduced him to that Cappuccino Slushy and he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Once he felt up to wandering again, we continued our meandering along the lanes. He bought me a crystal rose from a street vendor and a red glass heart from Jen’s Crown Jewels. We spent some time with Lady Ettie and got pointers on Court etiquette. Late in the day, I hugged a friend and felt a crunch. I was heartbroken to find that we had broken the stem on the crystal rose. Leinad carefully carried it until we could get to Al Gardner, the master glassblower of Creations in Glass, who agreed to fix it for us. It’s better than new now and in a place of honor here at the Shadow’s Hold. Thank you again, Al!
The evening ended with hugs all around (more careful this time) and plans to see each other as we may. Some we’ll see at Bay Area Renaissance Festival, others at Florida Renaissance Festival, and some not till next year when Hoggetowne rolls around again. Until we meet again, all my friends, safe journeys and … we’ll see you at Faire!
Tweet This
