How to organize a living history festival

[Master Sully]

I am presenting to a comittee a living history festival proposal for my home town. This would include people representing Native Americans (Catawba), 16th century Spanish explorers and settlers, 16th century French settlers, 17th century Scottish settlers, 17th century English settlers, 18th century Swiss and German settlers, Pirates, Native Americans in war paint (Yemassee), British Royal Foot, South Carolina Militia, 3rd SC Calvary, Confederate artillery, Federal troops, sailors, and surgeons, WWI Marine, WWII/Korean War Marine, Viet Nam Marine pilot, and a modern Marine. Whew!

It's a big undertaking, but I'm up for it. Our history here is very extensive but as more land becomes golf courses, out-of-towners move here to retire, and locals move away to the big city, our history is left in old dusty books in the library. I want to create a festival that is very entertaing for all ages, and reminds us how our country came to be.

My question is : In your past experiences at festivals such as this, what made it a success or failure, was a hit or miss, and entertained people of all ages?

It will run Fri-Sun so that school groups can attend on Friday, camps for each period, lot's of food from local resturaunts, entertainment stage, battlefield, and a huge trading post/ vendors tent. Wandering pirates and Native Americans will harass and amuse the public, live firing demonstrations, calvary and troop drilling, and archealogical displays.

I really want his to work and go on anually for several years. Any information will be a great help.

[the Royaliste]

I'm a wee bit confused, mate.....It seems by description, you are seeking something like an 'all periods' ''Faire"(vendors, food, stage) as compared to a living history interpretation (cooking on the ground, the world is a stage)....Might be a hard sell until a more image-presenting description emerges........Good luck, tho'........

[Diego Santana de la Vega]

Aye lad it be a great (and worthy) undertaking where is it ye be? I'd come work yer gate gettin the patrons (in the mood) soes to speak but ye might be a touch distance challenging to me....

The first thing they see and want is easy parking without wasting time! Get some volunteers from say the highschool pep squad to understand the need to move em in and move em out. (Quickly will pay its dividends for the upcomming festivals.) if its bolixed its all everyone will talk about for months

Second: you need to have charge cards accepted at the gate.

Thirdly: you must have people in the tickets sales that can make change quickly offer those positions to the high I Q. (only)

Fourth: (meet and greet) the person inside the gate saying hello and welcome should be a card carrying ass (joker) without insulting they should endeavor to chuckle the likes of every family and patron that enters.

Fifth the ale must be (has to be) cold.

Sixth the privies need to be placed ceremoniously near the ale stands

A certain amount of bawdry humour is in order I'd say whether on stage or not. Along with a traveling minstrel (or three) making his (their) way about the site should work fer tips only. turkey legs, sheepherders pies, chocolate vendors, homemade ice cream. Chicken halves, beef on a stick, rack o ribs, baked potatoes slathered in the works, baked beans, tossed mixed greens sald(you know for thems that think a salad is all they can eat for lunch) flowered french fried onions and garlic toast would round out a finely assorted menu. four maybe five vendors for food (food) is all any more will take away the needed profits for each vendor to offset the set up and all other costs...

Then there be games of challenge! axe throw? bow and arrow? darts? Tomatoe throw, dunk tank? A small charge is all thats needed ye arent there ta make money but something worthy of that competitive testasterone need to be present is all. A couple bucks fer ten arrows same for a dozen darts etc

obviously small table vendors with old world hand made arts and crafts of every kind should be a profitable exercise for thems that takes part.

If you set it up so that a non profit organization is the backer of the event the vendors charge to participate in your event would be a tax write off for them and many many more (when word got out) would want to be a part! I'd be willin ta bet everything else will fall into place adding to the events success.

Good luck mate

[hurricane]

You may want to contact Willie Wobble in our own group, Stud. He's participated in the following for years. It has a much narrower focus, but has a similar spirit I believe...

http://www.floridafrontiersmen.org/Alafia.html

-- Hurricane

[Master Sully]

"I'm a wee bit confused, mate.....It seems by description, you are seeking something like an 'all periods' ''Faire"(vendors, food, stage) as compared to a living history interpretation (cooking on the ground, the world is a stage)....Might be a hard sell until a more image-presenting description emerges........Good luck, tho'"........ the Royaliste

I've never been to a fest like this, that covers several centuries, not a specific time. Beaufort County, South Carolina is the second oldest city( besides St. Augustine) in America. It was the home of the first French, Scottish, Swiss, and German settlements in America. Most of this has been looked over because only the English settlement prospered. An event that covers these periods has never been attempted here. If any, we have a local Confederate regiment that sets up at our museum twice a year.

We have several festivals a year involving Wine, Wings, and Seafood, but nothing covering our heritage. I would like to fuse the excitement of culinar/ music fest with several encampents of reenactors. I wanted the local tribes to have a chance to sell their pottery and allow other similar vendors to sell their goods. There is alot of money sitting in the pockets of these retiree's.

"The first thing they see and want is easy parking without wasting time! Get some volunteers from say the highschool pep squad to understand the need to move em in and move em out. (Quickly will pay its dividends for the upcomming festivals.) if its bolixed its all everyone will talk about for months "...Diego

If all goes well the event will be on a 30 acre spread on an historic plantation, with huge amounts of preset parking. The luck is that the local museum owns the property and the museum volunteers can direct traffic and tickets.

"You may want to contact Willie Wobble"...Hurricane

His event seems alot like what I want to happen. I'll have to get more details on how it is run.