These are preliminary dates and info, as of February 20, 2007
California: Renaissance Pleasure Faire
weekends, April 7 to May 20
contact them at: www.renfair.com
Location: Santa Fe Recreation Area, 155501 E. Arrow Highway, Irwindale.
see RenCo's web site for specific directions, but essentially it is at the corner of the 210 and 605 Fwys.
This is my oldest show, I have been doing South since 1975, at different locations and avatars. I am the first booth in on the right, next to St. Ive's Guild Tavern. NEW STUFF!!!!
California: San Diego Highland Games
June 23 and 24.
contact them at: www.sdhighlandgames.org
Location: Brengle Terrace Park, Vista
California: Northern California Renaissance Faire
dates: weekends Sept. 8 to Oct 14 but
contact them at: www.playfaireproductions.org
Location: Casa de Fruita, outside Hollister
While not an old faire, this has a lot of atmosphere. Not a big energy faire, but mellow, with beautiful trees. Usually, I am in the front.
Maryland: Maryland Renaissance Festival
weekends, Augst 25 to October 21, including Labor Day
contact them at: www.renfest.com
Location: Crownsville Rd., outside of Annapolis.
My booth is on Tilt Yard Path, and is hard to find. Go down the side of the joust, down hill past the Dragon Inn, the elephants will be on your right, keep going downhill, I am the white and green booth next to the Chamber of Wonders. You CAN miss it, though we are trying for a more vivid presence, so to speak.
This is a great faire, with a King Henry VIII court, complete with changing queens. Good stage shows, and the street actors are good.
California: Viking Festival
1 weekend, September 29 and 30.
contact them at: www.vikingfestivalvista.com
location: 2006 East Vista Way Vista, CA
This is a new fair for me, and is a Viking encampment. I hear it is a lot of fun.
You may have noted the last three faires overlap.
As of June, this is my personal schedule:
August 25, 26; September 1, 2, 3: Maryland Renaissance Festival.
September 8 and 9: Northern California Renaissance Festival
September 15 and 16: Maryland Renaissance Festival
September 22 and 23: Northern California Renaissance Festival
September 29, 30: Vista Viking Festival
October 6, 7: Northern California Renaissance Festival
October 13, 14; 20, 21: Maryland Renaissance Festival
MAYBE DATES
Arizona: Tucson Celtic Festival
November 3, 4.
location:Riallito Speedway, Tucson, Arizona
very maybe at this point.
California: KPFA Holiday Crafts Show
usually the 2nd weekend in December
contact them at: www.kpfa.org
Location: San Francisco Concourse.
I won't get the application until June, so I won't know for quite a while.
This is a GREAT crafts fair, amazing craftsmanship displayed, I personaly want everything. Best place I can think of to shop for the holidays or any occasion at all.
California: Winter Solstice Goddess Crafts Faire.
December 1 and 2
contact them at: www.goddessfaire.com
Location: Sebastopol
I have never done this show, and have always wanted to participate. I am applying, but won't know for months if I am in. This show has a wonderful reputation, and I am very excited.
2008 (!)
Pantheacon
February 15, 16, 17
Location: San Jose, CA.
contact: www.ancientways.com
very tentative, but a great event! I highly recommentd attending to anyone involved in the Pagan community.
book your hotel room NOW.
WHO WE ARE, AND WHY WE DO THIS
Wheat Goddesses is a sole proprietorship of Cora Hendershot.
Approximately 23 years ago, I met Morgyn Owens-Celli, who did traditonal corn dollies (this is the name for wheat weaving in the U.K.) at the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire, back when it was held in Agoura. I had been doing handcrafts my entire life, and was immediately captivated by wheat weaving. One thing led to another, and I started out as a sales person for Morgyn. I rose through the ranks, so to speak, from sales to apprentice weaver to business partner. When Morgyn became the Curator for the American Museum of Straw Art, I bought out his half of the business, and here we are today. The Corn Dolly Empire, as we call it, has been in existence for 12 years.
I believe it is important to preserve old handicrafts, and learn about how our ancestors spent their days. Before the current couple of generations, just about everyone did some sort of work with their hands, either for employment or for enjoyment. I think that there is something inately satisfying about creating something with our hands, and being able to see a finished product which we have created from start to finish. Most people do not experience this today, and my thought is that this lack is a root cause for much of the dissatisfaction with life a lot of people say they are experiencing. One does not have to be intrinsically talented or creative to make something, there just has to be a willingness to learn.
I have taught a lot of classes both to adults and school-age people, and anyone who can tie their shoes can learn to do a simple wheat weaving. Over the years, I have seen a lot of people light up with the satisfaction of having created something.
This is a major reward for me to continue to teach classes, either formally or off the cuff, so to speak, at a craft show.
I also try to communicate how ordinary people lived in previous centuries at Faires. My specialty is Elizabethan England, but I also talk about 16th, 17th, and 18th America.
We all come from "primitive" peoples, and how they lived shaped who we are today. A visit to lifestyles of previous generations helps us make more informed decisions about where we want to go next.
Also, I just like to do research, and tell people about what I've learned, preferably in an intertaining fashion. Learning never ends. As Phyllis Patterson (the creator of the whole Renaissance Faire phenomenon) said, "We trick into learning with a laugh". Not a bad philosophy, to my mind.
2005 Schedule
weekends, April 16 to May 22
Southern California Renaissance Faire-new site! Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area (the 604 and the 210 Fwys) see www.REC.com.
weekends, April 16 to May 30
Kroneburg Olde Worlde Renaissance Faire
in Corona, CA. see www.Crossroads.com.
June 4 and 5, 11 and 12
RedBarn Productions' Renaissance Faire at Camp Richardson, Lake Tahoe, CA.
(tentative)
June 21 and 22
Vista, CA. Highland Games
weekends, June 11 to July 31st
Colorado Renaissance Festival, Larkspur, CO sharing space with Sacred Grove Apothocaries near front gate.
August 6 and 7, 13 and 14
Big Bear, CA. Renaissance Festival
(tentative)
weekends, August 27 through October 23
Maryland Renaissance Festival, just outside Annapolis, MD.
weekends, September 10 to October 16
PlayFaire Productions' Northern California Renaissance Faire at Casa de Fruita, outside of Gilroy, CA.
weekends, November 25 to December1 18
The Great Dickens Christmas Faire at the Cow Palace, in South San Francisco.
December 3 and 4
Stanford University Holiday Crafts Show, on campus at the Student Union.
December 10 and 11
KPFA Holiday Crafts Show, at the San Francisco Concourse, in San Francisco, CA
At this time (May 2005) that is the schedule for this year as I know it.
You can always call me on my cell phone at 213-361-6754 to get the latest information, or if you have any questions or comments, I am always happy to hear from you.
Cora
