Asked and Answered

Which nights do we camp?

We claim the spot Thursday, October 8, and guildies camp Friday and Saturday nights. The faire closes at 5 on Sunday and camp comes down after — there is no Sunday night bunk.

What does it cost?

Nothing for guildmates. Bring what you can to help if you want to contribute — firewood, ice, a dish for the potluck. Nobody is counting.

When should I turn up?

The earlier the better. Camp goes up faster with hands on it, and the good light does not last.

Where do I park?

The regular lots, first come first served. Nothing to arrange, and no pass to collect — just turn up and park. Come early on the Friday: the lots nearest the camping end of the park are the small ones and they go first.

There is a map of every lot in the park on the camp page, with our site marked.

How hot does it get?

Hot enough to plan around. Our spot is pavement, and blacktop holds the heat long after the sun is off it. The year it bit us the air read 97°F and it felt like 105 out there. Across the last twenty-six years that weekend has run anywhere from 78°F to 97°F, and last year it rained on the Friday — so come ready for both.

Bring your own shade — a canopy, a tarp, anything. It is the one thing that makes the difference. Bring more water than you think, too. More on the camp page.

Can I bring a tent?

Yes. Pitch it at the site and you are welcome — though be warned it may not be the most comfortable night of your life. A bunk in the RV is the softer option if one is free.

Can I bring my own RV?

The House has one RV space, and our rig is in it. There is no second spot to park beside us.

If you want to bring your own, you would need to reserve your own space directly with the festival — that runs about $980. Worth knowing before you plan around it.

The space we do have takes a Fifth Wheel, Bumper Pull or Pop-Up Trailer, and trailers must be unhooked — no vehicle may stay hitched during the event.

Are there showers?

No showers on site. There is no water service, so shower at home before you come. There were public showers in the faire grounds last year, which may be an option — worth checking when you arrive rather than counting on.

Where are the bathrooms?

A potty in the RV, plus porta-potties close by in our camp area.

Is there water or a dump station?

No. It is a dry camp — Clark County provides no water service, dump station or servicing at all. Plan accordingly.

Can I put things in the refrigerator?

Yes — help yourself. Beers, snacks, whatever you like. There will already be a few cold ones in there and some food at camp.

What about drink?

Bring your own. The House keeps a few beers in the fridge, but past that it is every guildmate to their own bottle.

Is there a potluck?

There is. Bring a dish to share if you can, and eat as you will — in the faire or by the fire.

Can we have a fire?

Yes. We will have a firepit with a lid. Bring firewood if you like — small logs, nothing you need an axe and an afternoon for.

How do I get a bunk?

Claim one under Profile. The main bunk is Mama Bear’s and another is Sir Captain Caberk’s — those two are theirs for the whole weekend and are not up for grabs.

That leaves three open bunks each night, six across the weekend, and they are kept for guildmates who have already camped a faire with the House. Beyond that it is first come, first served, and you may hold one bed per night.

Is a bunk an actual bed?

Yes — all three. Two are beds in the rig and the third is the couch or the dinette made up. Bring your own bedding for any of them; none is provided.

Is bedding provided?

No — bring your own. A sleeping bag and your pillow are the way. And yes, maybe a teddy bear.

How do wristbands work?

Every bunk comes with a wristband, and that band includes your entry to the faire from the camping area. Show it at the RV campsite gate and the guards will wave you through. No wristband, no entry past the gate.

So do not buy a ticket if you have a bunk. The band already covers you — there is no need to pay twice, and people have.

The band belongs to the bunk, not to you. Hold the same bunk both nights and it is yours for the weekend. Hold it for one night only and you hand it on to whoever has that bunk the next night — find them at the rig, or leave it with Mama Bear.

Which is why releasing a bunk you are not going to use matters. The band goes with it to the next guildmate, and nobody is left at the gate without one.

What if my plans change?

Release your bunk under Profile so a guildmate can take it. If anyone is waiting, it passes to them straight away and they are told.

Can I bring my dog?

No animals. That is the faire’s rule, not ours — no pets, and no emotional support animals either. Only service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act are let through, and they must stay under their handler’s control.

The gate does enforce it. The full wording is on the Ren Faire Camp page.

Do I have to be in garb?

Everyone does their own. Wear what you have, wear what you have made, wear what you found in a bin at the back of a shop. No House uniform.

Who do I ask about anything else?

Send word to Mama Bear — send a pigeon or write her a letter, and she will answer.

Pigeon or letter — what is the difference?

Two things, and the plain version is who you are writing to.

The Carrier Pigeon reaches the Guild Elder, and anybody can send one — you do not need an account, and it works if you have never set foot in the House. It is the front door: joining, asking about camp, a stranger with a question. It lands in her email.

Letters are guildmate to guildmate, inside the House, and you need to be signed in. Write to one person, to a few, or — if you are the Guild Elder — to everyone at once. They arrive on the site, and a blue flag goes up on your menu button when one is waiting.

If you have an account, letters are usually the one you want. If you are not sure whether you have one, send a pigeon.

What if something goes wrong at the faire?

A real emergency — fire, injury, someone missing — is 911. Ring them first and tell the House afterwards. Do not wait on anyone here.

Anything short of that: a letter or email. That is what she will actually read.

Guildmates: sign in and the Elder’s emergency number appears here.

Who can see what I write?

The Tavern is public — anyone may read it, signed in or not. You need a seat or a Guild Hall account to post. You can edit or remove your own words at any time; the Guild Leader can strike anything that needs striking.

Who can see my contact details?

Your contact email and phone number are visible to the Guild Leader only — they are there so she can reach you about camp, and nowhere else on the site. Your name, face and rank appear on the public guild roster.

What is a Pledge?

Anyone can make an account, and everyone starts as a Pledge. Pledges can talk in the Tavern, take a card each night and claim off the bring-list.

Becoming a guildmate is not automatic. The Guild Leader considers pledges one at a time — the House is small, the camp smaller, and not everyone who signs up will be taken in. Nothing to apply for and nobody to chase; be about the place and she will know you.

Bunks come later still, once you have camped a faire with us.

How do I get coins?

One way only: take your card each night. Nothing else on the site pays. What you get is the card’s own worth plus a bonus for turning up.

The card pays by its rank — the suit makes no difference:

• 1 coin2, 3, 4
• 2 coins5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• 3 coins10, J, Q, K, A

On top of that, turning up pays 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 — one more each night in a row. Miss a night and it starts again at one. So a night is worth between 2 and 10 coins.

A hand is five cards, so five nights fills it and a round ending does not break your run — the sixth and seventh rungs come in the round after. Starting from nothing, a first round of five nights comes to somewhere between 20 and 30 coins.

What are the coins for?

Buying a card early. 15 coins deals you the next one now instead of waiting for tomorrow. It never buys a better card — the deal stays random — and it does not count toward your streak, because paying is not turning up.

Throwing one back. 25 coins takes a card you do not want out of your hand and deals the next one off your deck in its place. The card you throw is gone for good, so a re-deal costs you a card as well as the coins — nobody sits there cycling a deck looking for an ace.

They also set what the Tavern calls you:

• 0Landlubber
• 5Sailor
• 18Deckhand
• 40Bosun
• 70Quartermaster
• 120Captain

And your coin count is your bounty on the Rogues’ Gallery, which is ordered by it.

Coins never win a round. Rounds are decided by the hand and nothing else, so a full purse and an empty one have exactly the same odds.

What is a round, and when does it end?

A round is one go at building a five-card hand. It closes on whichever comes first: 10 days from the round starting, or every hand at the table holding its five. One person finishing alone does not end it — the rest of the House has not had their go.

When it closes, every hand goes onto the Roll of Hands, the decks are shuffled, and the dealing starts again the same evening. Coins carry over; the cards do not. The Guild Leader can also call a round early.

The Tavern and the Roll both show the date the round closes, so it never arrives without warning.

Who is winning overall?

Whoever holds the high hand of the run — the best hand anybody has made across every round, not just the one being played. A round is a heat; the high hand is the contest, and it stands until the gates open.

It is named at the top of the Roll of Hands, and whoever holds it wears a ✦ High Hand ribbon on their portrait on the guild roster. Two people who make the same hand share it.

A hand needs at least two cards before it counts for anything, so nobody carries the ribbon on the first night of a round.

Do I have to play?

No. None of it touches camp, bunks or the bring-list. It is something to do of an evening before October, and nothing more.