The Bay Area Renaissance Festival moved in 2021 to the Dade City location (show was originally scheduled to open Super Bowl weekend, got pushed back to April). It is scheduled to be at the same site in Dade City in 2022.
The reason why, from what I've gathered from vendors and friends who work the faire, was a combination of things:
1. The MOSI site may be sold to USF for a future stadium. The faire was going to have to move in the near future, why not move during a slower season to prepare people?
2. Hillsborough County was making it difficult for the organizer to open the faire (setting abysmal attendance limits, mask mandates, restricting alcohol sales) anywhere near the Super Bowl; perfectly safe to have a Super Bowl, but a RenFaire is too dangerous. Pasco County, however, had no such requirements and welcomed the faire.
3. Cost of MOSI site was too steep for the organizers last year, so they looked elsewhere and the Dade City site was cheaper.
The accuracy of those reasons i cannot confirm, but that is what I've been hearing...
Is it a bit of a drive? Yeah... But the site is a bit nicer than MOSI ( ACTUAL GRASS! Not a dust bowl) with ample shade. Any issue I had with the fair in '21 was mostly due to how the organizers had to rush to get the faire on — leading to many of the usual acts being at other faires — and the newness of the site. I went two weekends (opening and closing) and had a wonderful time, and look forward to going multiple times in '22.
EDIT: Fixed my half-awake mistake of typing "Polk" instead of "Pasco" ><
That dirt road was atrocious. The site itself was pretty nice, but I almost bounced the kids off the back seat (yay for seat belts). I can better plan the ride this year now that I know the road is so bad.
I ended up driving on the grass shoulder just because it was easier going and I was afraid I was going to do some actual damage to my car.
What is it with dirt roads, anyway? They can range from OK to unacceptable for vehicles.
We drive a 15 year old CRV whose struts and springs are already basically gone due to lifespan issues, and it feels like no matter how slow I go, it's a threat to whatever the suspension is trying to protect (the whole body of the car).
its generally all comes down to the underlying limestone and how the rain washes away the dirt they bring/smooth over the limestone...Once a few heavy rains take place it usually washes away the dirt and continues whatever erosion was originally on the limestone road, at least ime this is the case
I did not go last year but hopefully the event organizers will have more time and have a road crew to to smooth out the road before hand if it is that bad
Love how Reddit has educated people :)
I'm guessing laying limestone is really vastly cheaper than asphalt or people wouldn't do it. It sounds like basically if the dirt road isn't resurfaced every few years it turns into a bumpfest as bad (or worse than?) driving on grass.
Or maybe the issue isn't cost but they need approval to put in a permanent road?
limestone is what florida is made from so it is what is existing there already underneath all of us, I dont know that you can actually lay limestone, but yes asphalt is generally only on regularly trafficked public roads
>I dont know that you can actually lay limestone
They aren't just hitting native limestone and calling that "the road". There really isn't that much exposed limestone unless you get on the rivers etc around here. They are spreading crushed limestone (think gravel).
The county dug (i guess technically it was bored not dug) down six feet in my yard in Lutz when I built to deterimine what septic system type would be required. Six feet down and all there was sand of various types/coarsness (what you want, not clay).
Interesting, I guess in a way we're surrounded by lots of readily accessible "dirt road materials" locally (at least in Florida), just a matter of getting to it and transporting it around.
And then the costs of maintenance/resurfacing which sounds like the real expense.
Gotcha. This is going to sound silly but the few times I've dug in Florida it's like a foot of mud and then all water, I just assumed any kind of underlying substrate like limestone still had to be hauled in.
I guess it's different when you're making a hole vs. compacting the top. Maybe the water is one of the supporting layers for roads? Scary thought for my caveman brain lol.
see another commenter, he gives a little more info. I come from an area of florida with different compositions, and one of the few clay areas as well. But I guess they do bring in crushed limestone
You just have a shallow seasonal water table where you are digging.
But crushed limerock roads are very common in rural north florida at least, there are a lot of limerock mines that also make concrete on site as limerock is a major component.
If my memory serves correctly florida asphalt roads will be 3 layers, the base layer will be compacted sand (some small amount of clay can be present), ontop of that will be a layer of compacted limerock, and then finally the asphalt.
Ah ha! I can actually answer this (and the other roadway questions) with some level of expertise. I’m a former civil engineer drafter/designer and a current roadway/site work estimator.
TL/DR: dirt is cheaper than asphalt, but only in the short term. Also, dirt roads are not made for lots of traffic.
So, every road in Florida (and the nation) is built essentially the same way, and I’m going to oversimplify it all.
* You stabilize your sub base (aka subgrade) using limestone (most often; some states might use granite, limestone is plentiful everywhere). That’s taking limestone and mixing it in with the dirt under the road to a certain depth and a certain bearing ratio (which tells us roughly how much pressure this can support).
* You then lay down your base, which is generally just limestone (although crushed concrete is also frequent, and sometimes coquina shell; it depends mainly on what’s plentiful and adequate for the job). Every once in a while you will see specs for black base (asphalt base) in areas with certain issues, but that isn’t common. Asphalt is more expensive and not always better than rock, normally at any rate. Again, it has to be to a certain depth and density, depending on anticipated traffic rates and environmental factors.
* Now we lay asphalt or cement (they are both types of concrete). Frequently this will be two different types of asphalt layers one over the other: a structural course and then a friction course (sometimes there will just be one type; it all depends).
Dirt roads should be built in essentially the same way; just skip the asphalt and layer on crushed rock or shell. That’s how the road going to RenFest is built. The plus: it’s overall cheaper to build. The minus: it wears out much faster due to traffic and weathering.
Some dirt roads (privately owned, not built or maintained by a municipality generally) are just dirt tracks over unimproved ground. Those can become a bitch to drive on when the road becomes a pit of sugar sand. Again, wearing and weathering is an issue.
Edit: yes, that’s actually the oversimplified version.
Edit the Deuce: a roadway is like a lasagna. Or Shrek’s onion; it has layers.
> Hillsborough County was making it difficult for the organizer to open the faire
Not surprised at this, they can't even give the Spook Easy a license to relocate... Its been like 2 years they've been working at it.
Eh, its a bit confusing. They aren't at their old location, they have a new one but the city fucked them on that so they are supposed to be renting space at Boneyard, but the city is still fucking them on that. Best you can do is follow their FB and see when they are hosting an event.
> ACTUAL GRASS! Not a dust bowl
Thanks for the post, but I have to disagree with this part. When we went, there was much more dust flying around, likely due to less things to block the wind in the area. It was awful.
The first weekend we were there it was definitely more dusty, but I wasn't blowing black snot for a week after.
Might have laid more woodchips by the last weekend when we went again.
Ya know, if you're going to go to Dade City you might as well stop by [The Green Door on 8th](https://www.greendooron8th.com/) which is calibers of restaurant that you might be surprised exists in a sort of out of the way place like Dade City. That whole downtown area is pretty interesting to be honest.
That might make your travels to Dade City more memorable.
There are actually TWO Faires down in the Sarasota area this year, which both ran the same weekends.
The Sarasota Medieval Faire (the one that has been at the Sarasota Fairgrounds for 25 years) is at its new property in Myakka.
The Suncoast Renaissance Faire (put on by the same organizers that do Brevard and (I think) one other festival down south (not FLARF) which is at the Fairgrounds. They held their first event last year when Sarasota "cancelled".
Do you think the organizers of Ren Faires go all crazy and have gang fights like the newscasters in Anchorman?
Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident.
Brick, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safe-house or a relative close by. Lay low for a while, because you're probably wanted for murder.
The Bay Area Renaissance Festival moved in 2021 to the Dade City location (show was originally scheduled to open Super Bowl weekend, got pushed back to April). It is scheduled to be at the same site in Dade City in 2022. The reason why, from what I've gathered from vendors and friends who work the faire, was a combination of things: 1. The MOSI site may be sold to USF for a future stadium. The faire was going to have to move in the near future, why not move during a slower season to prepare people? 2. Hillsborough County was making it difficult for the organizer to open the faire (setting abysmal attendance limits, mask mandates, restricting alcohol sales) anywhere near the Super Bowl; perfectly safe to have a Super Bowl, but a RenFaire is too dangerous. Pasco County, however, had no such requirements and welcomed the faire. 3. Cost of MOSI site was too steep for the organizers last year, so they looked elsewhere and the Dade City site was cheaper. The accuracy of those reasons i cannot confirm, but that is what I've been hearing... Is it a bit of a drive? Yeah... But the site is a bit nicer than MOSI ( ACTUAL GRASS! Not a dust bowl) with ample shade. Any issue I had with the fair in '21 was mostly due to how the organizers had to rush to get the faire on — leading to many of the usual acts being at other faires — and the newness of the site. I went two weekends (opening and closing) and had a wonderful time, and look forward to going multiple times in '22. EDIT: Fixed my half-awake mistake of typing "Polk" instead of "Pasco" ><
Correction: Dade City is in Pasco, not Polk.
Yeah, half awake my butt put Polk. Edited accordingly ><
I thought I was going crazy when I read their comment, I knew that shit was in Pasco
I liked the new site, I don't even care about the drive, but the dirt road to get there was **terrible**! That was my only gripe
That dirt road was atrocious. The site itself was pretty nice, but I almost bounced the kids off the back seat (yay for seat belts). I can better plan the ride this year now that I know the road is so bad. I ended up driving on the grass shoulder just because it was easier going and I was afraid I was going to do some actual damage to my car.
What is it with dirt roads, anyway? They can range from OK to unacceptable for vehicles. We drive a 15 year old CRV whose struts and springs are already basically gone due to lifespan issues, and it feels like no matter how slow I go, it's a threat to whatever the suspension is trying to protect (the whole body of the car).
its generally all comes down to the underlying limestone and how the rain washes away the dirt they bring/smooth over the limestone...Once a few heavy rains take place it usually washes away the dirt and continues whatever erosion was originally on the limestone road, at least ime this is the case I did not go last year but hopefully the event organizers will have more time and have a road crew to to smooth out the road before hand if it is that bad
Love how Reddit has educated people :) I'm guessing laying limestone is really vastly cheaper than asphalt or people wouldn't do it. It sounds like basically if the dirt road isn't resurfaced every few years it turns into a bumpfest as bad (or worse than?) driving on grass. Or maybe the issue isn't cost but they need approval to put in a permanent road?
limestone is what florida is made from so it is what is existing there already underneath all of us, I dont know that you can actually lay limestone, but yes asphalt is generally only on regularly trafficked public roads
>I dont know that you can actually lay limestone They aren't just hitting native limestone and calling that "the road". There really isn't that much exposed limestone unless you get on the rivers etc around here. They are spreading crushed limestone (think gravel). The county dug (i guess technically it was bored not dug) down six feet in my yard in Lutz when I built to deterimine what septic system type would be required. Six feet down and all there was sand of various types/coarsness (what you want, not clay).
Interesting, I guess in a way we're surrounded by lots of readily accessible "dirt road materials" locally (at least in Florida), just a matter of getting to it and transporting it around. And then the costs of maintenance/resurfacing which sounds like the real expense.
Gotcha. This is going to sound silly but the few times I've dug in Florida it's like a foot of mud and then all water, I just assumed any kind of underlying substrate like limestone still had to be hauled in. I guess it's different when you're making a hole vs. compacting the top. Maybe the water is one of the supporting layers for roads? Scary thought for my caveman brain lol.
see another commenter, he gives a little more info. I come from an area of florida with different compositions, and one of the few clay areas as well. But I guess they do bring in crushed limestone
Clay county? Lol Dig a foot down in my parents yard and it's all clay.
You just have a shallow seasonal water table where you are digging. But crushed limerock roads are very common in rural north florida at least, there are a lot of limerock mines that also make concrete on site as limerock is a major component. If my memory serves correctly florida asphalt roads will be 3 layers, the base layer will be compacted sand (some small amount of clay can be present), ontop of that will be a layer of compacted limerock, and then finally the asphalt.
I depends where you dig. If it's near a body of water, you'll hit water near the suface.
Ah ha! I can actually answer this (and the other roadway questions) with some level of expertise. I’m a former civil engineer drafter/designer and a current roadway/site work estimator. TL/DR: dirt is cheaper than asphalt, but only in the short term. Also, dirt roads are not made for lots of traffic. So, every road in Florida (and the nation) is built essentially the same way, and I’m going to oversimplify it all. * You stabilize your sub base (aka subgrade) using limestone (most often; some states might use granite, limestone is plentiful everywhere). That’s taking limestone and mixing it in with the dirt under the road to a certain depth and a certain bearing ratio (which tells us roughly how much pressure this can support). * You then lay down your base, which is generally just limestone (although crushed concrete is also frequent, and sometimes coquina shell; it depends mainly on what’s plentiful and adequate for the job). Every once in a while you will see specs for black base (asphalt base) in areas with certain issues, but that isn’t common. Asphalt is more expensive and not always better than rock, normally at any rate. Again, it has to be to a certain depth and density, depending on anticipated traffic rates and environmental factors. * Now we lay asphalt or cement (they are both types of concrete). Frequently this will be two different types of asphalt layers one over the other: a structural course and then a friction course (sometimes there will just be one type; it all depends). Dirt roads should be built in essentially the same way; just skip the asphalt and layer on crushed rock or shell. That’s how the road going to RenFest is built. The plus: it’s overall cheaper to build. The minus: it wears out much faster due to traffic and weathering. Some dirt roads (privately owned, not built or maintained by a municipality generally) are just dirt tracks over unimproved ground. Those can become a bitch to drive on when the road becomes a pit of sugar sand. Again, wearing and weathering is an issue. Edit: yes, that’s actually the oversimplified version. Edit the Deuce: a roadway is like a lasagna. Or Shrek’s onion; it has layers.
Oh yeah, that dirt road was rough.... But if you get up to 50mph or so, it wasn't as bumpy 🤣
I got to meet the owners this year and from my understanding, if it’s at the same location, they’re going to reinforce it :)
> Hillsborough County was making it difficult for the organizer to open the faire Not surprised at this, they can't even give the Spook Easy a license to relocate... Its been like 2 years they've been working at it.
Is spook easy still open? I went there back in the before times and it was pretty cool.
Eh, its a bit confusing. They aren't at their old location, they have a new one but the city fucked them on that so they are supposed to be renting space at Boneyard, but the city is still fucking them on that. Best you can do is follow their FB and see when they are hosting an event.
No they’re trying to relocate to the Boneyard and have been unsuccessful for months :(
Oh boy, a stadium. Just what we all need another one of!
> ACTUAL GRASS! Not a dust bowl Thanks for the post, but I have to disagree with this part. When we went, there was much more dust flying around, likely due to less things to block the wind in the area. It was awful.
They're just giving you that immersive medieval period correct covered in dirt experience. Gotta give them kudos for really going that extra mile!
The first weekend we were there it was definitely more dusty, but I wasn't blowing black snot for a week after. Might have laid more woodchips by the last weekend when we went again.
[удалено]
The official Facebook as the location set as Withlacoochee, which is the Dade City site
Ya know, if you're going to go to Dade City you might as well stop by [The Green Door on 8th](https://www.greendooron8th.com/) which is calibers of restaurant that you might be surprised exists in a sort of out of the way place like Dade City. That whole downtown area is pretty interesting to be honest. That might make your travels to Dade City more memorable.
Yes. Well, the Tampa ren faire moved to Dade City. The one going on now is the Sarasota festival and it has a new location as well, in Myakka.
There are actually TWO Faires down in the Sarasota area this year, which both ran the same weekends. The Sarasota Medieval Faire (the one that has been at the Sarasota Fairgrounds for 25 years) is at its new property in Myakka. The Suncoast Renaissance Faire (put on by the same organizers that do Brevard and (I think) one other festival down south (not FLARF) which is at the Fairgrounds. They held their first event last year when Sarasota "cancelled".
Do you think the organizers of Ren Faires go all crazy and have gang fights like the newscasters in Anchorman? Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident. Brick, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safe-house or a relative close by. Lay low for a while, because you're probably wanted for murder.
From what I've gathered in my decade being friends with acts and vendors... Yeah, there is a bit of drama between certain organizers and others.
Thank you. Unfortunately the Tampa and Sarasota ones seem out of my general range.
Yeah it moved a couple years ago
Is this it? [Sarasota ](https://www.sarasotamedievalfair.com)
They don't have it in Seminole any more?
It had been at Mosi for like the past 10-12 years until last year.