There is no “golden” Faire layout, so no rules to how an event must be constructed, but there are several elements that have proven to work, and depending how they are implemented, enhance your Faire experience.
Entry
The entrance to your Faire is by far the most important piece in the entire layout. The entry is where first impressions are made and where the expectations of your guest will be set. Apart from being the mechanical door that determines who will enter, it is also the place where you can greet and prepare your audience for just what lay ahead for them. The entry gate will very likely be the most important, and expensive, first investment, but a vital part of your success. Once you have established an entryway worthy of the Faire you wish to build, all your other structures, and those of your participants, will look to it as the bar in which to reach. Chain link fence covered in vinyl tarp will do you no service, and it will lower the expectations of your guests, some of whom my turn on their heels and head back to their cars without purchasing a ticket.
Serpentine
Although not a prerequisite, creating a winding path at the opening of your Faire has the duel function of slowing the progression of guests as they arrive, and giving them the impression that they are exploring the streets of an actual village. Serpentine layouts, viewed from their entry point have the visual effect of layering booths into the distance. This creates a sense of depth and complexity that suggests that there are an infinite number of things to do and see at your Faire. Serpentines slow the inclination to rush into the heart of the event, and it is the perfect place to locate crafts people who sell large or heavy items that customers might wish to wait to purchase as they are heading back to their cars. A serpentine layout sets expectations in the minds of your guests that the Faire is a place to explore, while still insuring a linear path that leaves no booth unvisited. Many craftspeople covet this location because they know they have twice the chance of grabbing the spending money of any Faire visitor.
Crossroads
Once out of the serpentine a Crossroads is the perfect place to allow for your Faire to branch out. Crossroads are the natural meeting place if members of your party get separated, and the perfect location for street theatre. Often the washing well, with loud cat calling and wet laundry flinging about, are located in crossroads like this. Crossroads are also a great way for visitors to get their bearings and help them better understand where they are within the layout. Crossroads are a perfect place to invest in some sort of monumental structure as well. Having a large Market Cross, a giant Greenman figure, or even a majestic tree with branches filled with color ribbons or lanterns will make for a memorable meeting place, and a landmark that is easy to find if you were to get lost.
Branching Off
Crossroads are the perfect place for your layout to Branch Off in different directions. It is important that the each choices be clearly marked with an archway or other iconic graphic. You need to broadcast what your audience is about to encounter if they choose one path or another. Having a Faire offer multiple places to explore makes for a more dynamic experience, but you don’t want to have too many outlets for exploration for fear that an audience will miss something, or more dangerous, will “feel” like they are missing something. Failure to thoroughly marquee the entrance to a offshoot or separate avenue risks the possibility that entire areas of your layout will be missed. This is especially disastrous for those craft and food booths that will loose business because they are either too hard to find, or they happen to live along the road least traveled.
Neighborhoods
Thematic avenues or neighborhoods are a powerful way to inform your guests about what they might experience or be able to purchase when visiting one specific area or another. Although some craftspeople might argue that they don’t want to be placed in an area that has wears that are too similar to theirs, worse yet that they be so tucked away that no one can remember where they were. Threadneedle Road, or Jeweler’s Court say a lot about what you might expect you will find within them. Witches Wood paints a different picture then Pirate’s Keep in the mind of your guests, and it will do you good service to populate these areas with the crafts, food, and entertainment that support that theme. In the end you want your audience to “own” their experience, and you do that through making it easier to know where they are and how they can relate to each environment. Make it easy for them to find crafts and entertainment that they desire, and best of all, return there if at the end of the day the have finally decided to get that Tarot Card reading, or Pirate sword. You want them to get back there quickly and intuitively.
Food Vendors
The location of Food Booths is often dictated by their proximity to running water and the ability to transport supplies and remove waste water (gray water) and trash. Your local health department will have a lot to say on this subject, so it is best to listen to them. Food vendors will also have particular requirements and desires, as will craft vendors who might not want Turkey Leg fingers handling their jewelry. It is suggested that food areas be adjacent to stage seating as it is the perfect place to gather and retain an audience. Food booths are also a great tool for moving guests through your layout since, like a stage, interest and hunger will pull them to wherever the food is located.
Stages As Anchors
As a rule, “All Roads Lead to a Stage”. Like the anchor stores in a Shopping Mall, stages are the perfect draw to pull people through your Faire’s layout. With your audience referring to your Faire’s Map and Schedule, they will be planning what shows to see and activities to participate in. Having show venues at the end of the branches of your layout ensure that they will go places they might have otherwise missed while merely exploring. The theme for each stage can reflect or dictate the theme of the area. The Gypsy Camp Stage suggests something very different then The Madrigal Stage, and those booths set around it should help support that theme. A stage can be as simple as a platform and a cart, or as grand as a multi-story structure. Variety is best and different stages will dictate the kind of entertainment that might be scheduled for it. Stages will also have to compete with ambient noise, so avoid placing loud game booths or vocal barkers near a Stage location.
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