Surrounded by kings and queens, bratwursts and beer, local
Hollister residents have been able to take part in the festivities
of the Northern California Renaissance Faire and make a few bucks
in the process.
Hollister – Surrounded by kings and queens, bratwursts and beer, local Hollister residents have been able to take part in the festivities of the Northern California Renaissance Faire and make a few bucks in the process.
Hollister resident Jennifer Armenta has worked at the Faire for the past three years as a cashier in a souvenir shop, and was ecstatic when her daughter showed an interest and got involved as well, she said.
“It’s like a vacation,” she said. “You’re getting paid, you get to play, and for the kids it’s a real cultural eye-opener.”
This year the Faire hired about 40 teens from San Benito and Anzar high schools, and about 150 total residents from the Hollister/Gilroy area, Armenta said.
Armenta’s 14-year-old daughter, Amy Armenta, is enjoying working at the Faire for the second year in a row at a bubble booth and the carousel, she said.
After making almost $1,000 last year that helped pay for a trip to Europe over the summer, she convinced several of her friends at San Benito High School to join in the festivities, she said.
“It’s not just for the money, because it’s something different – it’s not your normal 9 to 5 job,” she said. “You get to hang out with a whole new crowd, you get to dress up and pretend – it’s like working at Disneyland.”
Before the Faire began, all workers were given short classes on Elizabethan English, history of the period, costumes and folklore, Armenta said.
Many people don’t realize how working at the Faire can help local teens hone their social skills, meet new people, and make good money doing it, Armenta said.
“Some people think the Renaissance Fair is a bunch of out of town people who just want to take your $20,” she said. “There’s a lot of learning going on, a lot of fun, and the kids have a great opportunity.”
The Faire was almost canceled when the Renaissance Entertainment Cooperation decided to pull the show because of lost revenue and attendance, according to a statement released by the company in October.
But vendors and participants rallied together and formed Play Faire Productions to keep the show going at Casa de Fruta.
While it’s been tough getting started, Play Faire CEO Lisa Stehl said she hopes the company will be able to break even this year and put enough money in the bank to get a jump start on next year’s Faire.
“We’re not shooting for the pie in the sky, we’re trying to be realistic,” she said.
Local support of the Faire has been tremendous, and Stehl said the more residents get involved the more solidified the Faire will be in the future.
“The more the merrier,” she said. “We want to be a part of the community and we want the community to be happy and proud of us.”
The Northern California Renaissance Faire is held Saturday and Sunday until Oct. 24. For more information about times, events and more, visit www.norcalrenfaire.com.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
em*******@fr***********.com
