Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Adrian Walter, the founding member of Tartanic, visits us this week on Hear Ye, Hear Ye! to delight us with stupendous music and magnificent stories! As our festival continues on, Adrian talks to us about his history with the renaissance festival, his tireless troupe schedule, and the founding of one of the most popular musical attractions here at the Texas Renaissance Festival.

This week, Hear Ye, Hear Ye! gets to meet a new (but surprisingly familiar) face, Danielle Dupont, the current president of the RESCU Foundation. Standing for Renaissance Entertainers, Services, and Crafters United, Danielle works with RESCU on their mission to connect the renaissance community through the power of health.

This interview with Danielle includes exciting tales that cover the following topics:

Promoting health and safety

As a community, renaissance festival workers often include artisans and entrepreneurs who may not have the same insurance coverages, income consistencies, or healthcare opportunities as those working in other fields. With differences in working seasons, locations, and occupations, RESCU works with renaissance employees to promote healthy lifestyles, encourage enrolling in government services, and open opportunities for medical bill assistance.

"Keeping everyone well within that community is important to keep the magic continuing."

Protecting renaissance employees

Every year, RESCU has provided thousands of dollars worth of aid and assistance to renaissance workers in need. This need looks different for everyone, and Danielle emphasizes that so many different employees qualify for help if they need it. Through online forms as well as over the phone, RESCU has worked with craftsmen and artisans, performers and vendors all over the country, helping them learn how to help themselves.

"Anyone who has ever been involved with renaissance festivals is eligible for some sort of help from the RESCU foundation."

Providing necessary services, despite challenges

With situations such as COVID, Danielle wants the community to know that RESCU is still here to help and still needs help from their generous volunteers and donors nationwide. From COVID testing to contraception, pro-bono medical appointments to prescription aid, so many people benefit from what the hardworking team at RESCU provides, and our team at the Texas Renaissance Festival strongly encourages you to lend them a helping hand if you can.

"It's really fun because it's such a challenge, there's so much that needs to be done."

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To find out more about RESCU, visit them on their website and facebook, or call their contact number: 1-800-374-9215.

For more information on the Texas Renaissance Festival,

Visit our website!

Daphne, the Washing Well Wench, stops by to say hello to the King, introduce her many identical cousins, and teach us all a little bit about laundry. We're also joined by Thomas Wood, the daring (and sometimes dangerous!) pyro-juggler of the Texas Renaissance Festival. As a comedian, performer, juggler, and fire-eater, Thomas visits us on this fine day in Todd Mission to discuss his own history of performing and how he's lit his own fire during these uncertain times.

On this special Christmas edition of Hear Ye, Hear Ye!, we welcome Jim Hancock, the Burly Minstrel of the Texas Renaissance Festival, to the show! With years of experience in music and his own Christmas band, Jim delights us with stories and songs that are sure to spread some holiday cheer to our listeners.

Continuing to do multiple festivals each year

As a traveling musician, Jim spends his normal festival season delighting crowds at 5 different renaissance festivals. Since the '80s, Jim has heard the call to strike up the band and to spread his love of renaissance music and centuries-old songs to thousands of people across the country every single year.

"There are great musicians at every festival I do, and that's why I keep doing it."

Cherishing all forms of music and musicians

Although Jim has been a musician since childhood and has studied music in school, his primary love for performing comes from the imperfect, improvisational aspects. Instead of emphasizing perfection and professional training, Jim believes that musicians should be caring more about the environments and emotions they create with the music they perform.

"It's not about being perfect, it's about being expressive and communicating."

Capitalizing on his recording abilities

Affected by the pandemic as a musician, Jim had a lot of time on his hands this year and was able to embark on creating his own recording studio in his house. With experience in location recording and a passion for elevating the sounds of his fellow musicians, Jim is excited with this new opportunity to make music an even bigger part of his life.

"I've had a great time making them sound as good as I can make them sound."

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Find out more about Jim's Christmas band, the Merry Minstrels, on their agency's website.

For more information on the Texas Renaissance Festival,Visit our website!

Richard Meritzer, owner of TRF's Escape Room and leader of the improv troupe Sound & Fury, joins us this week on Hear Ye, Hear Ye! to share the latest festival tales. Richard takes his time with us to talk about performing, travelling, and escaping from a fantastical room of his own amazing creation. Hear Ye, Hear Ye! gets the honor of connecting once again this week with our Wonderpuppy Pirate, Chip Ware. Chip has continued to wander the campgrounds, cataloging the various sounds he has been hearing, trying new treats, and making so many new friends from a safe distance.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! welcomes a new and exciting guest this week: Louie Migliaccio, owner of the Dragon Slayer, Chronos, and Wyrmwood. In this exclusive interview with one of our most popular vendors, Louie talks about souvenir innovations, absinthe tastings, and all things new and exciting in this year's festival.

Madam of Matrimony and Lady of All Occasions, Vee Brauner. As our Wedding Manager & Coordinator, Vee oversees all the weddings and parties that occur all festival long, from last-minute ceremonies to extravagant receptions.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! is happy to welcome back Lady Jennifer Pierce to the show this week for an update regarding the many vendors that make up our 2020 festival. Jennifer informs us of a noteworthy cause to donate to, a selection of shops to see and keeps us on our toes with the many new changes taking place this year.

The festival fun continues this week as we talk with our own Marlena Solomon, better known as Lady M, TRF's Social Media Manager. Lady M stops by to talk to our King about the latest updates for traffic, weather, and discount opportunities for our patrons to take full advantage of as we prepare to welcome back our Bacchanal weekend!

As we kick off our 2020 season, Hear Ye, Hear Ye! is joined again by Chip Ware, better known as The Wonder Puppy Pirate! Providing us with an update on how things are going with the latest and safest festival events, Chip takes this time to reflect on what's occurred so far as well as tell us about what he's most looking forward to this festival.