Texas Ren Fair Roman Baccanal Weekend

[John M McDermott]

This year, as in years past, Legio X Fretensis will lead the parade at the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville, Texas on November 8 and 9, 2008, which is Roman Baccanal Weekend. The Texas Renaissance Fair drew 20-30,000 people last year on Roman Bacannal Weekend.

All interested Romans are invited to attend and be part of the parade.

Legio X will assemble at 10:30 a.m. on both November 8 and 9 at Reserved Parking, immediately to the right of the main gate.

Those interested can contact Terry Nix at 281-484-1315 or 832-353-8100. You can also contact me, John McDermott at 713-530-7768 or at [email protected] .

Afterwards, participants can enjoy the Texas Renaissance Fair, which is one of the world's largest.

As an added bonus, Terry Nix will be hosting a Legate's Party at this home on the evening of November 8 at around 7:00 p.m. All participants are invited to attend in casual Roman attire.

[Decimus Claudius Drusus]

Will be in Houston that weekend and already have tickets to the fair. Wont be participating but very excited to see the parade.

I have never been to anything of this sort, will people be selling gear?

[Decimus Claudius Drusus]

Flying out to Houston tomorrow hope to see some of you at the Ren Fair.

[M. Demetrius]

The parade starts at noon.

[John M McDermott]

Saturday, November 8 the legion will assemble at Reserved Parking, which is the last row (closest to the Main Gate) and on its right. Legion X participants or those wishing to participate in the parade with Legion X are allowed Reserved Parking and free tickets while supplies last. Right now, I have 15 reserved parking permits and 50 tickets. Terry Nix has a few more tickets. You should ask parking attendants to direct you to reserve parking where I can give out permits and tickets. If the parking attendants refuse to cooperate, park where directed, walk to Reserve Parking and get a permit so you can re-park.

Muster time is 10:00 am to 10:30 am. The parade begins at 12:00 noon. Afterwards, the costume contest begins at 2:00 pm, which can result in more tickets for next year. The Legate's party starts at 7:00 pm at Terry Nix's residence. Then we do the same thing over again on Sunday.

[John M McDermott]

Legion X's appearance at the Texas Ren Fair was a great success on both days. About 25 troops appeared and Legion X got official recognition from the King.

Here is Terry Nix's account.

AVE Legionairs
Many of you could not make it to this years Bacchus Greek/Roman weekend at the Texas Renaissance Festival that usually do. It was however our best Triumph of Triumphs. This weekend had over 50,000 visitors I was told for the two days. Our Legion Ten Fretensis not only lead a parade of hundreds in front of a crowd of thousands, we had 25 Legionairs in kit on Saturday in the Triumph and close to half that Sunday with many leaving afterwards Saturday for their long trips back home. This year, Legio Decima Fretensis, was also given special honors and was presented to the King of the Festival in a special ceremony within a fenced off area to keep the crowd away as the King address the legion from a Balcony in front of us. It was also the first time I had even seen the Texas Renaissance King wearing Roman head gear. The King himself lead three ovations directed to the legion with him, the Queen and court and hundreds of guest all around us giving us load cheers. Our legion was aligned in front of the King up in the balcony, with Legate in front, Two Tribunes behind me, A masked standard bearer holding a trophy head of a Gaul/Celt/German/whoever on a Roman spear behind them, six or seven standards behind him and the rest of the legion in two ranks spread out evenly behind the standard bearers. After that, a hand signal was used by the Legate to get the attention of the legion. When my hand came down, we gave the King the famous or infamous Roman salute of hitting the chest and extending out the right arms up in the ancient equestrian salute and hollering out in unison "HAIL TO THE KING" in which he (the King) responded....Hell Yea. Several people requested information on our legion after this and I gave out many cards. The Legion then took pictures, when the public would let us (themselves stopping us to do the same thing) in the front of the fortified front walls of the Renaissance festival, outside the arena which is of Roman design with arches all the way around it and then in a Roman type temple with Roman columns on all four sides around it that supported Roman design panels stretched across the tops of the columns with an arched entry in front and in back. In the back of this building was a life size gold statue of a winged Victory. It could have been an angle I guess but to me, it was Victory. A persona symbol used more then any other on actual Roman coins of the Roman Emperors. The Legion almost wins by default every time the Tex Ren Fair has it's costume contest. The winners are put on large Posters and nice brochures of the Texas Renaissance Festival and placed in stores all across Texas. This year however, we were told they had to give someone else a chance to win but we were also given and announced to the crowd that we still win a consolation first prize. What is not known however is if we will still make it in the Festivals Posters and brochures. The legate party was that Saturday night after the Festival. Although 14 made it all together to party, many got stuck in Ren Fair traffic for many hours and could not make it. With crowds of this size even a one hour delay in leaving the Fair makes for a large time difference. I left at 4:30 and drove right out. Mick Daniel's left just one hour after me at 5:30 and it took him 3 hours just to get out of the Fair parking lot and then there is traffic lined up down the roads after that. So stick this in your hat. If you want to avoid hours of traffic jams leaving the Texas Renaissance Festival, leave it at 4:30 and no later. Hopefully next year, we will have even more participants as it grows every year.
SALVE, Terry Nix
Legate, Sextus Flavius Maximo
LEGIO X FRETENSIS