Amazing: an anti-gun festival in Nashville

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Yeah, and you had better not show your steel, either.

Patrons bringing or buying swords at the Festival must have the sword(s) sheathed and peace-tied at all times, for safety reasons.
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A 21-year-old Magnolia resident was convicted and sentenced to 55 years in prison for his part in the 2004 murder of a man in the parking lot of the Texas Renaissance Festival.

It took the jury 45 minutes to find Brent William Noland guilty and more than three hours for the jury to sentence him on May 17 in a Grimes County courtroom for killing Montgomery County resident Brandon Smith, who was on leave from the Navy when the murder happened. Noland was 19 when the slaying occurred.

Smith and his sister, Kristin Smith - who is also in the Navy - were spending time together at the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville when the two were attacked by a group of seven people, according to police reports.

According to police reports, Smith was stabbed 19 times, mostly in the back, while on the ground being kicked in his head and shoulders. Witnesses said he was defending the honor of his sister.
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http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16779859&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=574060&rfi=6
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Fire-arms, working or replicas, are not permitted on Festival or Castle Grounds. Possession of fire-arms on the Festival or Castle Grounds will result in Prosecution.
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Ren Festivals are a different beast than military reenactments (I should know - I am a world war II reenactor)..at Ren fest type deals you can see people 'reenacting' Legend of Zelda or Lord of the Rings. It's like your old high school drama club. The crowd that it attracts is different too. The military reenactments is a cast not unsimilar to the High Road - a mix of conservatives, neocons and Libertarians with one or two liberals. The ren fests are full of socialists and hippies, as well as far left Pagan groups.

Witnesses said he was defending the honor of his sister.
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Hahahaha. Definitely got the first person impression down good.
 
I emailed them and explained that even though I really like Ren Fests I will not be attending because of the Firearms prohibition.
 
Swords, clubs, knives, spears, bows and arrows can kill you just as dead as a .500 Mag. Just how silly stupid are these people?
 
Possession of fire-arms on the Festival or Castle Grounds will result in Prosecution.
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Now, unless Tennessee CCW law says it's illegal to carry a weapon on posted property (i.e., "No guns allowed"), and unless the festival is being held at a school or post office, then all they can do is ask that you leave. And the only "prosecution" they can do is for trespassing if you don't leave.

Or is Tennessee different?
 
I was going to hit up the PA Ren Faire dressed as a 17th century pirate, complete with flintlock pistol, but alas, they also ban loaded firearms. I asked if I could carry it unloaded, though, and they said that'd be fine.
 
Ok, before you guys start getting too down on ren faire's I'd just like to chime in, I used to do them on a regular basis. The no weapons provision is a standard CYA legal B.S. boiler plate that they are requred to have for their insurance, the reality is they don't care, if it isn't visible they won't ask about it. Alcohol is served at these events and peace tying weapons isn't a bad idea, it makes it slightly more difficult for the grossly inebriated to get out of controll with a broadsword. The sad truth is that many people don't take the proper safty precautions with live steel, (like blocking off a performance area) and really endanger people with their amature dueling.

As far as the types of people who go, well yeah there are some hippie wiccan fat chicks with furrry armpits, but there are also some people who are really into research and period reenactment. You would be rather surprised to find out the exact political makeup of many of the ren fair groups, alot of them are diehard capitalist conservatives, and ***Gasp**** gun owners. In fact many of them probably have a firearm back in their encampment (in an area where alcohol is consumed and sharp weapons are in everyones hands, its not a bad idea to have a 'just in case' option)

I understand that some of you may have had bad experiances at ren faires, or you see a bunch of guys dancing around in tights spouting poetry and think 'hey look at the socialist hippy fairys' but during the 360 days a year that those guys are NOT dressed up and prancing they might be next to you at the shooting range, or working on your motorcycle, or sending in letters to canidates to protect your 2A rights.

Just cause they like to dress up on weekends and do silly stuff (possibly getting drunk/laid in the process) doesn't make them automatically pinko commie rats. And the requirements placed on the organizers by their insurance company doesn't mean that they actually care if you cary or not, they just have to 'act' like they care so that they cover there a**

anyway, Just thought I'd chime in, try to withhold judgement guys some of us
socialists and hippies, as well as far left Pagan groups.
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may actually be hard core pro 2A supporters with libertarian beliefs and a strong respect for the founding fathers who just like to cut loose for a weekend.
 
Highland games and clan gatherings then

It seems that everybody sporting a kilt has at least two sharp pointy things affixed to their costume during these events and I don't think I've ever seen anything like this restrictions described at the Rennaisance Faires.
If anything there seems to be more drinking at the games.
 
"hippie wiccan fat chicks with furrry armpits"

Mmmmmm...my favorite!

Ren festivals are fun and I do encourage anyone who hasn't been to one to give it a try.
You might like it...might not.
And, concealled means concealled.
 
there are also some people who are really into research and period reenactment
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True. However, one would be much more likly to find this type in the SCA.

Also if found to be carring at an SCA event you will be asked to leave. It's a safty thing. According to what I was told several years ago during a rather large battle an off duty police officer took a hard hit that caused his service pistol to discharge into his leg. I have no idea as to the authentisity of the tale, but there you go.
 
The Maryland Ren Fair is the same way (see bottom of homepage) not that it's especially surprising for MD.
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Now, unless Tennessee CCW law says it's illegal to carry a weapon on posted property (i.e., "No guns allowed"), and unless the festival is being held at a school or post office, then all they can do is ask that you leave. And the only "prosecution" they can do is for trespassing if you don't leave.
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I don't know about other RenFests, but the security at the Maryland Ren Fair is all off duty police & Sheriff's deputies (I was friends with the person who was head of security there for a few years), and they do have the power of arrest at their discretion.
 
I can understand the no-real-firearms rule(which would be illegal here in TN anyway as they sell beer for on-premises consumption) but why ban non-firing replicas?As has been said with all the knives,swords,etc.banning replicas is kinda silly.
Good point AJAX22:I know a lot of the folks at the TN RenFest are pro-gunners.
 
Yep, boiler plate CYA like others have said.

On the other hand, the two times I've gone to a RenFest I found maybe two places out of a couple hundred noteworthy: the armory (at which I found a flint-lock pistol, period my @##!) Nice swords though.
and the crossbow range (at which they forgot to charge me $10 for the privilege of shooting 3 bolts, so I got a free T-shirt :D:)

As an aside though, the thin cotton pants they sell (pirate pants, not tights) are pretty comfy. Carrying IWB will probably pull them down though.
 
may actually be hard core pro 2A supporters with libertarian beliefs and a strong respect for the founding fathers who just like to cut loose for a weekend.
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Hey, wasnt ragging on Pagans, I have several friends into that. I admit - my expeirence with the renfairers is not good. We had a joint military-ren fest a few years ago, while my unit is off doing serious marches and in period drilling, the ren fairers are off in stupid land drunk in the middle of the day, or eating. Left a bad impression on me.
 
GET THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i called the number on that website, some middle aged lady answered....

i asked her about the "Possession of fire-arms on the Festival or Castle Grounds will result in Prosecution. "

i said "you cant prosecute someone for conceal carry legal....only ask them to leave the property"

she didnt respond..... she then said "well, i dont know about the www site, but you CANT carry a gun here"

then i said....."so i can carry a broadsword, or a MACE etc, but not a gun ehh?...that isnt logical, dont ya think??"

she says......."well, yes, you can carry those in here....but not guns"

i said......."so.....youre more worried about a legal conceal carry gun than a 3 foot long broadsword???"

she says......."hehhe, yeah, i guess so, we dont want guns in here"

i said "thats illogical, i could kill as many with a sword as a handgun"

she said......."i dont guess it makes any sense, does it"

:neener: :neener: :neener: :scrutiny:
 
In the "for what it's worth" department, the guy who built and owns the castle there lives in it. ( I spoke to him at some length, when I attended the festival the first time it was held. He seemed like a nice enough fellow. ) It's nothing more than a private residence, 11 months out of the year.

I believe they started doing the Ren fair as a way to help pay for the construction, back 15 or 20 years ago, when they were first building it.

Now, how all of this is affected by TN law, I couldn't tell you. As has been mentioned, the whole "no gun" thing is probably a matter of insurance requirements, as silly as it is.

Oh, and I should also mention that the last time I was there, some 12-15 years ago, I bought a sword... A nice Del Tin... without a scabbard. :p
So much for "Peace ties", huh? :D


J.C.
 
and they do have the power of arrest at their discretion.
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Only if someone is in violation of the law. If a private enterprise posts, "No Guns Allowed", someone who CCWs is not in violation of the law. They have merely violated a rule of the business. Now, if the business discovers the CCW holder is carrying a gun, then that business can ask the person to leave.

But the person has still not broken any laws. Only if the person were to refuse to leave would any law be broken. He's guilty of trespassing. Nothing more.

The cops you cited could not arrest someone who was carrying, but was also in the process of complying with the request to leave.

Or, is Tennessee different? Do a business' posted rules suddenly constitute law? I think not.
 
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