Others soon chimed in. Frank Hui, for instance, added his own personal recommendations by email; and the RenFaire Junkie uploaded an excellent report on the '97 Faire to her Website, complete with her own outstanding photo gallery of Hawkwood places and personalities. Finally, when the alt.fairs.renaissance (AFR) Newsgroup eagerly began discussing the Faire in excited terms--including plans for a massive "Invasion" of AFRers from the East Coast--Ryleh was convinced. He just had to see what Hawkwood was all about...

Getting there--and back--was easy. Ryleh merely drove south through the Arkansas Ozarks to Clarksville, picked up the expressway to Oklahoma and followed that south to Texas, then worked his way over to Denton, where he had reserved a room for the weekend. The entire trip took a bit more than seven hours to accomplish, not counting pit stops, restroom breaks and a few pauses to admire the scenery. Mike, Pam and their friend, Linda, driving up from Houston, only needed five hours to make the journey north--and that with a long lunch break, included! All of which suggests that getting to Hawkwood is not difficult at all, even from as far away as Kansas City for example.

At the I-35 exit (exit 469, if Ryleh's memory still serves) for Denton, there are several motels, restaurants and gas stations which're only a 15-minute drive away from Hawkwood. Motel prices start around $36 for a single--pricey, but a quiet room with a clean bed, hot shower and air conditioning has a lot going for it after spending a long, hot day under the Texas sun! On the other hand, if you're young and rugged; don't mind a bit of discomfort or the company of various flying and/or biting insects (such as the sabre-toothed chiggers which savaged both of Ryleh's ankles); and you can sleep through the all-night drumjam in the campground on Saturday night, then you should seriously consider patron camping at Hawkwood...

This is one of the best deals the faire has to offer: pay five dollars for the night and stake your claim for a space in the campground for your tent or pavilion. It's as simple as that. You can stay there the entire Faire weekend--all of Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights--for just $15 (on the Labor Day weekend only, you can camp through Monday night for $5 more). By way of comparison, Ryleh spent nearly $110 for a motel room for a single weekend!

With such a good deal, there are a few caveats, of course. First, there are no picnic tables. There are also no firepits: open fires are discouraged due to the dry conditions of the recent drought in Texas. If you're going to have a hot, homecooked meal in camp, better plan on bringing your own Coleman stove. There are also no toilets...and no showers in the campground. In other words, think "primitive camping"...

But if you can handle all that, patron camping is the way to go at Hawkwood. Besides, you'll only be a five-minute walk away from the main gate when the Faire opens!

Ryleh estimates that the Faire grounds themselves only cover somewhere between twelve to sixteen acres, with booths, pavilions, stages, the Arena of Valor, the Society for Creative Anachronisms (SCA) tents and other sundry entertainments and diversions everywhere. According to THE SCRIBE, the Hawkwood Medieval Fantasy Faire now boasts ten stages and 100 vendors booths spread out under a cool and shady canopy of trees. In the searing heat of a high Texas Summer, this shade is a major blessing! In fact, Ryleh noticed the difference immediately the first time he had to go back to his truck for more film: it felt at least ten degrees cooler within Hawkwood Forest itself than it did out in the parking lot, directly exposed to the afternoon sun.

In 1999, he Hawkwood Medieval Fantasy Faire will open on August 14th for a 15-day run (weekends only) ending September 26th. To reach the Faire from Fort Worth, drive north on I-35W to Exit 70 at Hwy 114; From Dallas, take 114 west to I-35W, in the southeast corner. Follow the signs--but watch carefully: some of them are small and at least one (as you first come off I-35W) could use an arrow and "Hawkwood this way" message on the back of the sign as well!

PLEASE NOTE: the following pages are, as always, graphick intense. You may need to "reload" each page in order to view all the graphix. We regret the inconvenience, but trust you will enjoy your visit. If you have not yet toured the Official Hawkwood Medieval Fantasy Faire Website, we respectfully suggest you go here first for an overview of everything that Hawkwood has to offer.

ENTER HERE...

Disclaimer: This--and the Webpages following--are an *Unofficial* look at the Hawkwood Medieval Fantasy Faire held near Fort Worth, Texas, every year since 1996. The author of these pages is in no way, shape, manner or form connected with the Hawkwood Medieval Fantasy Faire, Past Time Productions (OFFICE ADDRESS: PO Box 3222, Grapevine, TX 76099-3222), and/or any of the sponsors associated with this event. All opinions expressed are strictly this author's own.
The map, above, is provided here strictly for illustration/educational purposes only. As far as is known, the map and festival brochure are ©1998 The Hawkwood Medieval Fantasy Faire, who retain all rights pertaining thereto. No infringement of those rights is intended or implied by this author.
Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are ©1998 by George Laking.