Eastern upcoming

[ohio ramrod]

Since I will be the school master this year I received an email about the number of preregistered campers. As of last week there were 190 preregistered. That is one hundred ninety-not nineteen hundred. I remember when we had over three thousand and people wondered where all the usual numbers had went! We have got to do some thing to get our numbers back up or there won't be any more events.

 

[faste350]

up until 3 years ago, i hadn't been to an eastern since 1995. i set up camp and my forge early and when i got there on friday afternoon i couldn't believe how few camps there was there. surely there must be alot of folks setting up on the weekend i thought. could not believe the low numbers that were there. i was 55 years old then and looked like i might have been on the young side for an average age that was there. drove to the one last year and it was worst yet. i don't know what the answer is, but you are right, if numbers don't increase, there may not be many more in the future.

 

[Keb]

I am among the 190 that will be at Cooper's Lake and then on to Yadkinville later this year. However, this may be my last year to go to the SEPR. It's been at the same site since 2010 and, frankly, I believe it's numbers are dwindling quicker because of the event not moving. Last year it had maybe 1/3 of the camps it had in 2010. It is convenient for local people to go to so they go and vote to keep it at the same site. That being said, it seems new & different sites are getting hard to come by. So what do you do?
I don't think we will ever see big numbers going to the National Rondyvoos like we saw in the 80's & 90's. In fact, I expect them to keep dwindling at a steady rate. It has become a mostly old folks sport and we old folks keep getting older & older. It gets harder every year to set up & tear down, pack the trailer and drive around the country, too. Most traders can't make enough money to pay for their trip to the rondyvoo so they just stop going. You can't blame them for that. The foundation has to raise prices to account for the fewer people attending and that causes fewer people to attend. It cost me $150.00 to register for each event this year. Five years ago it was $80.00. I, just like the foundation, am not sure how to get people to return to the rondyvoo but I don't think uping the ante is going to help.
I've always said I'll quit when it isn't fun any more. It's becoming more work than fun it seems.

 

[Swamp Rat]

OK I've never been to one. But I can tell you where to start helping get new people. In the head of all these post should be the STATE NAME or City and date. You guys and gals throw yada yada name out there and think that is good enough. Give people more info to go on in the post heading, Links to web pages would help in the body of the subject. But the STATE should be listed in the title so if one is close to someone they can then look it up, Matter of fact it would be good if one of moderators would go back and update all the post with the state initials.
I look at these post and heck if one was close I'd sure investigate it, but I get Eastern upcoming and that could be Florida to Canada east.

 

[ohio ramrod]

So true, we who play the game often don't think that new people need information on just what and where the event is.

 

[Coot]

It is sort of a hidden hobby. If you don't already know someone in the game, one likely doesn't know that it exists. Once you know about Smoke & Fire, you can get info about events all over but there has to be that initial contact with the hobby. If anyone mentions reenactors, the more or less automatic assumption is guys doing Civil War military. We need to encourage the general public to come to events as visitors.

 

[nhmoose]

And yet still no state, town or province mentioned even here.

 

[Coot]

????

 

[faste350]

east side of the state, very close to butler PA, off of route 79, between pittsburgh and erie. very easy access from route 79, you can see the lodges. coopers lake.

 

[nhmoose]

Thank you

 

[Grumpa]

It is sort of a hidden hobby.

???? It sure is! All the way down to here, and I still don't know what or where "The Eastern" is? No wonder no one goes. :wink:

 

[Keb]

EPR

will be at Cooper's Lake

east side of the state, very close to butler PA, off of route 79, between pittsburgh and erie. very easy access from route 79, you can see the lodges. coopers lake.

 

[Grumpa]

My bad. I was tired last night. If I had looked further, on the Cooper's Lake site, I would have found Eastern Primitive Rendezvous...1640-1840 North America. September 23 - October 1. Put on by the National Rendezvous and Living History Foundation.

But Swamp Rat hit the mark - we shouldn't have to leave the Forum to find out what
you folks are talking about. Put the information up front, get people's interest right now...you have the target audience here. :thumbsup:

Richard/Grumpa

 

[RC]

pretty sure I read there are over 400 pre reg'd fer the Eastern at Coopers lake...should be a real good time nice place..
:hatsoff:

 

[longbow-hunter]

It will be a grand event, the site is really nice with plenty of room to spread things out. My wife and I will be there again day tripping as we haven't yet broke the camping bubble. Hope to camp at Jacobusburg.

 

[leonard5054]

rt.422 west of rt.79/east of new castle pa. :v watch for signs

 

I got here Thursday afternoon, and all I can say is that anybody not here is missing something.

 

[faste350]

i was there today looking around for a few hours. bought some thing i "had" to have and showed some new folks around. beautiful day there today.