The Wicked Winter Renaissance Faire started three years ago with a simple but crazy idea: create an event, not for one specific group or genre, but rather for pretty much anyone whose interests are outside-the-norm. Wrap it up in a tasty Renaissance Faire, add some spices, and serve piping hot. (Or, in our first year, in the middle of a blizzard. But that's another story.) Since then, we've worked hard at our key goal of providing a home for all kinds of people whose tastes are a little different from most. Our second year's Pirate-Ninja Battle paved the way for this year--what we're pretty sure is the world's first Lovecraftian Renaissance Faire. 2008 was scheduled to be the year that would launch us into truly doing this full time...if you've ever run a small business or a convention, you know how much that means.

Long story very short, the venue we contracted with (and paid for) 12 months ago got a new owner in November. That owner stalled us and stalled us and finally, a week before Christmas, told us that he "would not honor" the contract that we had, even though it was legally binding. We've been fighting since that day.

The event will go on, and whatever happens, we'll make sure it's a damn good time for everyone who makes it out, attendee, performer, vendor, or what-have-you! But this is the time when we would like to call upon like-minded folks to help us out. We need your support--whether it be passing along word of what's happening with us, or offering help, or joining with us--as individuals or as groups--to help us make this happen. And in return--we promise you our service. Our next, and possibly last event, the Wicked Picnic this June, will be primarily a benefit for a non-profit organization for gifted kids (www.SPARCSummer.org)--and we'd love to extend gifts, recognition, good times, free tickets, and other thanks to any goups or people who help us now. And if, with your help, we're able to continue doing Faire--we do have a Wicked Faire 2009 in mind that will, we believe, say "thank you!" in spades.

Please visit us at our event livejournal, or to talk about the event directly, email Jeff Mach at jeffmach@runningwatermusic.com.