I am trying to drum up customers for Dickens Fair on several of my group e-lists. I am going to write a post about "How to Get the Most Out of Dickens Fair" or maybe "How to Enjoy Dickens Fair." This is meant for people who may never have gone to something like this, or who have, and didn't really understand what was going on. I'm writing it because I remember going to Fair(e)s in the past, and not really getting what I was supposed to "do." Now that I have gotten involved, I realize that if I had been told some ground rules, I would have gotten a lot more out of it.

I would like to get some input from you guys about what to include in my post about how to enjoy the Fair. Do you have a sentence or two to add to my post? Any edits of what I have written are welcome, too.

So far, I have:

"Don't be shy about interacting with the actors. Try not to be intimidated if you aren't in costume, or can't match their accents. We LOVE it if people interact with us!! That's why we're here! Unlike in "real life," it is not rude to listen in on our conversations!

There are a couple instances where there are actual scripted scenes, but they are pretty obvious, and if you see one, wait until it's over, then go up to the actor right after and ask them questions about what is happening.

The actors try hard to stay "in character" so if you talk to a "rough" looking character, you will get a "rough" response, and if you walk up to a "genteel" character, you will get a "genteel" response.

If you are shy, start with asking a gentleman for the time, and then comment on his watch...or compliment a lady on her hat, and ask where she shopped for it. Go with the flow, and enjoy yourself!

And try to resist the urge to flit from one thing to the next. I personally think you'll get more out of things if you spend some time at each attraction."