On Earth, market fairs were a medieval tradition in much of Europe that extended in some form to the reinasance era and beyond.
Like a market day, a market fair is a time and place set aside for buying and selling, but markets days are usually once a week, and market fairs are normally once a year.
Many medieval Earth market fairs coincided with one of the Saint's days. Most Scarterran Market Fairs coincide with one of the Nine's holiday, though in more than a few cases, they often land on a fairly obscure holidays.
Market days are literal days, but market fairs can last anywhere from three days to ten days.
Market fairs also were partially analogous to modern job fairs both in medieval Europe and Scarterra. A lot of wealthy people hire new servants at market fairs. A lot of skilled craftsmen interview potential new apprentices at market fairs.A lot of the deals struck at market fairs are for very rare goods or for very large quantities of common goods. This is well beyond the purse size of most commoners, but commoners still flock to trade fairs to see the sights and rub elbows with exotic people from exotic lands. And there are enough small scale sellers that every social class can find new commerce opportunities they cannot normally find. There are souvenir vendors and food vendors and varioous entertainments. Enough so that a trade fair and a festival can look avery similar on the surface, but the importance is in the spirit of the event. A festival is a gathering of merrymakers that usually attracts merchants to buy and sell things. A market fair is a gathering of merchants intent on buying and selling things that usually attracts merrymakers."
History
-Akeem of Magicland, Professor of Historyby Eron12 with Hero ForgeWe don't know if the ancient dragons of the First Age had something similar to market fairs, but historical records clearly indicate that market fairs existed during the Second Age and were near identical in form and function: they were annual gatherings of buyers and sellers from great distances. Market fairs were even more culturally important back then than they are now. It was considered taboo to interfere with the carrying out of market fairs. Even warring elven nations would often call cease-fires in order to peacefully gather for market fairs.
Execution
Market fairs are typically planned many months in advance.
Given the very large crowds that market fairs attract and given that most Scarterran towns and cities are pretty cramped places, most market fairs are not held in towns or cities.
The organizers usually pick an empty field and erect temporary structures to accomodate the market goers.
Participants
At most, a market dayis going to pull in buyers and sellers from a twenty-mile radius. For a market fair, it is fairly common for buyers and selling to travel hundreds of miles in order to participate.
For a lot of Scarterrans, they are probably never going to see more people in one place than at a market fair for their whole lives. They are almost certainly not going to see more visiting foreigners in one place than at a market fair.
When it market days, the Masks and local lords usually jockey for influence over them. But market fairs are much bigger, so everyone wants a piece of the action. The royal family, the high ranking lords and ladies, the low ranking lords and ladies, the guild leaders, and the most if not all of the local Nonagon all want a slice of the action.
Observance
Every market fair is different. It is rare to have a market fair in the middle of winter, but otherwise a market fair can occur at anytime during the year depending on what the local merchants and local rulers want.
Market fairs are fairly common but some fairs are bigger than others. Most dukes and duchesses aim to have at least one market fair in their territories every year.
Most Scarterran commoners only attend one market fair per year at most, but it is possible for a traveling merchant to hit several different market fairs in a single year. Because of this, scheduling a market fair at the same time or even near the time of a neighboring nation's market fair is seen as a diplomatic insult.
Examples of Scarterran Trade Fairs
Founders' Fair in Swynfaredia Gorisonad Light Fair in Swynfaredia Ivanna Fair in Fumaya's "ankle" Orra Market Fair in Fumaya "heel"
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