In medieval England, if you needed more land you simply conquered a nearby kingdom.
The Connecticut Renaissance Faire, a popular outdoor fall attraction for a quarter of a century, can’t usurp others’ land but needs major expansion.
The faire has put out a call for information that could lead them to a new larger location. Ideally, they’re seeking 65 acres or more in an area that’s supportive of their endeavor.
For the past seven years, the Connecticut Renaissance Faire has been held in Lebanon in late summer and early fall and will “probably” continue to happen there until a new location is found, organizers said. This year’s event runs from Aug. 31 through Oct. 14.
The organizers of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire also run the springtime Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire in Harwinton. That faire started May 18 and runs through June 30. The main differences between the two faires are the time of year in which they happen, the part of the state in which they happen and the historical time periods they celebrate.
The Connecticut Renaissance Faire is generally dedicated to the time of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century when jousting tournaments and madrigal singing were popular. Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire honors an earlier period, around the 12th to 14th centuries. Both also indulge in supernatural elements and allow for sorcerers and dragons. There are no announced plans to move the Robin Hood’s Faire from Harwinton.
Besides those two large faires, Connecticut also hosts numerous other Renaissance faires or medieval-themed events, from the annual Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire in Ansonia (happening this year from June 29 through July 14) to various activities of the local branch of the Society of Creative Anachronism.
Eric Tetreault, Connecticut Renaissance Faire’s marketing director and co-founder, said that since moving to Lebanon from its much smaller previous location in North Haven in 2017, the faire “has grown 30% every year.” He said the attendance projections of 65,000 people last year only fell short because it rained on nine of the faire’s 16 days. Regardless of the weather, 46,000 people attended the event.
A new location would need to be at least 65 acres of which 30 to 40 would be needed for parking, Tetreault said.
“Lebanon is less than a third of what we need looking forward,” he said. “We have only grown. We are always adding new acts. We have themed weekends with different merchants and entertainers.”
Tetreault said with a season pass, attendees can visit daily for what amounts to less than $5 a day, and many do.
Increased attendance, including major growth coming out of the COVID pandemic, has become its own issue. “We like to see people happy,” he said. “We’re customers at these faires, too. Who likes waiting in lines or having to find a parking space?”
One thing is certain: The faire will stay in Connecticut. The call for land has gotten responses from other states, but the faire is determined not to move over the border. “We want Connecticut,” Tetreault said. He said that a Renaissance faire is an attractive addition to any area since it can have a major impact on the local economy but a low impact on the area since it’s so self-contained and only operates for a portion of the year, mainly on weekends.
Tetreault is one of three full-time, year-round employees of the organization, which hires dozens of part-time employees to run the event. He calls the Connecticut Renaissance Faire “a giant community theater” merged with “a giant craft fair,” all with “a great theme” of medieval living.
Both the Connecticut Renaissance Faire and Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire utilize the same homegrown performance troupe and actors, singers, improv comedy stylists and other talents. Both faires also book dozens of guest performers who travel an informal circuit of Renaissance faires around the country.
Tetreault said the faire has been around so long, and the community it builds has stayed so strong, that “we’ve got kids coming now whose parents were kids at the faire.”
Renaissance faires have existed since the 1960s, bringing together widespread cultural interests in European history, old folk music, Shakespeare, medieval cooking and more. Occasionally a major pop culture phenomenon like “Game of Thrones” or certain seasons of “Doctor Who” can bring an influx of new visitors to Renaissance faires, but the popularity of the faires themselves has been remarkably steady for decades. Just as the real medieval world survived the bubonic plague, this one will likely survive its population crisis.
For more information on the Connecticut Renaissance Faire, happening Aug. 31 through Oct. 14, go to at ctfaire.com. More information on the Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire, running now through June 30 in Harwinton, is at robinhoodsfaire.com.
