How to Organize a Renaissance Faire

If you love to dress like people did during the Middle Ages and put on plays, then you should organize a Renaissance Faire if there aren't any near you. You can use the faire to raise money for your club or organization while everyone enjoys a pleasant time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Find a large open area. You'll need plenty of space for small parades and presentations, performances from juggling acts, choirs, magicians and minstrels and booths that will sell items like crafts and foods.
2. Contact the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). These people have researched the period and participated in many faires. The organization guide you and even provide some manpower if it has members living nearby.
3. Choose a date. You don't want the faire to take place in inclement cold weather or hot weather. The Elizabethan garb is too heavy for a hot day and the Queen would never approve of shorts. Cold weather reduces the participants and ticket purchasers.
4. Advertise booth space. Booths should be rented to individuals that sell crafts and food of the time. Make certain that you attempt to maintain the feeling of the period when selling booths. Contact other service organizations to see if they would like to join in the fun. Post information in your local newspaper and with craft organizations and flea markets.
5. Recruit the help of many. Costumes need making and you'll need workers to erect booths, take tickets, clean the grounds, give information and maintain order. All workers should dress in the Renaissance period.
6. Practice speaking with an accent. Learn broad sweeping phrases that sound old English. Compose a list of these phrases for workers, and perhaps even hold a few fun workshops for them. Participants in your Renaissance Faire should think of it as an interactive play.
7. Find entertainment. You need jugglers and musicians from the era. Rehearse street skits with workers.