Maryland Renaissance Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maryland Renaissance Festival |
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Crowds watch a Shakespearean play at the festival
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| Genre | Renaissance fair |
| Dates | August – October |
| Location(s) | Crownsville, Maryland |
| Inaugurated | 1977 |
| Attendance | 15,800 daily, 300,000 season (average) |
| Area | 25 acres (100,000 m2) |
| Stages | 10 |
The Maryland Renaissance Festival is a fun Renaissance fair held in Crownsville, Maryland. It's like stepping back in time to a make-believe 16th-century English village called Revel Grove. This huge festival covers about 27 acres, which is like 20 football fields! It's the second biggest Renaissance fair in the whole United States. You can visit it for nine weekends, starting from the last weekend of August.
Contents
Discovering the Festival's Past
How the Festival Began
The Maryland Renaissance Festival started thanks to a lawyer named Jules Smith Sr. In the early 1970s, he invested in a festival in Minnesota. When that festival moved to Texas, Mr. Smith decided to create his own. He wanted a similar festival in Maryland.
The first Maryland Renaissance Festival opened in 1977. It ran for four weekends. About 17,000 people came to enjoy the shows. Famous performers like Penn & Teller and The Flying Karamazov Brothers were there.
A New Home and New Focus
In 1985, the festival moved to its current spot in Crownsville. The next year, Jules Smith Sr. handed over the management. His son, Jules Smith Jr., took over. He still runs the festival with his three siblings today.
The festival first focused on the Elizabethan era. But in 1989, it changed its theme. It began to focus on King Henry VIII of England. An actor named Fred Nelson now plays King Henry. He took over the role in 2001.
Festival During the Pandemic
In 2020, the Maryland Renaissance Festival had to close. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a tough decision, but it helped keep everyone safe.
Exploring the Festival Grounds
The Village of Revel Grove
The festival is set up like an English Tudor village. It covers 27 acres of woods and open fields. You can find more than 130 craft shops here. There are also 42 places to buy food and drinks.
Performers and Stages
Over 1,300 people work at the festival. About 400 work directly for the festival company. Another 700 work for the different shops and food places. Around 200 people are performers. They act on stages or as characters walking around the village.
The festival has eight large theaters. There are also four smaller stages inside taverns. Kids have their own special play area. You can also watch exciting jousting tournaments. The jousting area has seats for 3,000 people.
Animal Attractions and Concerns
Some visitors can pay to ride an elephant or a camel. However, some groups have raised concerns about this. In 2014, Joan Jett, a famous singer, wrote a letter. She asked the festival to stop the rides. She was speaking for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Another group, Born Free USA, also protested outside the fair. They were concerned about the welfare of the animals.
