HOLLISTER
– A large decline in attendance and the loss of more than
$900,000 in revenues the past four years have forced the
Renaissance Pleasure Faire to shut down its operation at Casa de
Fruta.
HOLLISTER – A large decline in attendance and the loss of more than $900,000 in revenues the past four years have forced the Renaissance Pleasure Faire to shut down its operation at Casa de Fruta.
The Renaissance Entertainment Corporation, which operates similar faires in Southern California, Chicago and New York, recently decided to end the Northern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire held at Casa de Fruta.
The Renaissance Entertainment Corporation said, in a written statement, that it simply could not afford to continue holding the Northern California faire because it was not bringing in enough money.
“The Northern Faire has lost $900,061 in revenues during the years 1999 to 2003. Our attendance has declined 62 percent since 1991. The losses incurred by the Northern Faire have placed a continual drain on our Southern (California), Chicago and New York faire, which are healthy shows and consistently create profit.”
The news this week was a blow to many of the vendors and faire workers who have built their lives around the event.
“They are not just closing down a show, they are breaking up a family with this,” said a local vendor who asked that her name not be used. “This is not just a business for me; my whole family is involved. When our children are old enough, we hire them out to other vendors and they learn the business just like people did during the Renaissance.”
Several vendors said they take their booths, which they pay for themselves, and go from faire to faire to earn a living and keep in practicing their skills.
The vendors are not the only ones who are sad to see the faire go. Gene Zanger, a managing partner at Casa de Fruta, said they would also like to have seen the event continue.
“We are disappointed to hear that the Renaissance Entertainment Corporation, which rented the park grounds at Casa de Fruta, has decided to discontinue future faire operations in Northern California,” Zanger said. “We had hoped that the Faire would continue at the idyllic faire site. Anyone who attended the Faire was amazed at the transformation of the forested park into an authentic Renaissance marketplace.”
He said the termination of the faire is also the loss of a unique business opportunity for the community.
“It is a loss for our community since they provided unique artistic opportunities, jobs and sales tax revenue locally,” Zanger said. “We would like to thank REC, their staff, vendors and the many participants who created a fantastic historical re-creation of the Renaissance period in our community.”
The Faire moved to Casa de Fruta from Novato two years ago. It ended its season last weekend.
Vendors are being given until Nov. 2 to remove any personal possessions still at the Casa de Fruta site.
