FriendsOfMDRF.org - THE BLOG!

Link: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nbh/2010/06/21-16/Renaissance-Fest-staying-put-for-now.html

By SHANTEE WOODARDS, Capital Staff Writer
Published 06/21/10

Organizers of the annual Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville are still looking for a new home and an easier way for participants to access the popular historic re-enactment event.

But for now, it's staying put at Revel Grove on Crownsville Road. The company renewed its lease - and still has at least three years remaining on its current lease - but continues to look for a larger parcel that would accommodate additional activities such as weddings and small receptions, General Manager Jules Smith said recently.

"When we began here in '85, we were one of very few things in this particular area of (routes) 450 and 178," Smith said. "Now there are many things and many neighborhoods. … But the roads haven't changed very much."

Each year, the festival generates about $18 million for the local economy and attracts about 250,000 visitors during its nine-weekend run. But in the past two years it has been hampered by rain, and attendance fell below expectations.

The event re-enacts the Renaissance, complete with musicians, dancers, artisans, Shakespearean characters, and other people and activities of the time period. It raises about $1.2 million annually in taxes for county coffers.

The event had more room for festivities when it debuted, but in the 1990s organizers decided to devote more space to parking. Now the festival operates on 25 acres, with 130 acres used for parking.

Because certain days of the festival have been busier than others, officials are considering offering advance ticketing for the 2011 event. Under that policy, tickets would still be sold at the gate, but those who purchase tickets in advance would avoid waiting in line.

Talk of moving the festival first surfaced in 2008, when the Smith family hired a real estate consultant to scout out a new location. They were looking for a space that would allow a larger jousting track and upgraded facilities that would permit the event to continue in the rain.

Potential locations were narrowed down to nine sites in six other counties. Any relocation would be years away, but county officials have been trying to help organizers find large tracts of land in the county to keep the festival here.

Richard Falk, president of the Generals Highway Council of Civic Associations, said the festival has had a positive impact on the community. There are some traffic problems during the event, he said, but officials have worked to correct that. Falk agreed that if the event is going to increase in size, it would be best if it did so at another location.

"I welcome them and I'm happy (that they're staying)," Falk said. "If they'd want to stay and expand, then I think there would have to be serious talks about how traffic would be handled. … Certainly, they could not increase in size significantly and leave the traffic pattern as it is. That would be terrible."

This year's festival starts Aug. 28 and runs weekends through Oct. 24.

"We're planning some great new entertainment in addition to a lot of our returning favorites," Smith said.

Link: http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=236683&format=html

In addition, the Chamber is discussing the possibility of attracting the Maryland Renaissance Festival to our area. Festival officials have narrowed their search, but it is unclear whether they are considering Washington County.

Park plan open to public input

A 214-acre regional park is in the planning stages for the area bounded by Md. 79, Md. 180 and Olive School Road.

Brunswick 's Planning and Zoning Department is welcoming ideas from the public concerning uses for the land. Zoning Administrator Bruce Dell said the park will be a combination of passive and active uses.

"If anybody has a wish list, please e-mail me," at planner@Brunswick md.gov, Dell said.

"All that acreage would be a good place for the Maryland Renaissance Festival," Councilman Tom Smith said.

pulled from: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=96492

Since 1984, the Maryland Renaissance Festival has annually transformed a 25-acre plot of forest in Crownsville into the “Faire,” a replica of a bustling 16th-century European village. That could soon change, though, as its organizers are looking to grow the event further by moving it to a larger site.

Magician and Baltimore resident Brian Wendell Morton will be performing for the 11th year when the festival begins at the end of the month, and he relishes the chance to perform at what he calls a “cheerful, family-friendly event.”

“It's a way to step out of your daily life into a fantasy world,” Morton said.

Even if the festival should move, the local performer claims he would remain a loyal participant.

“I'm sure it will still be the Maryland Renaissance Festival,” he said. “If it happens, it happens and I'll roll with it.”

for more info: http://www.mddailyrecord.com/article.cfm?id=12139&type=UTTM