Renaissance faire coming

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A renaissance festival is coming to Strathmore for the first time in August, to be hosted at the Strathmore Agricultural Society Grounds. 

Gail Stamp, who owns the “Ren Faire,” for short, said the team migrated to Strathmore seeking a bigger venue that was still close to Calgary, but also would be able to keep the event affordable enough for families to come out on a whim.

“We wanted a southern show, and to find an adequate venue. Strathmore is a nice town and the venue is nice, the people are great, they have made us feel very welcome, and they are doing everything they can to assist in helping,” she said. “It is getting a lot of traction, social media has up and gone crazy with it and we are all very excited to do Strathmore. It will be fun.”

The ren faire will feature an artisan market spread throughout the ag grounds, a Viking village, jousting in the grandstand, and heavily armoured combat showcases. 

Previously, Stamp explained the show was operated out of a wildlife centre, which served as a great venue until the event outgrew it, parking became an issue, and congestion began to occur on the Trans-Canada Highway with people attempting to reach the show. 

“Strathmore has been incredibly accommodating … there is tons of space, but it is compact enough to keep the show together and not spread out too much,” she said. 

Regarding attendance, she is anticipating upwards of 3,000 people heading to the festival from all over the province, as well as coming into Strathmore from all over Canada. 

In particular, the team behind the ren faire are expecting to see many previous fans from Calgary coming out, due to Strathmore’s close proximity to the city. 

In the post COVID-19 environment, Stamp added she wants the show to be a very affordable place for artisans to be able to come out, showcase both themselves and their creations, and expand their businesses.

“We do our best and we are not going to make millions doing this, but we will make a lot of people happy and we like to help these small businesses out as well,” said Stamp.

Those who are planning to attend the ren faire are encouraged to dress up for the occasion, as there will be a costume contest running for best dressed, as well as simply for the joy of being in costume.

For those seeking more information about the show, it is available online via www.calgarymedievalfaire.com as well as through their social media channels. The event is scheduled to take place from Aug. 18-20.