Most Renaissance fairs in the United States are set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The Elizabethan era is often depicted as the golden age in English history that represented the peak of the English Renaissance. Many Renaissance festivals are set during this period because it allows to incorporate historical figures such as Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and, of course, the Virgin Queen herself.
However, there are Renaissance festivals that take place in another historical period, country, or both. The Koroneburg Old World Renaissance Festival, for example, is set at Baron Heinrich von Lauffer’s estate in a European village circa 1450–1660. It is a German-themed festival where a King/Queen was replaced with a Baron.
First held in 1998, the Koroneburg Old World Renaissance Festival is the only permanent fair site with buildings in California. It runs for a month every year, from late May to late June. The festival went on a year-long hiatus in 2016 and reopened in 2017 under new management.
Like other Renaissance fairs, the festival offers exciting audience-participation content for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. It features a marketplace with numerous vendors, entertainers, in-period games, feasts, and much more.
At the festival, there’s plenty of activities, games and other entertainment, from live shows to armor and weapon demonstrations to workshops. The program includes special activities for children (scavenger hunt) and adults (the 21+ Koroneburg Pub Crawl). At the market, festival-goers can buy various apparel and accessories, home décor and supplies, art, books, cosmetics, jewelry, leather crafts, musical instruments, metalware, toys, woodwork, and other items. And if you get hungry, there are food vendors offering authentic dishes, including turkey legs and German bratwurst.
To make things even more exciting, the Koroneburg Old World Renaissance Festival offers themed weekends. For example, the 2018 festival featured Military Appreciation Weekend, Market Mayhem Weekend, Pirate Weekend, Viking/Norse/Celtic Weekend, and German Folklore Weekend.
In 2021, the event was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: renfestcorona.com
