3rd Annual Golden Gate Renaissance Faire Transforms Speedway Meadows to a Giant Stage filled with Jousters, Magicians, Jesters, Falconers, 1000s of Costumed Actors For a Two Day Fun Filled Spectacle
July 28, 2006 by Bill Watters
Golden Gate Renaissance Faire raises money for local schools in San Francisco with a full weekend of theatrical pageantry
Two Day Event will raise money for local schools in San Francisco with Non-Stop Entertainment For All Ages
San Francisco, CA – July 28, 2006 Queens of England, ambassadors from foreign lands and juggling jesters, winsome wenches, lords and ladies, knight of horseback, squires and simpletons. They aren’t just the stuff of fairy tales. They’ll all gather August 26th and 27th, for San Francisco�s favorite festival, the third annual Golden Gate Renaissance Faire.
Set against the backdrop of the Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park, the festival is a chance for everyone – from the Shakespearean scholar to the casual observer – to take a step back in history. Non-stop entertainment will be provided on the streets by over a thousand s of colorfully costumed performers. The faire will feature 5 stages of continuous entertainment including two courts fighting for power, expertly staged battle scenes and theatrical performances, lively crafts marketplace, puppet shows, storytelling for children (and adults), belly dancers, knights on horses, musicians, archery tournaments and more.
The lanes of the festival and will be filled with savory dishes, fine wine and ale. Patrons will participate in archery, javelin throws, and fencing. Activities for the children will include games, crafts, a petting zoo, puppet shows and storytelling.
Weekend�s highlights include Knights of Azure Cross, a jousting troupe that will compete in duels on horseback twice daily. Contests will include spear throwing, ring spearing and cabbage cutting. And then, onlookers will be astounded by the action of the hard-hitting lance-splitting jousting. Hundreds of pounds of man, horse and metal collide and do battle right before your eyes. It is almost guaranteed that a scuffle will break out between the battling knights, and just as surely the Queen will restore order.
The cast of over a 1000 actors and groups reaching four corners of USA will be led by three talented and seasoned actresses performing roles of Queens Jane Gray and Mary Tudor and Princess Elizabeth. Queen Jane will be played by 18 year old Megan Fisher, resident of San Diego. Megan has been performing at Renaissance events for over three years as a member of St. Augustine Guild. Her supporting cast will be led by the CastleWood House performance troupe based in Sacramento. Liz Martin of Sacramento will play the Queen Mary Tudor. Liz involvement in acting and Renaissance Faires spans more than a decade. Her supporting cast includes members of the renowned English court guilds: St. Stephens and St. George.
“It happens live, right before your eyes,” says Bill Watters, organizer of the event. “It is the one thing that everyone will remember. Many people may have seen jousting in the movies or on TV, but here there are no cuts or edits.”
A portion of festival profits will be donated to a local San Francisco high school. �We hope to continue to direct attention towards preserving arts programs as a part of the educational curriculum,� said Marti Miernik, performance director of the Golden Gate and Renaissance Productions. �Studies have long shown the positive impact the arts have on children. And in that vein, we hope to help preserve and support after hours and performing arts programs of one school that needs it most.�
About 10,000 patrons are expected to attend this year’s Golden Gate Renaissance Faire. The faire will run August 26th and 27th. Gates will open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.
The cost of admission is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for seniors, military, and ages 13-17, $5.00 for children 6-12. Children under six are free. For more information, and directions to the grounds, visit www.ggfaire.com or call 415 354 1773.
Marti Miernik
Public Relations Director
Renaissance Productions
Marti@Miernik.com
Renaissance Productions Hosts Valhalla Renaissance Faire 2006; Brings Back The Magic, Romance And Chivalry to Tahoe’s Camp Richardson
March 14, 2006 by Bill Watters
Thrilling days of yesteryear, noble knights, ladies fair, magicians, fire-eaters and giant roasted turkey legs returns to Tahoe San Francisco, CA – March 14, 2006 – Renaissance Productions, an organization specializing in the production and promotion of themed events, is proud to announce the return of the magic of the Valhalla Renaissance Faire, after a five year hiatus, to Camp Richardson, South Lake Tahoe. By uniting the best performance groups from Valhalla’s past with new exciting shows that have emerged in recent years, Renaissance Productions will bring patrons a spectacular, non-stop show that will dazzle and enchant patrons the first two weekends of June.
“We expect to greatly increase the experience from the last few years. To entertain the visitors we’re bringing shows that are renowned throughout the US and Canada,” said Bill Watters, founder of Renaissance Productions and producer of the Valhalla Renaissance Faire.” And through an amazing repertoire of festivities, we will return the faire to the magical atmosphere which had so long become an annual vacation destination for people from around the region and state.”
Over the weekends of June 3rd-4th and June 10th-11th, patrons will find themselves in the midst of a 16th century marketplace teeming with colorfully garbed characters and spectacles. Trumpets will blare, drums will roll, and Queen Elizabeth I will be present at the re-creation of an English country faire. A boisterous party will include Elizabethan-era shows, arts and crafts, and food and costumed parades. Visitors will mingle with over 800 costumed characters including Sir Francis Drake and the court of Queen Elizabeth, and watch the antics of jugglers, magicians and dancers on 4 stages. Kids will listen to stories, watch animal acts and take part in medieval plays.
In action-packed jousts, armored knights on 2,000-pound war horses will tilt full-speed toward each other for the honor of their monarch and the Mayor’s purse.
”The theatrical environment, street interaction, and stage shows draw the audience in, making this a truly immersive theatrical event,” said Marti Miernik, theatrical director of Valhalla Renaissance Faire and public relations vice president of Renaissance Productions. “We draw the audience in. Rather than just sitting in a darkened theater we will make sure patrons are able to become a part of the show.”
Renaissance Productions will work closely with nonprofit Tahoe Tallac Association which sponsors the art and music festivals at Lake Tahoe and looks forward to working with other local organizations to help restore the close ties between the event and the community. Part of the proceeds go to cultural arts programs of the Valhalla Arts and Music Festival and restoring the Tallac Historic Site.
“The Tahoe Tallac Association looks forward to welcoming the return of the Renaissance Faire this June. We know that this is a favorite event for both our visitors and locals. Thanks go to our neighbors Camp Richardson for spearheading the return of this fun-filled festival,” said Greta Hambsch, President of the Tallac Association.
“We’re proud to bring Valhalla Renaissance Faire back South Lake Tahoe Community. Camp Richardson is a beautiful location, perfect for the faire.” said Mr. Watters. “Renaissance faire enlightens, it entertains. We hope to present an entertainment venue for the whole family and bring people back to a sense of community,” Mr. Watters continued.
The Valhalla Renaissance Faire will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 3rd – 4th and 10th – 11th at Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe. Admission is $15 for adults, $15 for seniors over age 62, students 13-17 and military with ID, and $ 5 for children 3 to 12. And fairgoers celebrating their birthdays will enter free on their birthday with a valid photo id. For more information on the Valhalla Renaissance Faire, please visit www.valhallafaire.com
About Renaissance Productions
Renaissance Productions is an organization dedicated to theatrical development of quality of Renaissance-themed events and serves as a network for entertainers, vendors, and producers of these events. For more information please visit www.renaissance-web.net or call 1-415-354-1773
Marti Miernik
Public Relations Director
Renaissance Productions
Marti@Miernik.com
The Renaissance Symposium brings the 1500s to life at the San Jose Hyatt
January 6, 2004 by Bill Watters
Renaissance Productions hosts its 2nd annual, three-day conference to explore and expand various aspects of Renaissance performance at faires and festivals
San Francisco, CA – Jan. 6, 2004 – Renaissance Productions, an organization dedicated to theatrical and authentically astute development of quality Renaissance-themed events, today announced that it will host the second annual three day Renaissance Symposium, January 30th through February 1st in the San Jose Hyatt Hotel. The cross-disciplinary conference will feature a series of historical and theatrical seminars that will uniquely prepare faire re-enactors for the intellectual and aesthetic challenges of the West Coast Renaissance faire circuit.
Throughout California there are about 40 Renaissance themed events taking place during each calendar year and over 300 in the whole of the US. In California alone, there are 2000 – 3000 actors performing at these events.
�Renaissance faires are designed to teach and entertain patrons by transporting them into a time and place that until now they�ve only studied from books and movies. Whether they come for education, pageantry, for the fighting, dancing, feasting, or to wear exotic clothes, it takes passion, time, education and significant training to present a glimpse of history in an authentic manner that will both entertain and teach them � this takes some doing.� said Bill Watters, president of Renaissance Productions. �We�ve brought together some of the best theatrical, costuming, swordsmanship, and history instructors to educate re-enactors on how to bring the Renaissance era to life.�
The cross-disciplinary conference will explore character development and characterization, costuming, history, basic renaissance accent, religion, fashion, manners, dancing and education during the reign of England’s Henry VIII, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I, and Scotland’s Mary Stuart. In addition to a full schedule of classes, a series vendors, guild representatives, and producers of Renaissance themed events will be on site with various wares and information to get members and guilds ready for the upcoming season.
The second annual gathering is open to the public especially history and theater students of Bay Area high schools and colleges. The conference will be held January 30th through February 1st 2004 at in the San Jose Hyatt Hotel. The conference registration fee before January 1st is $20 a weekend and $25 thereafter. A Friday evening reception will kick off the gathering and provide an elegant, relaxing setting for participants to meet the speakers and to orient themselves for the upcoming event. For more information on the event, comprehensive schedule of events and registration please visit the Renaissance Productions website at www.renaissance-web.net or call (415) 334-1469.
Marti Miernik
Public Relations Director
Renaissance Productions
Marti@Miernik.com