Knights, queens, Shakespeare and 800 costumed performers will take over Folsom City Lions Park for two days of jousting, pageantry and merriment
By Saturday morning, a corner of Folsom will have traveled back more than four centuries. Knights will thunder across the Queen’s Tiltyard on horseback. Queen Elizabeth I and her court will parade through the village. Musicians, jugglers, jesters and actors will fill the pathways while merchants peddle their wares and the aroma of giant turkey legs drifts across Folsom City Lions Park.
And somewhere amid all that merriment, a young William Shakespeare will be desperately searching for something to write about. The Folsom Renaissance Faire returns Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, transforming the familiar city park on Stafford Street into a bustling slice of Elizabethan England for one of Folsom’s most colorful and well-attended annual traditions.
This isn’t simply a collection of Renaissance-themed booths and performances. Organizers bill the Folsom event as a full-scale interactive experience, with approximately 800 costumed performers bringing Shakespeare’s England to life through parades, pageants, live performances and encounters with the townsfolk who populate the village.
Visitors can rub elbows with nobility and knights, encounter members of Her Majesty’s Court or suddenly find themselves pulled into the antics of a roaming performer. Musicians, jugglers and actors will perform throughout the grounds, making much of the entertainment something visitors discover simply by wandering through the village.
And plenty of those visitors will look like they belong there. Dressing for the occasion has become part of the Folsom Renaissance Faire tradition, with attendees arriving in everything from elaborate Renaissance gowns and tunics to knight, pirate, fairy and fantasy costumes. Costumes aren’t required, but on this particular weekend, walking through Lions Park dressed for the 21st century can sometimes make you feel like the one who didn’t get the memo.
This year, the characters roaming the village aren’t there merely to provide atmosphere. They’re part of the story. The faire’s theme is “Shakespeare’s Muse,” built around a rising young star of London’s theater scene who has encountered a particularly troublesome foe: writer’s block.
William Shakespeare finds himself without inspiration while the great Elizabethan age of entertainment unfolds around him. What he needs is a muse, and during a royal progress with Queen Elizabeth, he lands in an extraordinary town filled with quirky characters whose adventures, romances and conflicts begin providing exactly the material he has been searching for. Their stories eventually make their way into his plays.
That storyline will weave through a weekend that organizers describe as a lively Renaissance celebration filled with food, drink, music, comedy and one-of-a-kind performances. Three stages will offer continuous entertainment throughout the weekend, including music, dancing, jesters, Shakespearean vignettes, expertly staged battles, storytelling for children and adults, archery and other period entertainment.
Beyond the scheduled shows, much of the fun happens between the stages. The village itself becomes the performance, with costumed townsfolk interacting with visitors and characters appearing throughout the grounds, drawing guests deeper into the Renaissance setting as they explore.
One of the biggest attractions of the Folsom Renaissance Faire returns to the Queen’s Tiltyard, where armored knights will lower their lances and charge toward one another in full-contact jousting. Organizers make a point of distinguishing what happens in Folsom from a choreographed theatrical joust.
The faire bills its competition as a West Coast exclusive featuring authentic competitive jousting. Riders from the United States, Europe and Canada — champions in their own right — are expected to face one another on horseback, exchanging hard hits while competing for glory, prize money and bragging rights.
That means the impacts, broken lances and spills aren’t simply scripted moments designed to look convincing from the grandstand. The competition harkens back to one of the most dramatic spectacles associated with medieval and Renaissance tournaments: armored riders charging down the list toward one another with long wooden lances, attempting to land the strongest hit while remaining mounted.
At Folsom, those contests take place before Her Majesty’s Court, with brave knights also competing for royal favor — and perhaps the affection of their chosen lady. For spectators lining the tiltyard, it has traditionally been one of the loudest and most anticipated portions of the weekend.
Away from the jousting field and stages, another part of the village will be devoted to shopping, eating and exploring. Close to 80 merchants are expected to fill the faire marketplace, offering arts and crafts, one-of-a-kind jewelry, woodcrafts, artwork, ceramics, clothing, leather goods, historic weapons and other Renaissance and fantasy-inspired merchandise.
It’s the type of marketplace where shoppers can move from handcrafted leatherwork and jewelry to period clothing and artwork — and potentially leave looking considerably more Renaissance-ready than when they arrived. Food and drink are just as much a part of the atmosphere, with turkey legs naturally among the stars of the menu alongside a variety of festival foods, sweets and drinks.
Adult guests will also find ale among the beverage offerings, adding another bit of tavern atmosphere to the Elizabethan village. Between the food, performers, marketplace and spontaneous interactions with characters, the faire is designed to be explored rather than simply watched from one spot.
The royal schedule will keep the village moving throughout the weekend. The Queen’s Parade will make its way through the faire at noon, while a Mayor’s Parade is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The day begins with a Mayor’s Front Gate Show at 9:45 a.m., just before the faire officially gets underway.
Younger visitors can find plenty happening beyond the jousting field as well. A Royal Fae Assembly is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., followed later by a Children’s Court at 1:30 p.m. and Storytime with Queen Titania at 2 p.m. on the Pirate Stage. The village will gather once more for closing parades at 5:45 p.m. Saturday and 4:45 p.m. Sunday.
For families, those scheduled events can provide a framework for the day, but the nature of the faire means there’s usually something happening between them — and sometimes directly alongside you. That constant interaction is part of what turns a visit into more than simply moving from one scheduled performance to another.
There’s also another longstanding treasure hunt taking place during the weekend, one with considerably fewer swords. The Friends of the Folsom Library will host a book sale in conjunction with the Renaissance Faire, giving visitors a chance to browse books while supporting the organization that helps benefit the Folsom Public Library.
The Friends organization raises money through book sales and other efforts to support library programs, materials and services. With the library located adjacent to the faire grounds, the sale has become a natural companion to the weekend festivities. For visitors already planning to browse nearly 80 Renaissance merchants, adding a stack of books to the day’s treasures isn’t much of a stretch.
Anyone still hoping to enter the realm this weekend shouldn’t wait to make plans. Saturday admission is already sold out, and organizers report that only limited tickets remain available for Sunday.
Tickets must be purchased online through the Folsom Renaissance Faire website HERE and will not be available for purchase at the gate. Organizers are limiting attendance to 3,000 guests per day, making advance purchase particularly important for those hoping to attend Sunday before the remaining tickets are gone.
Sunday tickets and admission information can be purchased online at FolsomFaire.com/tickets. Complete schedules, entertainment information, faire policies and other event details are also available at FolsomFaire.com.
The Folsom Renaissance Faire takes place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, at Folsom City Lions Park, 403 Stafford St. Guests can come in costume or simply come ready to play along. Period and costume weapons must comply with faire rules, and visitors should review the event’s policies before arriving. Only service animals are permitted.
Once through the gates, however, modern Folsom gets left behind for a while. For two days, Lions Park becomes a place where Queen Elizabeth rules the village, Shakespeare searches for his next great story, knights collide on horseback, merchants call from their stalls and hundreds of costumed characters invite visitors into the act.
So don’t be surprised this weekend if you spot a knight, pirate or member of the royal court making their way through Folsom. For one weekend, they’re right where they belong — and judging by Saturday’s sellout, plenty of modern-day Folsom is ready to join them.
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