Hoggetowne Medieval Faire: using historical reenactments for community tourism development

Festivals and events have become one of the fastest growing areas of local community tourism development. Communities increasingly understand that festivals are crucial elements of the city's tourism business. However, this understanding has led to an increase in the number of festivals and a rise in competition. It's increasingly important for festival planners to identify the features that not only attract visitors and generate economic impact, but also improve the perception of the host community and develop loyal patrons. Due to this growing pressure, communities have become more creative in their forms of entertainment. Interestingly, in order to meet the challenges of modern times, Gainesville, Fla., uses an event that dates back to the Middle Ages--a Renaissance festival.

The first Renaissance festival took place in 1963 in Southern California. Since then, the phenomenon has spread across North America, and more than 160 festivals are held each year. Florida hosts 16 of these, including the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.

history of hoggetowne

The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire was first held in 1985 at Gainesville's Thomas Center. The fair was planned over three months and executed with a total budget of $500, drawing about 2,000 patrons during its five hours. Given that success, the city increased the budget to $6,000 and spent a year planning the second festival. This year's festival had a $160,000 budget for preparation. Running two weekends in February at the Alachua County Fairgrounds, the 16th Annual Hoggetowne Medieval Faire brought the experiences of a commoner from Dark Ages to visitors from the 21st century. Right from when the gates open, the guests are greeted by the performers for the day. King John and Queen Isabelle lead their royal procession through the fair, knighting lucky visitors along the way.

One of the highlights of the fair is the Knight's Tournament, put on by the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). This tournament is a full-scale, live reenactment of a medieval jousting match, with the competitors dressing up in full armor and engaging each other with fake weapons. A human chess match is also a popular attraction, allowing guests to participate in a match placing Robin Hood against King John.

Visitors have the opportunity to learn weapons handling, such as shooting arrows at live knight targets or throwing an axe. Minstrels, magicians and other storytellers and entertainers are scattered throughout the grounds on seven stages. More than 140 craftsmen and women come from all over to demonstrate their skills and sell their crafts and creations. Food available includes turkey legs, gyros, blooming onions, pastries and frothy beverages. Among the family activities are a wax hand exhibit, face painting and a chess exhibition placing elementary chess players in a tournament. Many of the pieces of art submitted by the children for the student art and essay contest are on display as well.

Who Participates in the Festivals?

One of the strongest drawing powers of the fair is its ability to demonstrate a way of life that would otherwise only be read about. The SCA makes its mission to educate and entertain others with medieval themes; as the society puts it, the goal is "recreating the Middle Ages, not as they were, but as they should have been." Formed in 1966, the society has more than 15,000 members in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Romania, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. It's estimated that for every dues-paying member, there are three or four more active participants.

The festival recreates a town fair similar to those in the Middle Ages from 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D. Members live in one of sixteen "kingdoms," with smaller groups known as baronies, cantons and shires existing within each kingdom. All of Florida east of Tallahassee falls under the Kingdom of Trimaris, with cities like Orlando and Gainesville taking on names such as the Baronies of Darkwater and An Crosaire, respectively. Each member creates the character they become, choosing their name, personality and occupation. Some have described it as one large improvisational act.

The SCA creates a variety of activities, ranging from a simple weekly meeting of a local chapter to the coronation of a new king and queen. Regardless of the activity, the actions are kept authentic and as true to form as possible. These people are the heart and soul of medieval fairs, and live them every day, keeping old spirits and traditions alive today for others to enjoy.

Everyday people with desk jobs and a mortgage can come out and suit up for a full-contact joust with fake weapons, and briefly be transported to another time and place. For example, John Smith attends a joust and is no longer John Smith; he becomes Lord Thorkil the Tall, ready to strike down his enemy. Horrors of the period also add to its allure, with epidemics such as the Black Plague adding to the dynamic way in which these people lived and died.

Of course, not only members of the SCA are involved with the fair; it attracts residents and visitors who want to take part. There are no dress codes, and the fee is usually nominal (e.g., $6 for adults). Planners suggest that one can really get in the mood if they dress the part. General clothing which has passed as fair-like might include sandals, leather vests, blousy shirts and fitted pants with pockets. In addition, many festivals have booths where guests can rent clothes for the day.

Planning the Fair

Though a first-time visitor may think that the fair is a bewildering overload of sights and sounds, it's actually a well-planned and coordinated event with objectives that reflect an understanding of the variety of outcomes a special event may produce--from pure pleasure and learning to economic impact and community enhancement.

One of the first steps in planning this festival is a list of clearly stated objectives of what the city is hoping to accomplish. For the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, this responsibility falls on Gainesville's Cultural Affairs Department and Event Coordinator, Linda Piper. Much of the budget for the current fair is set based on how closely last year's objectives were met. This makes it crucial that the objectives are attainable and measurable. Some of the main objectives for the 2002 fair were:

* Repositioning the fair as a high-quality Renaissance festival.

* Enhancing community values and encouraging unity among residents.

* Providing interactive entertainment.

* Retaining sponsors for upcoming years.

* Gaining media coverage.

* Offering educational guides for teachers to prepare students and incorporate the fair into the curriculum.

* Improving visitors' feelings about their experiences of the fair.

* Increasing community awareness about the fair by 20 percent.

* Increasing the number of volunteers.

* Increasing attendance by 10,000 visitors.

Promoting the Fair

Once the objectives have been outlined, an action plan is developed. This includes hanging 800 posters around the local community, as well as mailing 800 brochures to school groups. An art and essay contest for the school children draws the young crowd, with an awards ceremony held at the fair.

As for the standard media promotional campaign, 60,000 coupons are distributed to Subway shops and a local pizzeria, as well as an additional 14,000 sent to students in their field trip packets. A series of radio appearances for the event coordinator are usually scheduled. Hiring additional crowd control assistance, such as parking attendants, security and police forces, and city street employees, are also necessary to accommodate the projected record attendance. What help the city doesn't pay for comes in the form of volunteers from the schools and community in exchange for a one-day pass to the fair.

In addition to the pre-fair promotion, a great deal of mid-fair efforts are geared toward ensuring attendance. During the first week, the winners from the art and essay contest are announced on a local radio station. Some of the actors portraying Robin Hood and his Merry Men make appearances on radio shows and hand out prizes to listeners who can solve one of Robin Hood's medieval riddles. The king and queen of the fair make 15 guest appearances, handing out 300 knight medallions to children throughout the week. Hoggetowne necklaces are handed out at the gate to all children as they enter, as well as clue sheets to all in attendance to encourage group searches for treasure.

As communities look to combine activities that meet the needs of residents and visitors, festivals and events are bound to gain importance. The Hoggetown Medieval Faire is a great example of a growing form of community tourism. The organizers of these festivals are dedicated to creating creative entertainment venues for residents and visitors that tap into a loyal audience. There's little doubt that festivals will continue to be an important component of the tourism mix in years to come. The challenge, however, is for city tourism employees to offer high-quality opportunities for a variety of segments. If this challenge can be achieved, there is no doubt that the Hoggetown Medieval Faire will be around for years.

Lori Pennington-Gray, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Program at the University of Florida, where she teaches recreation and tourism marketing, commercial recreation and tourism development. She's also an associate director of the Center for Tourism Development at the University of Florida. Jill Setton is an undergraduate student in the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism at the University of Florida. Her emphasis area is commercial recreation and hospitality. Andrew Holdnak, II, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Program at Western Illinois University. He teaches tourism, hospitality and management-related courses. His research focuses on tourism, resort operations and outdoor recreation.

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