A Renaissance Faire that was set to bring medieval combat, horses, birds of prey, vendors and other attractions to Mississauga later this month has been cancelled before it ever got off the ground.
The Port Credit Renaissance Faire was scheduled for Aug. 29 and 30 at Port Credit Memorial Park, marking what organizers said would have been the first time the event was held in Mississauga.
An organizer with the Niagara Renaissance Faire, which was presenting the event, confirmed the cancellation to INsauga.com and said logistical issues involving the City of Mississauga ultimately led to the decision to pull the plug.
“I called Mississauga and told them I was pulling it,” the organizer said.
She described the situation as a matter of difficulties working out the logistical and financial requirements for holding the event.
Among the issues raised were requirements surrounding a mobile business licence for vendors.
She said unanticipated additional costs were difficult to absorb given the other expenses involved in putting on the event, including park rental, insurance, fuel and advertising.
The organizer said she had already invested in advertising and had attracted vendors who were interested in taking part.
Had the event proceeded, visitors would have found much more than a collection of craft and food vendors.
A Renaissance Faire is essentially a festival built around the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the medieval and Renaissance periods. Events typically combine costumed performers and themed vendors with demonstrations, entertainment, food and interactive activities.
The Port Credit event was advertised as featuring a medieval encampment, mounted and ground combat, a working forge, birds of prey, live bands and a harpist.
Visitors were also expected to be able to try activities such as archery, axe throwing, and a pirate treasure sluice mine. A children’s area and face painting were also planned, along with a “Fight the Knight” attraction.
The event was expected to feature more than 100 vendors and 10 food trucks, according to promotional materials.
The organizer said similar events have drawn significant numbers of vendors elsewhere.
At the Niagara Renaissance Faire in Niagara Falls, for example, she said the event featured more than 100 craft vendors and more than a dozen food vendors, along with the entertainment and demonstrations associated with a Renaissance Faire.
She said she was particularly disappointed about losing the Port Credit event because it would have been a new venue and an opportunity to introduce the concept to a new audience.
“It was going to be spectacular,” she said.
The organizer said her other Renaissance Faire events will continue, including events in Caledonia and Niagara Falls.
For now, however, Mississauga will have to wait for its first Renaissance Faire.
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