Sparta New Jersey Renaissance Festival!
Location: Camp Sacajawea, 844 White Lake Road, Sparta NJ
Sat & Sun: 10am to 6pm
Year Six!
2023, Year 6 - James C. Kimball, Owner
Year Five was so successful that we've decided that its time to expand to THREE weekends! Last year we had the Enchanted Forest adventure which was a HIGE hit and they will be returning again this year as well! We have been mulling over some ideas for new guilds in the future as well, look out for the "Knights College" likely to arrive in 2024. We will be opening a fourth bar this year specifically for "Rennie's" to sit and relax as long as they'd like! We are also looking forward to introducing many new entertainment acts as well as dozens of new vendors!
Year Four! (Take 2 - The Return)
2021, Year 4 - James C. Kimball, Owner
Well that didn't work out like we thought it would! The story theme of our Ren Faire was always "On to a brighter Future" and that sentiment couldn't be any more true then it is now. We are excited to be back and we cant wait to see everyone! In order to survive the last year the we shifted the purpose of the camp we own to be more of a wedding venue. This worked out great for us and many a couple are enjoying a highly atmospheric setting for their wedding! We have several NEW features for the Ren Faire this year, such as a gem mining experience, a bird show, a serene stone cairn stacking activity and a mug slide game! We are also improving on some of the other events such as the magical fishing that was a huge hit! We also have a slew of exciting new vendors alongside the vendors you have grown to love over the years. I also heard a rumor that we might be opening a third bar this year. More than ever everyone needs each others support, so come on down, buy some fun new things from our local artists and vendors and enjoy the faire! ;)
Year Four!
2020, Year 4 - James C. Kimball, Owner
TBA ... Or not...
Year Three!
2019, Year 3 - James C. Kimball, Owner
Our second year was a great success, and we were thrilled to run for two weekends! The first weekend we experienced our first rainy weather event and we were grateful to learn how to deal with that in a positive light. We had turkey legs, walk around liquor and a few other improvements upon the previous year. One of our greatest additions was "The Rogues Guild" which was an interactive experience for patrons to take part in. It received rave reviews and helped to lend a level of involvement that patrons seemed to desire.
Year Three is upon us and we are excited to announce several new projects in the works. One is a second guild, this one with a magical theme! Another is the start of a new castle experience, which will take several years at minimum to complete and so this years encounter will be "Chapter 1 - The Hidden Castle" which is also the title of this years faire. We will also be running an escape room as part of the improved Rogues Guild experience! In addition to much of last years entertainment and vendors will be many new acts and shops to explore! Come join us for our third year; we would love to have you as part of our family!
Year Two!
2018, Year 2 - James C. Kimball, Owner
Our first year was an overwhelming success thanks to everyone who vended, entertained, volunteered and attended as a patron! Both days we filled out our three main parking lots and started to fill in our emergency lots. We had front page newspaper press Sunday morning that we got to enjoy leading into the faire on its last day. Several months later we won Renaissance Magazines “Best New Faire of 2017”! We took feedback from several sources and we learned a lot about what worked well and what we would need to improve upon for year two.
Year two is now upon us and we are eagerly working on building on top of what we created last year! We are building a Jousting Field and will be hosting a Joust on the first of our two weekends! We will be adding some new entertainment, new vendors, new games and activities, and several other new features for this year. Once again we thank you all for helping to make this what it is and we look forward to sharing an even bigger and better faire with you this September!
ABOUT OUR FIRST YEAR
2017, Year 1 - James C. Kimball, Owner
For the last twenty years I have run a live action fantasy game called “Knight Realms”. Six years ago I purchased Camp Sacajawea as a permanent home for the game, and we have been developing the land to have a medieval and renaissance theme ever since. This faire has been a dream of ours since purchasing the land, although the development of the property has caused us to push this dream back, year after year. Finally, and with great excitement we have decided to wait no longer; the dream becomes reality this year!
The faire time period, while at its heart “Renaissance” will not be historically accurate in its use of geography, names, or story, but rather a mix of similar genres. At times, and in future years, we may interject some celtic, viking, pirate, steam punk, or even fantasy elements to the faire. It is our goal to provide a rich, vibrant and diverse environment for you to enjoy.
The story of year one will be “A Royal Wedding”. A marriage between the King of Sussex and a Princess of the Sejung Empire which will end a twenty year war. This will be a multi-part story that unfolds throughout the day, but it will also mirror a real wedding, as I marry my love of almost twenty years, Misha.
I have been blessed over the years with great friends and with people who wish to be a part of making something great, that others can truly enjoy! This faire is a collaboration of great minds and great hearts, and we have great hope and optimism for it! For this year we hope to focus on vendors, and on providing a memorable atmosphere. We want to provide a place for you to get away from the stresses of real life and be transported to a fantasy from long ago; to revel in merriment, to be entertained and to become a part of our world. We hope you join us!