BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
At first glance, the Idaho Renaissance Faire is just a lot of people in costumes, but the organization is actually a charity.
Every year, the fair donates most of its proceeds to an Idaho school’s arts and history program — this year’s recipient is Rocky Mountain High.
Janet Holthaus, vice president of the treasury for the fair, sees it as an opportunity to give back.
”We get to give back to the community monetarily and support schools and arts and history,” Holthaus said. “It is an opportunity for us to to reach out and bring the community together. It’s a safe and fun thing for families to come out and do with their children, and watching those kids interact during the fair is the most amazing and heartwarming thing I’ve ever seen.”
For Vice President of the Fair Human Resources Tyson Stucki, sending money to support local schools art programs hits home.
”I was always in the arts. I did drama, music, choir, things like that. And the things we were always told was, ‘hey, you’re gonna have to raise money so that you can go on these field trips because the football teams got new uniforms,’” he said. “I went to Nampa High School, which is an amazing school, but ... there was so much need there.”
Stucki is excited to give thousands of dollars to the high school. That money comes primarily from ticket sales, he said.
“This is a charity. Nobody is paid. We do have some funds from last year that we have allocated for some of our entertainers,” Stucki said. “We are all volunteers. And it’s for the kids.”
The cast is made up of 25 people, Stucki said, each playing different Renaissance characters.
”We’ve been able to see things grow in a way that I want to see how far we can take this. I don’t want to walk away from this. It’s too much fun,” said Kathlean Danes, president of the fair. “It’s really exciting to see how our donations to the schools benefit the arts programs in those schools.”
Danes has been a fan of Renaissance fairs since middle school. She started working with the Idaho Renaissance Faire as a vendor and took over as president in 2017.
This year’s vendors, Danes said, include people selling art, jewelry, costumes, period pieces, swords, books, dice for gaming and of course, turkey legs.
”You can’t go to Renaissance Faire without getting turkey leg — that’s just unprofessional,” Danes said.
According to Holthaus, about 5,000 people attended last year, and she hopes even more do this year.
”It gives the opportunity for families to come together and I think that is so important right now,” Holthaus said. “After everything that we’ve been through the last few years that I think sometimes we lose touch with what’s right here.”
If You Go:
This year, the Idaho Renaissance Faire will be hosted in Kuna at 301 W 2nd St. on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets are $10.
Entertainment schedules are posted on Instagram @idahorenaissancefaire.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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