King Richard's Faire has a new home. Its 44th season starts Saturday, August 30, where Renaissance Faire fans will head to a new location at the Edaville Entertainment Venue, just a few minutes away from the Faire's former location in Carver, Massachusetts.
On Thursday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, unveiling the new site. Local officials, Faire organizers, and of course, King Richard and Queen Anne were in attendance to celebrate.
"I am exuberant and I am so excited at this new realm of Carvershire," says King Richard, portrayed by Kirk Simpson, "It is grand, it's gigantic."
The biggest difference visitors will see is in the layout of the new Carvershire. Its former location, which hosted King Richard's Faire for its first 43 years, was nestled in a wooded area. The ambience it provided came at the cost of accessibility. The ground was filled with exposed roots from its many trees covering the Faire, making it inaccessible for many.
At Edaville, the Faire is built around a long winding paved path, which organizers say now makes the event accessible to all.
If you're visiting the Faire during opening weekend, you may also see that several of its new buildings are still being constructed. With a new, larger site, organizers say they have plans to expand the Faire's programming and events for years to come.
"They have achieved so much building in such a short amount of time, and then we're probably going to be building through the season," says Queen Anne, portrayed by West Greenwich resident Elizabeth Clouse. "They've gotten so much done. And this is just so impressive, this feat to get all of this done in a very short amount of time."
King Richard's Faire opens Saturday, August 30, and runs each weekend through October 19. The Faire's new address is 5 Pine Street, Carver, MA 02330. You can find event information and tickets for King Richard's Faire on their website.
