For those of us who attended the Renaissance Pleasure Faire beginning in the mid-1960s, we might not know why all the people were dressed up in 16th-century English attire, eating big turkey legs and drinking dark beer — or who came up with this whole idea that was a tradition for decades. What we did know was it was a popular annual event from the end of August to the end of September and everyone had a great time.
In the early 1960s, educators Phyllis and Ron Patterson created the “Into the Woods” after-school drama and art program in Southern California. On May 11 and 12, 1963, they performed as the Piccolo Players, a children’s theater group, in Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. Along with volunteer parents and an abundance of creative ability, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire as we know it today would soon be launched.
The original themes were built around rich lore, English old customs, music and markets. Five years later, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire would be born in Marin County. With their two young sons in tow, Kevin and Brian, the Pattersons chose San Rafael’s China Camp State Park as the site of the first Northern California fair. Although China Camp was perfect for the week-long event nestled in the oak and bay woods, the fair outgrew this venue and moved to the old Sartori Ranch at Black Point in Novato. Probably not known to the weekend fair visitors, thousands of school-aged children flocked to the fair village mid-week to the Workshops in the Woods. Phyllis Patterson once said how the fair “reminds us of simpler times, more in touch with nature and Earth.”
The 2,500 fair personnel were schooled in a variety of different classes and workshops in Elizabethan style and folklore.
An August 1974 Marin IJ article reported that 350 craftspeople all over California applied earlier in the year to secure a coveted stall in the Ha’penny Market. Out of the many applicants, only 150 were chosen to sell handcrafted items from yesteryear.
The fair opened with proclamations and the ringing of the market bell. Queen Elizabeth I and her court arrived at 3 p.m. at the Greenwood Theater. Hundreds of performers entertained the crowds. Visitors were “persuaded” into taking part in the activities on the Oak Bough stage. Once chosen, they were swathed in costumes and handed wood tablets with lines on them. Other entertainers included jesters, belly dancers, minstrels, singers, mimes and musicians. They also spent time strolling through the fair while playing dulcimers, drums and flutes.
The fair can be described as a unique and mythical subculture that allowed people to experience a different world — one that relished in artistic freedom, colorful costumes, acoustic music, fresh air and a hearty meal complete with a dark ale.
In 1970, the Pattersons used a similar formula to create the annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco. This event offers visitors an opportunity to experience Christmastime in Victorian London. The other sphere of this longtime tradition are the artists, crafters, builders and others who became a devoted “company” of sorts, and some even had the good fortune of quitting their day jobs to work year-round on the events produced by the Pattersons. In addition, some got their start at the fair including actor Bill Irwin, mime artist Robert Shields, the Flying Karamazov Brothers and magicians Penn and Teller.
The Renaissance Pleasure Faire was sold in 1994. Kevin and Leslie Patterson, along with their sons Andrew and Michael (Red Barn Productions), continue to manage the enchanting and mystical traditions of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair.
(Originally published as History Watch article in the Marin Independent Journal)