Correction appended: A previous version of this story said the Faire would include live jousting, which is not the case this year.
Ashlee Shaw has been going to the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire for nearly 20 years. She isn’t sure if she’ll be attending this year because of parking accessibility. “My favorite part of the fair is being able to act like myself unmasked,” she said.
The fair will only offer about 45 disabled parking spots. The other parking options require a long walk, something that is difficult for the mobility impaired. Shaw said she is concerned about walking that distance.
This year, the Gainesville city government will host the fair at Depot Park. Organizers knew the event couldn’t be hosted on Archer Road again after last year’s heavy traffic, said Event Producer Sunshine Andrei.
The City of Gainesville had two sites in mind. However, both locations fell through in late November, Andrei said. Instead of canceling, the organizers decided to pivot and host a smaller festival at Depot Park.
A few local residents are concerned about how this will influence traffic downtown. “Being that it’s a free event,” said Hiram Jackson, who attended the fair in past years, “I believe there’s going to be a massive turnout.”
Jackson said he was planning on avoiding the downtown area for the weekend. The event will only run for one weekend, and admission is free. Last year, about 43,000 people attended the fair over its three-weekend run.
Event Coordinator Lili Tzou said she expects around 6,000 people per day. To increase accessibility, trams will shuttle people from the fair to the Southwest Downtown Parking Garage and the Downtown Parking Garage. However, garage capacity is limited. Many may still need to walk from the surrounding parking lots to the tram stops.
For Shaw, this would be difficult. “I am still a fan of the fair,” she said. “All I want is for people to be able to access it.”
This fair will have less entertainment. Six stages will be set up instead of the usual ten because of the smaller venue, Andrei said.
For many performers, Gainesville is a stop on their tours as they travel across the country year-round. Entertainment Director Frank Edmonson said it was difficult to attract more experienced performers given the fair will last one weekend.
There is no time for Family Friday this year, Andrei said. That means there will be no specific day for school field trips with entertainment tailored for children. However, there will be much to anticipate, Edmondson said. Entertainment will include the theatrical living chessboard, armored combat, dozens of medieval merchants and many wandering characters.
Carol Black, who has performed at Hoggetowne for nearly 25 years, is not scared of the venue change. “I totally feel that this is a great thing to make sure the spirit of Hoggetowne will not be stopped,” Black said.
Many businesses surrounding Depot Park are embracing the medieval theme, Andrei said. The Cade Museum will offer free period-appropriate science activities for kids. First Magnitude Brewing Company will host folk musicians and belly dancers. Brennans Irish Pub will host a fantasy-themed burlesque show for adults over 21.
Brett Ader, owner of Humble Wood Fire Pizzeria across from Depot Park, is excited about the spike in traffic his business may receive, but said he is concerned about the logistics of hosting such a large event at Depot Park. “There’s really not a lot of good infrastructure in terms of access and parking,” he said.
Organizers are preparing for the next fair, which will be the official 37th Hoggetowne Medieval Faire. For now, “Hoggetowne Goes Downtown” is a separate event, said Tzou.
Public sentiment toward the changes has been largely negative. Many online comments have criticized the handling of the fair this year.
However, organizers are already at work securing a new location. “I’ve already had two site visits with property owners,” Andrei said, “so we can go back to our three-weekend, full fair.”
For now, Shaw’s weekend plans are unknown. “If I could reasonably get there within half an hour of traffic,” she said, “I would be willing to go.”