Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Hear ye, hear ye! For one weekend in October, merriment and fantasy will take over part of Craighead Forest Park during the third annual Red Wolf Renaissance Fair.
In addition to bringing medieval tradition and fun to Jonesboro, proceeds from the event benefit conservation efforts for the endangered American red wolf. An estimated 22-23 adults, as well as 14-15 pups, remain in the wild, while approximately 295 live in captivity. Its habitat once encompassed the southeastern United States, including Arkansas, but today’s wild population remains mostly in North Carolina, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
New to this year’s fair will be jousting provided by the Knights of Mayhem, which Red Wolf Renaissance Fair founding director and president Lauren Hopkins said fair organizers said were “super excited” to offer.
“It’ll just be a bunch of fun, and that’s classic medieval flair,” Hopkins said. “Back in the day, that’s what people would gather for. They would have a big feast, and then they’d go see the joust, and I think it’ll be so much fun.”
The Memphis Armored Fight Club will be returning, showing off their armored combat skills in a tournament. Jesters, theater troupes, and even mermaid encounters, will also be at the fair.
Fairgoers can also shop at 89 vendor booths, which will be selling food, various handcrafted goods, and more. All vendor spots for the fair have been filled. A complete list of vendors can be found here.
Hopkins said this year’s vendor market will have a different layout, continuously extending from the softball fields at Access 6 at Craighead Forest Park down to the Bandshell. In years past, vendors were mostly split between those two areas.
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Other fair activities will include various realms to explore, such as a fairy garden, a treasure trove, and an area dedicated entirely to red wolves, as well as community games and contests. Contests this year include an art contest, a Pet Royalty Contest, a Costume Contest, and a new “King for a Day” Contest.
Hopkins said the new contest allows guests to be crowned king of the day on either day of the event, with voting determined by audience participation. More information about contests can be found here.
Funds raised in previous years have gone to benefit Arkansas State University’s American Red Wolf Research and Conservation Center, which planned to house up to 12 red wolves.
However, Jeff Hankins, Vice President for Strategic Communications and Economic Development at ASU System, told JRN that the project’s development had been “suspended indefinitely” following a rise in post-pandemic construction costs and not securing enough funding “despite our best efforts.”
“A-State continues to work on national red wolf conservation in other ways,” Hankins said. “Donations to the project through Red Wolves for Red Wolves [an A-State-based organization supporting red wolf conservation] are instead being used by the A-State Biology Department to support its national red wolf specimens bank, which is critical for species research.”
Hopkins said Renaissance Fair organizers established a $10,000 fund over the past two years that now donates to various red wolf conservation and advocacy organizations across the country, with this year’s proceeds to further contribute to it.
“Conservation is harder than ever in today’s world, and raising money for that is so difficult,” Hopkins said. “It’s always unique to be able to help out those little groups across the U.S.”
For those wanting to volunteer, Hopkins said many opportunities were available. She said fair organizers would be traveling to area high schools in the coming weeks to offer volunteer positions for students needing their required 75 hours of community service.
Volunteers can assist with greeting guests, setup and teardown, building various attractions, and more. Those interested in volunteering can click here.
While many fairgoers will don their medieval and fantasy garb, Hopkins said there was no requirement to dress up. She did, however, laugh that fair workers might “joke with you and (be) like, ‘Oh, these are very weird clothes. Are thou a peasant?'”
Hopkins said hosting a Renaissance Fair was something she “never dreamed of doing,” but she’s enjoyed it each year.
“It’s heartwarming. You get to talk to people and hear their stories and how they got to spend time with their families, or they meet new people through trinket trading, and there’s so many aspects of a Renaissance fair that make it more than an event, kind of like a home,” she said. “You get a little stressed trying to put it together, but once you’re there in person, it makes it all worth it.”
Entry tickets can be purchased at the gate or online beforehand. If purchased online, adult tickets are $15 each, or $18 for a weekend pass. Kids aged 12 and under get in for $8. If paying at the gate, adult tickets will be $18 a piece, $25 for a weekend pass, and kids’ tickets will be $10. Click here to purchase tickets.
The Red Wolf Renaissance Fair is set for Oct. 24-25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days at Access 6 at Craighead Forest Park, located at 4910 S. Culberhouse Road. For more information, click here.
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