Sold-out Richmond Ren Faire brings 'fantasy and freedom' to Dorey Park

The sold-out, inaugural Richmond Renaissance Faire brought "fantasy and freedom" to Dorey Park in Henrico on Saturday, drawing an expected 20,000 people who braved the heat for the grand opening.

Organized by the nonprofit Virago Alley, the two-day event featured performances, live jousting and combat, interactive activities, and more than 100 local vendors. Attendees included knights in shining armor and beer maids.

Meredith Johnson traveled from Mississippi to enjoy the experience. She said she was surprised by the size of the event and praised the spacious layout compared to other festivals.

PHOTOS: Richmond Renaissance Faire at Henrico’s Dorey Park

The inaugural Richmond Renaissance Fair at Dorey Park in Varina drew a crowd of 20,000 people April 18-19. The event was organized by nonprofit Virago Alley and featured performances, activities and more than 100 vendors.

Henrico CitizenDave Pearson, Citizen Contributor

"The bigger ones, they tend to be very close together and all the booths almost like sit on top of each other," Johnson said. "But here you kind of have time to just mellow out. You can stand, you can take in the atmosphere, really appreciating everyone's costumes, which is nice."

Richmonder Mac McWilliams echoed those sentiments, noting that the open space allowed his kilt to flow freely as he walked around. He said he was proud of Richmond for hosting its own Renaissance faire.

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