Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival
Fantasy Faire Performers or Demonstrators
Updated 10/14/2024
Apply to be a Fantasy Faire Performer or Demonstrator: HERE
Calling all Performers and Demonstrators for Dragon Days™ Fantasy Faire, October 4th and 5th in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!
Welcome, Goode Faire Performers and Demonstrators,
Our Fantasy Faire is just one part of the Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival, a fun-filled fantasy festival for families, fantasy fans, and gamers alike! This city-wide extravaganza celebrates the City of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as the Birthplace of Dungeons & Dragons®!
We need Performers and Demonstrators of all kinds for our Fantasy Faire, a fantasy-themed Renaissance Faire in the City of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Our Need: Any sort of Medieval, fairy tale, fantasy, or gaming themes, trades, crafts, entertainment, performance, or activities geared toward families with children will be greatly welcomed.
Village tenants: baker, blacksmith, potter, etc.
Stage performances: comedy, music, etc.
Street performers: beggars to nobles, jesters and jugglers, etc.
Our Why: These are the butchers and bakers and candlestick makers that will bring our village “hamlet” to life.
Your incentives:
There will be many incidental tourists from all over the world in attendance looking for unique experiences, as well as fantasy and gaming fans looking for fantasy and gaming themed content.
We typically pay your going rate for performances and demonstrations. Also, if you also are a hybrid performer/vendor, you can offset your site vendor fee for your shop or booth set up.
Key dates are as follows:
October 3-5, 2025 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
Friday, 9:00 am: Fantasy Faire set-up at the park begins
Friday, 5:00 pm: Opening Ceremony—we would love to see you all present and in costume for the ceremony!
Saturday 10 am to 5 pm: Fantasy Faire operating hours
Sunday 10 am to 5 pm: Fantasy Faire operating hours
About Lake Geneva and the Festival Site:
In southeastern Wisconsin lies the scenic city of Lake Geneva, named after the famous body of water in Switzerland. The stunningly picturesque lake attracted the interest of wealthy families in Chicago, who built summer houses (read: mansions) along the shores, and the area became the Hamptons of the Midwest.
Today, Lake Geneva is still a well-to-do tourist destination, noted for its fine dining, antiques, and art shops—all within easy walking distance wrapping around one end of the lake.
The Fantasy Faire will be held outdoors at Library Park, right on the shores of the lake. Vendors will be around and west of Lake Geneva Public Library, next to the walking trail that runs 26 miles around the entire lake. The scenery backdrop provided by the Lake, hills, and forests will be breathtaking!
While there will be no food vendors at the park festival, there are many local eateries within a block or two. Parking is plentiful and near. The library features modern restroom facilities, and there are modern restrooms at the wharf end of the park.
Weather:
Ah yes! That would be Wisconsin weather! Well, it could be warm, sunny, and spectacular. Or it could be cold, wet, and miserable. Or there’s a remote chance it could even be snowing! This is your opportunity to bring the long underwear and that fabulous wool cape to wear (or sell!).
This festival is happening rain or shine! The Fantasy Faire in the park is our outdoor venue but the merchants will be under tents and the performers will have a partial roof over the stage. In years past we spread out straw to alleviate the mud and still had plenty of attendees despite heavy and constant rainfall. All other venues are indoors and other than a short walk, attendees will be warm and cozy at one of our many event sites around the city.
If the weather turns too bad, festival management will let you know it’s okay to shut down. If you bow out on your own, well, we want you to be safe. Give management the courtesy of telling them you’re going to leave, and we may be able to find a solution.
Lodging & Security:
The City of Lake Geneva does not allow camping in the park where the Fantasy Faire will be located. As we know, many Ren-faire folk typically encamp on site to provide their own security for their goods and property. As such, we will be providing continuous professional security patrols on site from close of day until opening time in the morning. Given that, your lodging options are as follows:
Hotels:
There are numerous hotels outside the Lake Geneva area (15-20 minutes away) that are on the less expensive side, for in-town hotels you are looking at much higher rates.
Camping in Tents and RV:
Camping at Bigfoot State Park is a good bet. It’s a 2-mile drive to the festival site, or a 1.5-mile hike along the lake trail. Bigfoot State Park offers sites for tents and RVs. It has clean, newly remodeled restroom facilities as well as showers. Grills are available for use, and campfires and pets are allowed. You are required to buy a park sticker for your vehicle. If you stay three nights (arriving Friday to set up and leaving Monday), you’re looking at about $80. Check out campsite reservations HERE.
There are also two parks within 40 minutes that have tent and RV sites as well:
Richard Bong State Recreation Area, 26313 Burlington Rd., Kansasville, Wisconsin, 53139 (Approximately 30 Minutes East of Lake Geneva). Check out campsite reservations HERE.
Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit Headquarters, S91W39091 WI-59, Eagle, WI 53119 (Approx. 40 Minutes North of Lake Geneva). Check out campsite reservations HERE.
And Finally . . .
We look forward to working with you in making the Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival a rollicking and profitable faire!
Apply to be a Fantasy Faire Performer or Demonstrator: HERE
Contact Information:
Any questions may be directed to our Fantasy Faire Director at ff.director@dragondays.org
Should you not get a response or have other questions and inquiries you may direct your emails to:
Festival Chairman: Harold “Wisconsin” Johnson: chairman@dragondays.org
Festival Co-Chairman: Paul Stormberg: co.chairman@dragondays.org
Festival Sponsor: Gygax Memorial Fund, Inc.: Board President: Paul Stormberg, gygaxmemorialfundinc@gmail.com