Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival
Fantasy Faire Vendors or Merchants
Updated 10/14/2024
Apply to be a Fantasy Faire Vendor or Merchant: HERE
Calling all Merchants and Vendors for Dragon Days™ Fantasy Faire, October 4th and 5th in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!
Welcome, Goode Faire Merchant or Vendor,
Our Fantasy Faire is just one part of the Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival, a 2-day, 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 merchants and vendors of all kinds for our Fantasy Faire, a fantasy-themed Renaissance Faire in the City of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Any sort of Medieval, fantasy, or gaming related crafts and merchandise will be greatly welcomed. There will be many incidental tourists from all over the world in attendance looking for unique shopping experiences, as well as fantasy fans looking for fantasy-themed merchandise, and gamers looking for gaming-related products.
Likewise services catering to families and young children such as face painting, balloon animals, sketch artists, or arts and crafts activities will be fantastic. Again, an emphasis on fantasy and fairy tale themes, geared toward families with children would be ideal.
Early Bird Registration for returning vendors is due by November 30th, 2024 and has a total fee of $100 for a 10 x 10 foot or smaller tent or set-up for selling goods or services. Anything larger will have a registration fee of $150. However, if you offer some sort of demonstration or teaching opportunity for Faire adventurers, that fee can be reduced by up to $50. (See application form.) After November 31st, our entry fee will be $200 and $300, respectively, with an ultimate deadline of July 31st, 2025. (See link to application form below.)
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 Vendor or Merchant: HERE
Any questions may be directed to our Fantasy Faire Director: Kevin Maurice 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