Planning a Renaissance Faire is a lot like planning a city - only different.

An interesting blog about Planning the Faire.

RENAISSANCE FAIRE and Themed Event Design

"First impressions count, and the entrance to the Faire is where you get to set the stage for anything and everything that comes once you’ve passed through it. More importantly, the entrance is the departure point, where guests leave their 21st century lives, and their cars, behind and travel back in time. The entry gate is a time machine, and it is the very first moment you get to confirm to your audience that they aren’t in Kansas anymore*. There are lots of ways to construct this entryway, but my personal favorite is those gates that allow costumed actors to greet approaching guests from above." 

Click to read the full blog article: 

themedfairedesign.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html