Commission directs staff to pursue funding and site options for Hogtown Medieval Fair after two-year search

City of Gainesville parks and cultural-affairs staff told the General Policy Committee that the Hogtown Medieval Fair cannot return to its pre-pandemic scale without a large site and additional funding, and commissioners directed staff to pursue funding and site options.

Assistant Director Leslie Leidenorf, Cultural Affairs Manager Carol Velasquez Richardson and event coordinator Sunshine ("Sunny") Andre reviewed the fair’s history, the size and infrastructure the event requires and the constraints staff encountered searching for a long-term site since the Alachua County Fairgrounds sale. "Before the pandemic and all of the location changes, the Hogtown Medieval Fair featured 150 merchants in the marketplace, entertained guests on 11 stages and welcomed more than 2,000 students for a low-cost school day," staff said.

Staff described minimum site needs to support a return to a large three-weekend event: roughly 47.5 acres (to include merchant marketplace, stages, program space and participant camping), with 30–40 acres for parking, potable water, power sufficient for ~15 food vendors (about 30 amps each), perimeter or program-area fencing, and at least two primary entrances with a four-lane highway exit for guest flow. Staff said set-up for a large site typically requires two weeks, plus the full run of event weekends and a one-week teardown; smaller Depot Park productions have shorter build-down timelines but restrict programming and revenue.

Staff reported many sites evaluated — Alachua County Agricultural and Equestrian Center, West End Golf Course, Gainesville Raceway, Waldo and other private properties, and several city-owned parcels — but cited barriers such as insufficient usable acreage, insurance requirements (the Raceway required insurance terms beyond the city’s underwriting capacity and probe yielded large premium estimates), wetlands/floodplain limits, lack of utilities and neighborhood impacts. The city-owned parcel off Highway 121 was discussed as a possibility but staff said wetlands and a lack of direct access and noise-buffering made it difficult to use in the short term.

Staff recommended securing $130,000 to support another year at Depot Park while continuing the search for a permanent site and beginning conversations about city-county and private partnerships for a permanent festival and arts park. Commissioners discussed tradeoffs of Depot Park (easy access and paved pathways) versus a large site (better immersion and revenue potential) and options including county partnerships, sponsorships, vendor and merchant support, and creative multi-venue downtown collaborations.

Motion and vote: Commissioner Chestnut moved, and the motion was seconded, that the commission ask the city manager to return with recommendations on funding the Hogtown Medieval Fair for fiscal year 2026, explore partnerships for Depot Park and a permanent festival site, and fully explore alternative sites including the Gainesville Raceway and Job Corps property. The motion passed unanimously; Commissioner Beckman Walker was recorded as absent.

Ending: Staff will return with cost estimates and partnership options during the FY-26 budget process while continuing searches for suitable long-term sites.