Marion County OKs Canterbury Renaissance Fair for two weekends in July with new conditions

The Marion County Board of Commissioners on March 19 approved a mass gathering permit allowing the Canterbury Renaissance Fair to run the last two full weekends in July, but the board limited the event to two weekends and imposed conditions aimed at traffic management and public-safety access.

The permit, for an event organized by White Wind Productions LLC on property owned by White Wind Woodland LLC, approves mass gatherings on the parcel for the weekends on the county record (the two last full weekends in July) with conditions that include increased shuttle service, improved signage for rideshare drop-offs and written confirmation of cooperation with law enforcement and fire officials.

Planning staff had noted the applicant applied to expand the fair from two weekends to three and proposed up to 5,000 people at any time for each weekend. John Speckman of Marion County Planning said the application sought a “large mass gathering” under Marion County Code 9.25 — gatherings of more than 3,000 people — and that the county’s hearings officer had earlier approved a related conditional use request. Planning staff, however, told the board new information warranted caution: continued traffic impacts and a reported incident in which event security initially prevented Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies from accessing the site.

Nancy White, who identified herself as the fair owner and the applicant’s representative, told the board event organizers addressed previous problems. “I hired the same crew that I used last year for parking in the field. So they’re very much aware of what needs to be done,” White said, and added that she contacted rideshare companies and planned additional signage and shuttle service to keep drop-offs off the County’s public roads.

Jason Bernards, enforcement division commander for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies responded to three calls during last year’s event, including a dog-in-a-hot-car call. He also said a deputy reported being initially denied access to the premises. “That’s just a potential altercation issue there that we’d like to avoid,” Bernards said, and asked the board to require written evidence that the event’s security will allow law enforcement, fire and public-health officials on site as required by the mass gathering code.

Brandon Reich, Marion County planning director, proposed conditions the board could adopt, including increasing shuttles to eight per parking site during peak events, adding clear on‑site signage to direct rideshare drivers to designated drop-off areas, and requiring written documentation of cooperation with sheriff, fire and health officials. The board incorporated those requirements and the conditions already contained in the planning report into its approval.

Several commissioners said they appreciated improvements made by organizers but remained concerned about the event’s impact on neighboring agricultural operations. Commissioners urged the organizer to work directly with neighbors — in particular neighboring farmer Kevin Lowe, who harvests nearby fields — to avoid conflicts during harvest season. Planning staff offered an alternative: keep the record open for up to 30 days to allow organizers to document neighbor support and operational changes. The applicant agreed to proceed that day with approval limited to two weekends and to pursue neighbor outreach for any future expansion.

The approved conditions are intended to: (1) reduce traffic impacts by increasing shuttle capacity and enforcing designated drop-off points; (2) ensure law enforcement, fire and health officials have on-site access; and (3) add clear signage to direct rideshare traffic to the shuttle/drop-off area rather than public roads. The board’s motion directed planning staff to finalize permit language referencing those conditions and the conditions already detailed in the record.

The planning record notes the subject property is roughly 80.55 acres, primarily in farm or forest use, with the fair using about 23 acres in the middle and northeast portion of the parcel and a 7-acre field harvested and used for parking. Planning staff told commissioners that Marion County received no traffic complaints from the 2024 fair but that one opposition letter submitted the night before the hearing indicated traffic impacts continued for some neighbors.

The board’s decision allows the organizer to run the Canterbury Renaissance Fair for the two approved weekends this July under the specified conditions, and commissioners urged the organizer to document neighbor support before seeking an additional third weekend in a future application.