The Ugly Truth Behind the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire (Rewritten in my own words)

*And yes, this is relevant to Seattle and surrounding area. It’s in Snohomish and a huge chunk of their profits come from Seattle residents.

I was asked to rewrite the nitty gritty in my own words so here it goes. Please share this out there and give all those that have felt without a voice to speak up a place to do that and finally get some support. You are all amazing! 😊

I’ve kept quiet for a long time, but I’m done staying silent. I’m a volunteer who’s been involved with the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire for years. I’ve seen the inner workings, and what goes on behind the scenes is not just disappointing, it’s deeply unethical and, at times, dangerous.

The people who run this Faire care more about profit and power than people and community. If you disagree with them or ask too many questions, they isolate you, gaslight you, and make your life miserable until you either: fall in line or leave. I’ve watched talented, passionate people be pushed out or fired simply because they knew too much or stood up for what was right.

There are ongoing L&I complaints against them. They lie about who is working on site, including serious allegations involving individuals with dangerous histories. Instead of removing risks, they cover things up. They protect their image at all costs, even if it means putting others in harm’s way.

The organizers don’t support their guilds, despite those folks being the backbone of the entire Ren Faire experience. They want obedience, not collaboration or real creative solutions. If you speak up, you’re cut off. I’ve seen it happen over and over again and it’s maddening!

Another major red flag is their shift toward hiring mostly out-of-state staff. That’s not how Renaissance faires usually operate. These kinds of events are meant to be rooted in the local community—with local staff, local managers, and volunteers who live nearby and care about the event because it’s part of where they’re from. But people in Washington have started to catch on to the shady practices happening behind the scenes, and now the organizers are bringing in outsiders who don’t know the history or the harm. It’s a complete betrayal of what a local faire should be.

They charge the public more every year while offering less support and care to those doing the actual work. Volunteers are treated like free labor, not like the dedicated people who make the event run. And those who raise concerns internally are labeled troublemakers or “disgruntled,” which is just another way to discredit anyone who doesn’t play along.

This post isn’t about bitterness. It’s about accountability. I’m disgusted by how many people this organization has hurt, back-stabbed, or discarded. If you’re involved, I hope you start asking hard questions. If you’ve experienced this too, you’re not alone.

This Faire needs to change, and it won’t happen if everyone stays silent.

There are other reddit posts (one in this group in particular) that gets real with some specific things but, the more people who know, the more we can hold the right people accountable.