Passionate Group Bringing The Renaissance Faire Experience to Del Rio

Nathan Villarreal, Haven Mancha, Kassandra Alfaro, and Marcus Castilla post for a picture in front of the Whitehead Memorial Museum and their poster

You may be accustomed to local events being themed toward culture or local celebrations. But a new event is coming to Del Rio, something Del Rioans haven't experienced locally before... The Del Rio Renaissance Faire! Haven Mancha, Nathan Villarreal, Kassandra Alfaro, and Marcus Castilla came together after experiencing one of these fairs in Houston, TX back in 2022.

Mancha one of the event coordinators shares, "Going into our first fair; my heart was like fluttering the entire time. There were so many new experiences there. The costumes and the people... the buildings were lit up with fairy lights and just like medieval Renaissance decor. It felt like you were in a different time. It was so cool." Castilla and Alfaro shared in the excitement as they described the attractions and decor Houston's fair had. "When they invited us (Alfaro and Castilla) to our first Ren Faire it was amazing. Bringing it here is special to us, it's something we like and we want to share it with the community." Villarreal explains. "We were lucky enough to attend a ren faire that was such a far distance and we want to be able to bring that experience to people here in Del Rio." Castilla adds.

"It's not just going to be a market," Alfaro says. They are working hard to bring attractions, plays, and other things to do throughout the 2-day event. The group is planning for this event to be a place where you won't feel like you're in Del Rio and that you as a visitor can experience an event that feels like a different time period. Many vendors have already reached out to them for their event, some of them going as far as to change their menu and wear costumes specifically for this event!

"I am just amazed that we got this location (Whitehead Memorial Museum) " Alfaro shares. "It was the first location we wanted and we got it." Villarreal adds as Castilla shares, "We're so grateful to Michael and everyone at the Whitehead for allowing us to do this and sponsoring the event."

Del Rio Renaissance Faire Event Coordinators pose with Michael Diaz, Executive Director at the Whitehead Memorial Museum

Mancha shared what it's been like planning everything, "So there is a big difference between dreaming and actually getting the work done when it comes to planning events like this. But with the right teammates such as everyone here, it's been a fun ride." The passionate group wants the community to know that they highly encourage attendees to dress up and emphasize that you won't be alone in dressing up. You can find cheap clothes at thrift stores and it doesn't have to be perfect. Throughout all this they want to share a couple of things with the community; "Please be patient with us, it's our first event and we're doing our best to make everyone happy," Alfaro asks. "We want to thank everyone for such positive support. We're thankful and we look forward to our event and seeing everyone there!"

Connect Del Rio has plans to attend this event and we're hoping to see the community there too! The event is a 2-day event and admission for children (over 5 years old), teens, and adults will only be $5. Senior Citizens and children under 5 years old, will have free admission. The event is set to run on October 12th from 11 AM to 7 PM and October 13th from 11 AM to 5 PM. You can find more information on their Facebook Page or their Website.