Created by Ron Patterson and Phyllis Patterson and the radio station KPFK,^[4] the first Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Southern California (RPFS) was staged at Agoura Hills in the spring of 1963. The first Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Northern California (RPFN) occurred in the fall of 1967. The nonprofit organization Living History Centre (LHC)^[5][6] was established in 1968^[7] as a way to establish the location of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire and as a way to reify the educational potentials of the public event.

In 1989, RPFS was moved to the Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore, California; and finally in 2005 to its present location, the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale, California.^[8]

In 1999, RPFN was moved to the Nut Tree in Vacaville, California and later was relocated again to Casa de Fruta in the Hollister/Gilroy area south of San Jose.

In 1993, RPFS was purchased by Renaissance Entertainment Corp (REC), a for-profit corporation; and later by its current owners, Renaissance Entertainment Productions (REP) (also a for-profit corporation), under whom the Faire has claimed to be more family-oriented.^[5][9]

In 2005, the RPFS relocated from Devore, California to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale, California.^[10]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the faire to go on hiatus from 2020 to 2021.^[11] It resumed in April 2022.

The costumes worn by official RPFS's actors are styled after those of the period of Elizabeth I of England (1558—1603) and must pass a rigorous approval process ensuring their authenticity. There are five general classes of attire: Yeoman, Merchant, Gentry, Nobility and Military. Other cultures represented include Scottish/Irish Highlanders, Germanic Landsknechts, Italians, Spaniards, and various Arabian cultures. There are also performance groups such as mongers, Puritans, adventurers and inventors, which are organized into guilds. Patrons are encouraged to wear Renaissance-inspired costumes, but are not required to adhere to the Elizabethan period. They are also welcomed to participate by dressing up to join the fun on various themed weekends. (i.e. RenCon, Pirates, Heroes & Villains, etc...)^[12] Recent themed weekends include categories such as "time traveler weekend" which suggest patrons attend in costume from any time period and any location in the world. While this broadens the scope of potential patron interest, it may detract from the Elizabethan tone of the setting.^[13]

• Renaissance fair
• List of Renaissance and Medieval fairs
• Reenactment
• Jousting
• Society for Creative Anachronism
• List of open-air and living history museums in the United States

• Slotnik, Daniel E. (June 11, 2014). "Phyllis Patterson, who revived the 16th century, dies at 82". The New York Times.
• Williams, Ken (June 4, 1992). "Weekends of yore: Renaissance Pleasure Faire celebrates the days and knights of merry olde England". Los Angeles Times.
• Stewart, Zan (April 19, 1987). "Hear ye, hear ye: 'tis faire time". Los Angeles Times.
• Fox, Margalit (January 30, 2011). "Ron Patterson, renaissance (fair) man, dies at 80". The New York Times.

• Official website

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