Sparta New Jersey Renaissance Faire 2019

This was a treat for me, for it is a relatively new faire (started in 2017) and it is the first time I attended it. The faire takes place at Camp Sacajawea in Sparta NJ. This camp is located on White Lake Road, near to the Sussex County Vo-Tech School. White Lake Rd off Route 15. 

The faire is located near beautiful White Lake

Being new to this faire, there was much to see and do.  Although there were some vendors and acts I have seen in the past, there were many I have never experienced before, so let’s get right to these performers and merchants.

Bardy Pardy- I was exposed to this group on a comment about this faire posted on Facebook, so I wanted to see them here, I was not disappointed. They are a wonderful talented group of singers consisting of Hannah Ward, Chelsea Carlson, & Stephanie M. Krause (as ‘Talulah Tattersby,’ ‘Ella Grimsley,’ & ‘Molly O’Flaherty’). 

Fairy Glamour-Handmade flower crowns and headpieces, wings, Fairy wands.

Costumes by Aly – Seller of some great wonderful costumes for all occasions. You need to see her products to appreciate them.

Vixens en Garde-  My favorite group of Shakespearian speaking, sword wielding, women’s troupe. All my readers of this post know how much of a fan I am seeing them, I never miss an opportunity to see them perform.  I think I have runout of the ways to describe how great they are.

K and C Candy- Sellers of wonderful chocolate and other tasty goodies. 

Karnevil- This was a year I got to see many of his performances.  He is truly talented and his shows will leave you amazed and laughing at the same time.

Broken Circle Forge- A leather and blacksmith shop, he had some wonderful items on display/sell there. Contact him via his Facebook page.

My video I created for the festival. Make sure you click “Like” and “Subscribe” to my channel.

Kraken Costumes- Don’t want to buy a costume, then rent one. This is a great place to get yourself looking like a renaissance person.

Celtic Elfin- I was able to speak to them for a while at this faire, they sell very impressive handmade jewelry.

The Queen’s Barge- For a small additional fee, you could take a trip on a boat ride on While Lake. This is a unique addition to a faire that you rarely can experience.

Joust- Put on by Roundtables Productions.  Always the favorite of any faire, and this group is one of the best.

Magical Mysteries - Great silk hair strands and other products.

Whimsical Knottery- Handmade knotted, leather jewelry, dools, masks and other items.  I enjoyed speaking to this wonderful group of people.

Tatterdemalion-one of the earliest vendors I have ever met.  This merchants sells wonderful clothing.

Draioucht Shoppe- Merchant that sells LARP, medieval and renaissance clothing. A wonderful vendor.

Mermaid Kita- A mermaid performance artist, she is a joy seeing splashing around White Lake.

Macklemore’s Thrift Store, Present by Merchant’s Wares- Collectables and other wonderful items are available here.  I am assuming they get the name from the song Thrift Shop by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, but that is a guess.

Drunk and Disorderly featuring the Creepy Bard- A great group of performers, will sing traditional and some nontraditional songs usually about drinking and fighting (and a few other topics). Don’t miss a chance to see them perform.

Muggle Juggle and More- Marty the Muggle and Ella the Faerie put on a wonderful show that will entertain the entire family.

Jeannie and Liz Allen- They performed only on the first weekend, I am glad I went that weekend, so I could hear them perform.  I am unsure what to write about them, because words have not been created to describe how beautiful their voices are.

Three Pints Shy- This has been a staple in many of the faires I attend.  This was their last performance, as the group is disbanding.  I must say this to them, “Thank you for all the years of entertainment and joy you have given to everyone who has seen you,  you will be missed.”

Doctor Gus- Badges, rings and other great items.  Incredible handcrafted detailed products.

A Few Random Things- Seller of trinkets and jewelry made from chainmail, polymer clay, and resin.

Douglas Stafford- Magician and juggler that will amaze you with his wonderful tricks and skill.

During the day, you could go Magical Fishing. You could find treasures galore at the bottom of the lake.

Goblin Worx Leather Company- A vendor I began seeing a lot of this year.  I always enjoy our conversations. They sell some excellent leather products (some of the best out there) so check them out.

Buck Hill Brewery and Restaurant- Need a drink, get one here.  The brewery and restaurant is located in Blairstown NJ

Meadowlark the Fairy - Master of bubbles. She will entertain the entire family with her charm and ability to create beautiful magical bubbles. She is a treat to see.

Daniel Greenwolf- A great magician with a skill at comedy to back it up. He is always a joy to watch while he will entertain and amaze everyone in your family.

Harpspun-Michelle Mountain must be one of the most talented harpist I have ever heard.  She is truly amazing to listen to.

Mount Salem Studio- Hand crafted, one of a kind jewelry.  Truly beautiful works of art, each and every item.

The festival's theme this year is “The Hidden Castle” and here it is.

Mystic Sky Design, LLC- Sell wonderful chainmaille jewelry and other accessories. This is a great vendor and I enjoyed speaking to them at this faire.

Petrikhor Magic Shop- Book boxes, quill pens, wands, necklaces and more, amazing products sold here.

NY Armored Combat- A full contact combat organization that covers NYC and parts of Northern NJ. Members of this group have been featured on Knight Fight on the History Channel (one of my favoite shows).  This was a great group to watch, and they had numerous live combat fights during the day. 

Medieval Mouse- Sellers of some nature inspired jewelry and other items.

Daniel Lapidow, the Hebrew Hammer Blacksmith- Out of Trenton, NJ he is a truly talented blacksmith.  He had numerous demonstrations during the day and I was amazed at his skill and talent.

Shelby’s Shop- She sells some wonderful items made out of resin and basically indestructible.  I had the opportunity to have a wonderful conversation with her.

River Poet Design-  Exquisite example of art in each piece of jewelry.  The art of Lynne Ann Schwardenber and Riverpoet Design.

Fernando’s Engraving- Custom rings, pendants, bracelets and then stamped in Runes, Draconic, Elven, Viking, Old High Gallifreyen, and many other real and fantasy letters.

The Feel Good Shoppe- Crystals, stones, scarfs, flowers, jewlery, just about anything that makes you feel good, they sell it.  I just got their name.

Mechanical Meow- I was so impressed with the incredible jewelry made here.  It is truly unbelievable. They also were very nice to speak to.  Also check out their Facebook page.










There was so much more to this faire than I can put done here on this post, so make sure to check out their entertainment, vendors and activities pages to see all of them.

The Sparta New Jersey Renaissance Festival is a great faire, at a wonderful location, you can get lost (not physically) in the woods and surrounding area. In 2017, the first year of the faire, they were voted best new faire by Renaissance Festival Magazine, and I can see why. The faire is run very professionally, and the staff and promoters should be proud of what they have accomplished. 

I enjoyed this faire so much on the first weekend, I attended the 2^nd. This is definitely a faire I will attend in the upcoming years.  The faires website has a list of sponsors, and vendors sponsors, so make sure to check out the people who support this wonderful event.  Start making your plans now, you do not want to miss the Sparta New Jersey Renaissance Festival next year.

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W.A. Rusho is a professional wrestler, author and historian. You can contact him via his website or by  email.