The Texas Renaissance Festival will soon be under new ownership, but will remain much the same as it has been for the last half century, attorney Anthony Laporte of Houston law firm Hanszen Laporte tells CultureMap.
“All of the vendor contracts are in place for 2025,” says Laporte. “Everyone who was already there will be there this year. Maybe one Dippin’ Dots guy here and there will be swapped out with another, but we’re sticking with what works. Even when the litigation was ongoing, they’re having entertainment auditions. Both the old owners and the new ones are planning to give visitors a great time.”
Founder George Coulam has owned the Texas Renaissance Festivals since 1974. Now in his late 80s, Coulam has teased selling the festival multiple times, a process chronicled in a recent HBO docuseries. After pulling out of the latest sales agreement, the prospective buyer sued Coulam for breach of contract. Grimes County Judge Gary W. Chaney ruled against Coulam on May 7, paving the way for the sale to finally go through.
The identity of the new owner was a mystery for some time. Court documents listed only the corporate entities RW Lands, Texas Stargate, and Royal Campgrounds. The prospective new owner is Meril Rivard, a real estate investor with no prior festival experience who sought to purchase the fair for $60 million. However, Rivard’s son is married to the daughter of Geoff Wilson, owner of several Greek food establishments in the festival. Wilson’s clan, referred to as “The Greeks” in the HBO documentary, were one of the groups featured in the show trying to buy the fair.
“This is a family business now,” says Laporte. “He has family that lives it, works it, and is part of it.”
According to Laporte, an appeal by Coulam and his counsel seems unlikely. He reports that all parties mostly feel relief that the case is over, though until the judgment is finalized in the next couple of months there is still the possibility that Coulam will try one last time to remain king of the festival.
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Coulam will no longer have an official role in the running of Texas Renaissance Festival, though he may advise in an unofficial capacity. Laporte did say there will be no more parades in his honor.
See here for the background. Again, I’m at best a casual RenFester, but I think I speak for many people when I say that keeping it as much as possible as it is, at least for now, is the sort of thing we’re happy to hear in 2025. I’m sure there will be opportunities for innovation and improvement going forward. For now, a little stability and familiarity sounds good.