Question 1

WHERE is the faire going to be held?

Accepted Answer

This is a great question! (for us too!)  The event is aimed to be in the general vicinity of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in Kootenai County.

We have four sites that we are currently considering. But, our group strongly believes that more hands make light work so we are in search of a stellar location with some pretty specific needs. If you're interested in what we are looking for, and seeing if you or someone you know has property that matches, please see our get involved tab for “Donations and Partnerships.”

Question 2

WHEN will the faire be held?

Accepted Answer

Faire is planned to be April 17th & 18th, 2027 opening at 10am each day.

Saturday Faire: 10am-6pm
Saturday Night Market: 7pm-10pm

Sunday Faire: 10am-6pm

*** PS: Yes! We did originally intend to launch in 2026. However, due to unexpected major health concerns, the leadership team and board supported the one-year delay to ensure the stability of our director-team and the sustainability of the event after it's launch as well. We're so thankful for the outpouring of concern and care from the Faire Family and the North Idaho Community too!

Question 3

What will there be to do at the faire?

Accepted Answer

Unlike most renaissance faires that specialize in a very specific country or time frame, we focus on teaching the folklore from predominantly Northern and Western European cultures.  This often lends well to storytelling that teach that folklore, souvenir collecting, and feasting. There will be some fantastic entertainment, participation in English archery competitions, many games, and activities.

Question 4

What are the themes for this year?

Accepted Answer

As we are only going to be one weekend long for at least three years, we do not have different theme weekends. We do however have themed realms.  The realms that will be present at this first Echoes of Lore faire:

Main Lawn - The Gleann Eidir (The Glen Between)
Seelie Fae/Light Fae - The Enchanted Wylds
Unseelie Fae/Dark Fae - The Shadow Wylds
Storybook England: Robin Hood - Nottinghamshire
Seafaring: Viking - Nordheim
Alehouse: The Mystbriar Inn
1890' Circus (victorian) - The Infinite Imaginarium

Travel from land to land to learn about them or wander and get lost in their gateway’s pull…

Question 5

Will there be parking available on-site?

Accepted Answer

Yep! A very specific portion of the property that we are looking for includes parking availability! Closer to the main entrance will be located a specific section for handicap individuals. Although we will be planning for plenty of parking, all parking is still first come first served and no specialty parking is guaranteed.

Question 6

How much is admission?

Accepted Answer

Our board of directors set the admission prices as follows.

Day Tickets:
Adult (18+): $15
Youth 6-17: $10
Children 5 & Under: FREE
Family Passes (4-6 people): $48

Weekend Tickets:
Adult (18+): $24
Youth 6-17: $16
Children 5 & Under: FREE
Family Passes (4-6 people): $95

Night Market Tickets:
Adult (21+ only) WITH Saturday daypass: $22
Adult (21+ only): $15

DISCOUNTS for Military (active & retired), Seniors (60+), Teachers (w/ school ID), First Responders, AAA, Gold Star Members:
Adult: $12
Youth (6-17): $8

GROUP RATE: Purchasing a group rate is for 10+ people attending the same day and arriving at the same time.
Flat Rate: $11

Question 7

Are there discounts I can get?

Accepted Answer

There are discounts for Military (active & retired), Seniors (60+), Teachers (w/ school ID), First Responders, AAA, and Gold Star Members (those who have lost a family member in active military duty)

Prices on Ticket Question.

Question 8

Can I buy tickets at the gate or only online?

Accepted Answer

Tickets will be available at the gate, however, we encourage you to select an online purchase in order to give us a general idea of attendance expectations and to help move you through the line more quickly.  We have seen the need to over-support our check in and intend to plan accordingly.

Question 9

Are costumes encouraged? What should I (and shouldn't I) wear?

Accepted Answer

We very much love when patrons catch the vision and the joy of dressing up with us, especially if you have Garb (what we call robust and more accurate costumes) from one of the current year’s realms! That said, it is absolutely not required that you wear a costume to attend the event. Please be aware that this is an early spring faire, a “cloak weather faire”, and you should be prepared for cooler or wetter weather.  For those of us that work at Renaissance faires from April until October and sweat all summer long, these cloak weather faires are a wonderful reprieve!

With regards to what you shouldn't wear, we ask that everyone be more than adequately skin covered (chest and short-shorts areas at minimum for everyone), abstain from wearing purposefully offensive clothing, or clothing or costumes that could be very specifically considered sci-fi or futuristic. There are some wonderful Cons that take place that we would encourage people to attend for such fun costumes as that.

It is our intention to feel like people are from the historic cultures we are depicting OR people from 2025 or earlier stumbled through a portal to the past. The more futuristic costumes can severely detract the patrons and from this aesthetic of this unique event.

Question 10

Is this event "family friendly?" Will there be things specifically for children to do?

Accepted Answer

Almost every faire would shout “YES!”  but we will be a bit more reserved here. We are endeavoring to teach the lore of those times and societies. This means that the Light Fae are not pretty little fairies in pastel colors serving tea. They are regal and ancient creatures who wine and dine humans and then trick them. And that is when they are the kind ones. The Dark Fae will have their own separate area but they are less kind than that. Families with small children will want to consider if it is best for their particular children to hear these authentic but more malevolent stories and see the creatures they portray. The darkest of the fae will be in a reserved area where children are discouraged. This allows for the whole family to come but to preserve the truth of the stories as well. The whole faire is open to the public but not all areas will be open to minors, this would also, obviously, include the tavern.

There will be a number of fun things for families to do together, but there will not be activities or areas dedicated to children. Children will need to stick close and the adult with the child is responsible for their care.  There WILL BE  a lost & found at the Information Booth near the front gate in case you are somehow separated.

OUR NIGHT MARKET IS 21+ and anyone under the age will not be allowed to enter the faire during that event.

Question 11

About Food, Drinks, & Stouter Things

Accepted Answer

* Feasting will happen! *

We will have a variety of food merchants with beverages as well. There is expected to be a tavern betwixt the Viking and Dark Fae realms as well for those stouter drinks. We do STRONGLY encourage people to bring water with them! We would love to say that we will have potable water on site but are still working on that. Alcohol is NOT allowed to be brought on site. It is allowed to be purchased from the tavern.

The majority of the food vendors will be located in the Infinite Imaginarium Circus realm. That said, some food or snack merchants may fit better in another realm, so keep an eye out as you go!

Question 12

Is the event cash-only or do people take card/digital pay too?

Accepted Answer

While most vendors and the gate are expected to take card/digital these days, with an amassing of people all in one rural place and already sketchy cell service sometimes, we strongly encourage guests to also bring cash with them. There is also an expectation that there will be ATM’s on site.

Question 13

Will there be camping available for patrons?

Accepted Answer

We will not be able to provide patron camping this year. With all of the other “firsts” we do not feel it wise to add this particular aspect yet. Should things go rather smoothly and someone aspires to expand our patron offerings in the future, we would love to make this happen.

Question 14

Tell me about your transparency...

Accepted Answer

Hopefully, our transparency speaks for itself: Our Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, 501(c)(3) IRS status verification and more is right there on our website for you to see on our "LORE the Org" page.  If you have questions you don't see answers to on our FAQ's page, we would love to hear from you so that we can answer it and, if it is something we overlooked or gets asked often, we'll add it in.

Because our goal is not about money and not about the fame, but about the event and creating a magical experiance where the volunteers, merchants and performers have a great time too, there's nothing to hide...  One of the firm tenets of our organization is that we will not wish ill for any event or organization and will, hopefully, even be on great terms with the other faires and events in our community throughout the PNW and INW.

One of our directors has a degree in business and the other in communication and nonprofit management.  We take authenticity and the idea of "faire family" very seriously and want our people to grow and learn along side us. We believe in servant-leadership and want to be a great example to the community of how learning about the past can inform our future.

Speaking of authenticity; If you have a question you just can't find an answer to, feel free to email director@echoesoflore.com and Matthew or Anira will get back to you.

Question 15

What types of performers are you (and aren't you) looking for?

Accepted Answer

Our event is intended to feel like the patron just stepped through a magical fae gateway into a historic village or mythic dimension. We are currently seeking  very authentic storytellers, troubadours, bards, minstrels and small ensembles for most of our realms. We are also seeking circus performers for the 1890s circus themed Realm.

The realms we have this year include:   
Light fae - The Enchanted Wylds
Dark fae - The Shadow Wylds
Storybook England: Robinhood - Nottinghamshire
Seafaring: Viking - Nordheim
1890s circus - The Infinite Imaginarium

At this time, we are not seeking large troops, bands, jousting teams or concert/party performers.  IF you have a troup or band that is interested in bringing a SMALL contingency of members, feel free to reach out/apply (opening soon) and let’s talk. We try to be pretty easy to work with.  But note, we do NOT have an extensive budget.