NORWICH — Huzzah! The first annual Upstate Renaissance Festival saw sweeping success with just under 4,000 attendees at the two-day event. Faire organizers said they’ll be returning to the Chenango County Fairgrounds next year for an even bigger and better event.

“We plan to be back! We are currently looking at dates with some of our important players and will make announcements as soon as those details are set,” said Organizer Heather Baker.

She said the faire received lots of positive feedback from attendees, as well as some suggestions to make future events even better. The top requests were more shaded seating and a faster admission process.

“We had a few kinks that didn’t allow us to get all of the seating where it was planned to be for day one, but we had it sorted out for day two,” Baker said. “We also had requests for more cash registers to get the entry line moving faster, and we already have a plan in the works to improve the admissions area.”

“We held a debrief meeting with our vendors and performers after close of faire on Sunday, and received great feedback from them as well. We had an amazing bunch of people who are eager to continue helping USRF grow,” she added.

Attendees at the faire had the opportunity to enjoy live combat shows, blacksmith demonstrations by Brandr Forge, photo ops in renaissance-era garb, psychic readings, ax throwing, wares from more than 45 vendors, and interactions from visitors in costume, known as “playtrons.”

Will, a Morris-area playtron, has been attending renaissance faires since childhood, and stopped by the Upstate Renaissance Faire in full costume to enjoy the festivities.

“The folks that are running it are great. I think it’s good for the area, good for the size. The attendance is amazing,” he said. “For the first year, it's a wonderful thing. I expect not to see all of the vendors I would normally see at a bigger one. I think if this goes forward and gets bigger, which I really want to see, that they could probably get those people to come here. With the attendance I’ve seen, I think they could probably do that. Give it a few years, maybe even get its own property. That would be even better. That would be amazing.”

“It’s a success as far as I’m concerned,” he continued. “This is great, and I hope it keeps growing … I hope it’s like this every year.”

Baker said her plan is to keep expanding the faire year after year, with the end goal being obtaining property to host the Upstate Renaissance Faire, special events, and educational opportunities year-round.

“We have plans to expand our vendor and performer counts as well as add a few surprises. The plan is to expand and improve each year until the faire has its own grounds and we can continue to build and expand, hosting special events throughout the year,” she said. “We want to create a family- and budget-friendly experience that people will enjoy coming back to.”

“We want to thank everyone who attended, our incredibly talented performers, and all of our amazing vendors for helping to make our first year such a success. We would also like to thank our friends, family, and the many members of the Norwich community who helped make this dream a reality,” Baker added. “Start getting your garb ready, we’ll be back!”

For more information on the Upstate Renaissance Faire, visit the Upstate Renaissance Faire Facebook page.