12-03-2025
Fire breaks out at Renaissance Festival grounds in Gold Canyon, no effect on operations
A fire broke out Tuesday night at the Arizona Renaissance Festival fairgrounds in Gold Canyon, east of downtown Phoenix.
Superstition Fire and Medical officials said crews were dispatched to the fairgrounds around 10 p.m. and saw heavy smoke coming from a large steel commercial building. The fire was upgraded to a first-alarm fire, prompting responses from the Mesa and Gilbert fire departments.
Firefighters faced intense heat and were able to contain the blaze, according to Superstition Fire and Medical spokesperson Sophie Boukatch. Superstition crews were still on scene Wednesday morning, working to extinguish hotspots and conduct cleanup efforts.
No injuries were reported.
The fire occurred in the commissary building in the back of the fairgrounds, and it did not extend to or affect other buildings. Boukatch believed there would be no effect on Renaissance Festival operations.
Coordinators with the Renaissance Festival did not reply to a request for comment.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
This was the second fire at the 50-acre Renaissance Festival fairgrounds within a year. The last one occurred in May 2024.
More: The Arizona Renaissance Festival celebrates 37 years. See its decadeslong evolution
The Arizona Renaissance Festival opened in February and will remain open until the last weekend in March. People can visit the mythical village of Fairhaven from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The fairgrounds are located along U.S. 60 in Gold Canyon, about 40 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix and 7 miles east of Apache Junction.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: No effect on operations after fire breaks out at Renaissance Festival
