Latest news with #RenaissanceFestival
CBS News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Colorado Renaissance Festival Contest
More from CBS News Enter for a chance to win a family four-pack of tickets to the Colorado Renaissance Festival in Larkspur. This contest ends June 8. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Coulam, ‘Ren Faire' Docuseries Subject and Founder of Texas Renaissance Festival, Dies at 87
George Coulam, the founder and longstanding owner of the Texas Renaissance Festival whose eclectic lifestyle and hunt for a successor were documented in the 2024 HBO docuseries 'Ren Faire,' was found dead in his home in Todd Mission, Texas on Wednesday morning. He was 87. An investigation remains ongoing and a cause of death is not known at this time. The Todd Mission Police Department was dispatched to Coulam's residence, adjacent to the Renaissance Festival's premises, on Wednesday morning. The Grimes County Sheriff's Office and Texas Rangers were present for assistance. Coulam was pronounced dead by authorities upon arrival. More from Variety 'Ren Faire' Finale: Director Talks Who Won, What Will Happen to the Renaissance Festival and How the Subjects Reacted to the Docuseries Welcome to 'Ren Faire': Lance Oppenheim's HBO Docuseries Follows a Festival Trapped in a Real-Life Game of Thrones 'Spermworld' Documentary Introduces the 'Sperm Kings' Who Use Facebook to Donate to Dozens - or Hundreds - of Women 'To our Texas Renaissance family and friends, we are deeply saddened by the loss of George Coulam, founder of the Texas Renaissance Festival,' the Texas Renaissance Festival wrote in a statement on social media. 'For more than 50 years, he built a community that has become a cherished tradition for generations of performers, staff and guests. At this time, we ask for respect and privacy for Mr. Coulam's family and the extended Texas Renaissance Festival family as they grieve.' Coulam's death comes less than two weeks after a Grimes County District court ordered the Texas Renaissance Festival must be sold, ending a nearly two-year civil case. In the decision, Judge Gary W. Chaney of the 506th state District Court, also ordered that Coulam must pay over $23 million in damages to cover attorney's fees and money lost by the fest's buyer. The suit alleged that a group of RW Lands Inc., says Texas Stargate, Inc., Royal Campground, Inc., and Texas RF, Inc. agreed to purchase the Festival, property and assets from Coulam for $60 million. The plaintiff claimed that Coulam and his associates did not provide required documents for the sale and that the original owners failed to close the transaction by its agreed-upon date. Coulam denied the allegations. Coulam founded the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974 and has overseen its growth into the largest such gathering in the United States. Along with the court order to sell, Coulam also lost office as the mayor of the fest's premises, Todd Mission, in early May. He had been the only mayor of the town since its 1982 incorporation until losing re-election this year, with city council member Stephen Mensing sworn in. The operations of the Texas Renaissance Festival, infamous among locals, were documented in the 2024 HBO docuseries 'Ren Faire,' which followed Coulam's less-than-motivated search for a successor to lead the festival, and the surrounding business affiliates vying to take over operations. The three-episode run also included details of Coulam's dedicated online dating pursuits and his unforgiving temperament around his staff. The series' events concluded prior to the emergence of the recent civil lawsuit against Coulam that reached an end in early May. 'Functionally, he actually is a king. He's created a real-life fiefdom,' series director and executive producer Lance Oppenheim told Variety in an interview before the series premiered. 'The first thing he said to me was 'I used to play the king, but now I'm a horny old man. I want to find someone that can take care of the festival.' These were the things just flowing out of him. He was maybe looking for an outlet — somebody that he has no control over. He doesn't have any friends that he doesn't employ.' Coulam faced other legal troubles in recent years, including allegations of sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The festival settled a 2021 lawsuit filed by a former employee, who claimed that Coulam made her sift through 'sugar daddy' websites to facilitate his romantic life. Per Coulam's official website, he earned his master's degree in art from the University of California at North Ridge. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who art thou owners? The Texas Renaissance Festival has to pay $22 million in damages in dispute over purchase
King George's reign has come to an end. In Texas. At a Renaissance Festival. A Grimes County judge ruled this week that the Texas Renaissance Festival — the largest in the country in terms of attendance numbers — must be sold after its owner, George Coulam — known to his workers and visitors as King George — backed out of a sale. In addition to selling the festival, Coulam will have to pay $22 million in damages to plaintiffs RW Lands, Inc., Texas Stargate, Inc., and Royal Campground, Inc, Houston Public Media reports. He reportedly originally agreed to sell the festival property, an adjacent property, and the festival's assets to the group for $60 million in 2013. The parties agreed to an August 8, 2023 closing date, but learned the day before that Coulam was apparently preparing to back out of the deal, according to the lawsuit. Coulam reportedly ignored the closing date and the sale. 'Indeed, the Aug. 8, 2023 closing date came and went without the defendants complying with their closing obligations,' the lawsuit says. The plaintiffs sued him for breach of contract, arguing that an initial payment they had made required Coulam to uphold his end of the agreement. Coulam was the subject of a 2024 Max docuseries titled "Ren Faire" that followed the 86-year-old Coulam's search for love on dating apps while also toying with underlings vying to take over the festival at his retirement. Even though King George will abdicate his throne, his kingdom will live on — just under new ownership. According to the Texas Renaissance Festival's representatives, the event will continue for its 2025 season "and beyond." "The commitment will remain unchanged: to deliver a safe, vibrant, and memorable experience for the hundreds of thousands of guests who visit each year. Festival operations are moving forward as planned for the 2025 season and beyond," a post on its social media said. The festival just celebrated its 50th season at the end of 2024, drawing more than half a million visitors during its Golden Birthday.
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who art thou owners? The Texas Renaissance Festival has to pay $22 million in damages in dispute over purchase
King George's reign has come to an end. In Texas. At a Renaissance Festival. A Grimes County judge ruled this week that the Texas Renaissance Festival — the largest in the country in terms of attendance numbers — must be sold after its owner, George Coulam — known to his workers and visitors as King George — backed out of a sale. In addition to selling the festival, Coulam will have to pay $22 million in damages to plaintiffs RW Lands, Inc., Texas Stargate, Inc., and Royal Campground, Inc, Houston Public Media reports. He reportedly originally agreed to sell the festival property, an adjacent property, and the festival's assets to the group for $60 million in 2013. The parties agreed to an August 8, 2023 closing date, but learned the day before that Coulam was apparently preparing to back out of the deal, according to the lawsuit. Coulam reportedly ignored the closing date and the sale. 'Indeed, the Aug. 8, 2023 closing date came and went without the defendants complying with their closing obligations,' the lawsuit says. The plaintiffs sued him for breach of contract, arguing that an initial payment they had made required Coulam to uphold his end of the agreement. Coulam was the subject of a 2024 Max docuseries titled "Ren Faire" that followed the 86-year-old Coulam's search for love on dating apps while also toying with underlings vying to take over the festival at his retirement. Even though King George will abdicate his throne, his kingdom will live on — just under new ownership. According to the Texas Renaissance Festival's representatives, the event will continue for its 2025 season "and beyond." "The commitment will remain unchanged: to deliver a safe, vibrant, and memorable experience for the hundreds of thousands of guests who visit each year. Festival operations are moving forward as planned for the 2025 season and beyond," a post on its social media said. The festival just celebrated its 50th season at the end of 2024, drawing more than half a million visitors during its Golden Birthday.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Paul brewery Burning Brothers, state's only gluten-free beer maker, to shut down May 10
Burning Brothers, the state's first and only gluten-free brewery, is shutting down after 11 years in St. Paul. Their last day will be May 10. 'The factors affecting this decision are numerous, complex, and varied, and we have fought hard to avoid reaching this point, but alas, the day we had hoped to avoid has arrived,' co-owners Dane Breimhorst and Thom Foss wrote in a social media announcement. The pair have been friends since they were teenagers and had long planned to open a brewery together, but in the middle of planning it in the early 2010s, Breimhorst was diagnosed with Celiac disease, a strong autoimmune reaction to gluten. So they tweaked their plans, learned how to brew beer without gluten and set up shop in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood in 2014. In their 20s, both Breimhorst and Foss performed as Renaissance Festival fire-breathers — hence the name of the brewery — and revived the trick to celebrate the brewery's fifth and tenth anniversaries. Out of some 9,900 breweries across the country, only around a dozen are currently dedicated to producing exclusively gluten-free beer. With the closures of Burning Brothers and another brewery in Michigan last year, the only gluten-free brewery remaining in the Midwest is ALT Brew in Madison. Burning Brothers's taproom will be open regular hours (4 to 10 p.m. Tues/Wed/Thurs, 4 to 11 p.m. Fri, 1 to 11 p.m. Sat, 1 to 7 p.m. Sun, closed Mon) through Saturday, May 10. Burning Brothers Brewery: 1750 W. Thomas Ave; 651-444-8882; St. Paul: Sharrett's Liquors to briefly close as longtime owners retire There's a new kind of American whiskey, and distillers are buzzing about it Dirty sodas: The sweet, creamy phenomenon taking over America Your tariff questions about wine, answered Hemp-derived products boosting sales at Minnesota's municipal liquor stores
