The Ohio Renaissance Festival Protest

It’s official.  Now that the merchant fees have been collected from folk expecting 8 weekends, now that season passes have been sold to people expecting 8 weekends, the Ohio Renaissance Festival has announced that the 2010 season will have only 7 weekends.  If I am doing the math right, they effectively raised rent to the merchants and ticket prices to the season ticket holders by 12.5% without bothering to mention it.

In fact, they only changed their website and admitted what they were doing after I sent them an email with my concerns about their false advertisement, misleading information on the web site, and other such problems with what I view as very unethical conduct.

You will recall that back in October of 2009, while last year’s season was ongoing, I mentioned being told that the merchant lease agreements were missing the dates for 2010.

http://petercarrollisanasshole.com/2009/10/22/2010-leases-missing-dates-of-festival/

Now I hear from a reader that after ordering season tickets online prior to Christmas that in addition to the printable online tickets, she received some extras via snail mail.  One of those extras was a note stating that instead of an 8 weekend season in 2010 there would be only a 7-weekend season.

“We ordered the 4 ticket package deal before Christmas and in the envelope that the extras came in (you print the tickets online but get a parking pass and coupon book by mail) was a small piece of paper that was typed and it said the festival would only run through October 17 and be 7 weekends long.” – From a reader.

A quick check of the official ORF Inc. web site and it looked like the Ohio Renaissance Festival was again taking advantage of their merchants and patrons.  No where was there a mention of the shorter season.  According to the web site, the 2010 season would again be 8 weekends long.  Instead of publicly announcing the new dates, the website chugged along for months claiming the show would run 8 weekends.  People purchased season passes believing it would be 8 weekends.  It’s probably a safe bet merchants paid the full merchant fee believing it would be eight weekends.

That’s changed now that I contacted the Ohio Renaissance Festival with my concerns over what looked like a rather clear case of false advertising and maybe even potential fraud.  Under Ohio Law what they did seems to be rather illegal.  Ah, but what’s new guys?

I am curious, if merchants paid the full price for a shorter season and patrons paid the full price for a shorter season; will the performers and staff be paid full price for the shorter season?  Ok, I didn’t really give that any thought.  I think we all know the answer.  I think it is rather clear that Peter Carroll will peter you if you don’t peter him first.

So ORF Inc. is down to 1 student day from 3 and 7 weekends from 8.  My there has been some changes over the last couple of years.  Hey Peter, think maybe you aren’t making very sound decisions when it comes to whom you peter?

Don’t go blaming the economy, the Kentucky Highlander Renaissance Festival is just a couple hours south of the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  The Kentucky show has recently announced it is doing well enough to pay their street cast.  Yep, owners who care enough about their people as pay their street cast as soon as they could afford to do so.  As my sales there have done nothing but increase year after year, I gotta figure they are doing something right.

Maybe the difference is their honesty and integrity or Peter Carroll’s lack of either.