Pirate Festival Looking to Find Permanent Home in Putnam Valley
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A pirate festival took Putnam Valley by storm last spring, so much so that organizers are looking to permanently call the town home.
During a Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting last week, Putnam Valley Councilman Christian Russo said Kingdom Faire, an original theatrical production with some talent that have been connected with the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo Park and Medieval Times in New Jersey, exceeded their expectations when they held shows from April 30 to June 26 at the Putnam Valley Camp facility on Peekskill Hollow Rd.
“It was a tremendous success,” Russo told local business leaders at the BeanRunner Café in Peekskill. “They did much better than they anticipated. They’re in the process of building to make it a permanent fixture.”
Kingdom Faire, run by Megara, Inc., which was founded in 2021, confirmed Russo’s assessment on its website where it is striving to raise $250,000 “to secure a larger, permanent location and expand guest base with in-person and online experiences.”
As of Nov. 6, more than $101,000 has been pledged to Kingdom Faire’s goal.
“Our first year was a success. So much so that we were ahead and decided to start looking into getting Kingdom Faire’s permanent home site,” company stakeholders stated.
Kingdom Faire’s “The Pirate Queen” show is a “unique interactive outdoor performance” that features five acts, each of which can be viewed on its own, but which work together to create an overall storyline that will unfold. Each show features musical numbers, stage combat, humor and drama and will appeal to all ages. Each weekend had a different theme.
Putnam Valley received $82,500 for renting 12 acres of the 161-acre property to Megara, with a clause to earn up to $25,000 more if ticket sales exceeded a certain mark. Kingdom Faire representatives stated its shows attracted more than 5,000 attendees each day, above the 3,500 that was projected.
Meanwhile, Russo also revealed a developer was looking to build a 130-room hotel in Putnam Valley.
“We all want to see some businesses come to Putnam Valley,” he said.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
