The Lopers D&D Guild hosted its first Renaissance Fair. The Renaissance Fair featured vendors, activities and choreographed battle to bring the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy to life.
Founded last spring, the Guild invites UNK students, staff and faculty to play Dungeons and Dragons, a role-playing table-top game. Their brochure states, “The Guild is about bringing people together to have fun and build new relationships. The majority of the fun that occurs within the guild is the sense of adventure that comes from the game Dungeons and Dragons.”
Dylan McCoy, president of the Lopers D&D Guild, was the primary coordinator for the fair’s planning.
“The Ren Fair was, in most of our minds, a very large success,” McCoy said. “We had vendor goals that we surpassed by double.”
The Lopers D&D Guild is sponsored personally by guild members, as well as by community businesses – Game On, Pizza Hut, Walmart and OfficeMax. All profits came from vendors’ item sales and tips collected for tarot readings.
Members of the Lopers D&D Guild sold items such as pottery, resin art, stickers and trinkets. Some of the profit was used to reimburse the vendors for their time and the products they sold. The rest of the profit went into the Lopers D&D Guild’s Budget to be put toward improving and expanding on future events.
Faolan Larson, treasurer of the Lopers D&D Guild, managed the Renaissance Fair’s finances. Members used materials like boards and dowels to construct the venue’s prop shops and attractions.
Gabriel Pinkston, vice president of the Lopers D&D Guild, coordinated event operations, integrating fantasy elements like medieval plot lines and quests to foster a welcoming event environment.
“The sheer joy that our members had – it was a very surprising feeling,” Pinkston said.
A highlight of the Renaissance Fair was the performance from the Grand Island Live Action Role Playing group. The group was invited by the Lopers D&D Guild to demonstrate foam sword fighting performances.
This segment of the event was a hit among attendees and added an immersive fantasy element.
“We absolutely need to bring the Live Action Role-Playing group back,” Pinkston said. “They were definitely one of the best parts of the whole event.”
With plans for another potential fair in the summer at Harmon Park and one in the fall, the guild aims to expand upon the successes of the event to increase community interaction and expand to a broader audience.
