Below are examples of booths, from carts to more substantial booth types but still temporary structures, which have been drawn for Four Kingdoms Renaissance Festival as guide lines and possibilities. Please note that even if several people used one design due to the uniqueness of natural materials each would have its own style and signature. Nor are you constrained to use only these examples they are merely ideas to start from. To see sample carts and booths go to the photo page. As you can see with a little effort you can create a shop that looks much better than the typical sunshade or popup. Please note that in a sea of pavilions a different approach will stand out and draw attention not only to the shop but the items within it as well. We encourage you to design a booth with the feel that matches the festival’s atmosphere.

The traveling merchants of England and France brought their posts, fabric, wood, and banners and put together a stall. This is the easiest and least expensive way to build a booth. If you have the room such a booth is actually cheaper than the typical pavilions one usually sees at renaissance faires and festivals. Some of the examples above can be built for in some cases under $100.00 less, if you have materials already on hand. Bales of straw can be stacked to create a half wall and counter with a board or cloth over the top. Weave together some saplings to create an entire wall or trellis to hang items from. Even a simple lean-to with a natural tarp or two is quite acceptable.

Stalls should have the rustic look of well-aged wood – driftwood, branches, wood used in old fences or barns, etc. New wood should be "distressed" and stained or oiled. Avoid plywood that ends up looking like plywood. Sponging, marbling, spackling even using stone templates and dry brushing techniques can go far to create the illusion of stone and brick. Do not use cardboard, pegboard, or poster board; the reasons for this are that these materials do not weather well especially if exposed to rain. Use rope, cord, rawhide, and wooden pegs for joints. Let old wood show; don’t cover it up with fabric.

Avoid using bamboo, metal, or plastic or at the very least disguise it. Duct tape as wonderful as it is was not used in the Middle Ages.

If your stall is a tent, it should be of a natural fabric or natural looking fabric. If you use aluminum poles in your booth or plastic-topped tables they should be covered completely. If you use vinyl tent walls or tops, we ask that you disguise them to better add to the illusion that the patrons have stepped back into time.

Now the other option is something familiar to many people whom have served in the military; camouflage. First off if you have no choice and must use a pop up or a modern sunshade try and avoid the blue ones as they stand out and not in a good way.

Yes the color blue did exist and pictures show that there were blue tents. However the color blue in the middle ages and the renaissance was an expensive color and would have only been used by the wealthiest of merchants. Also that shade of blue is a big difference from the shiny bright blue plastic used in today’s pop-ups. Try to find a pop up, if you must use such, which is a neutral color such as white, gray, tan or non-neon green. Add some dagging around the edges, paint or cover the aluminum poles with fabric sleeves or ribbons. Cloth sleeves, contact paper and even paint are a few ways to conceal modern aluminum or metal poles.

Also note that the painting of tents was very in style during the middle ages and the renaissance. You don’t need to be a Rembrandt as the designs are basically arches and lines and can be as simple or plain as you like. If you have a wall tent, with some creativity you can get some paint and create say a good façade of a stone building or Tudor building. If you are a food merchant that uses fancy modern equipment think about creating a wall with a pass through window to hide such.

We ask that you have banners flying from your booth. These add to the festive air and attract customers to your booth. Fresh flowers and living greenery add cheerful color and help keep your area cooler. The pageantry of an event is important as it adds to the total experience.

Midwest weather is unpredictable, so your booth or tent should be able to withstand strong rains, winds heat etc. Roofs of booths can be made of wood, cloth, or other natural materials. An old camouflage net with straw woven into it can give the appearance of a straw roof. Even the natural grass sold for duck blinds is an option that can result in a very nice looking roof. The best ventilated booths have peaked roofs that allow airflow front to back.

Fabrics should be rough-woven cloth in medieval vibrant, earthy colors (not bright or fluorescent). Please try not to use bedspreads, sheets, or modern curtains, as these fabrics were not available in the time period and often end up looking just like a bedspread, blanket or sheet thrown over a structure. Muslin as cheap as .88 cents a yard can be used as is or dyed in a natural color to a much better effect.

What you display your wares in should also look as period as possible. Be sure before you begin setting up that you understand where the perimeters of your booth are and how it should relate to the booths around it. It is not always necessary to set up a completely closed-in stall. In some locations, it should be possible to look through a row of booths and see the color and greenery beyond. In other locations, a row of booths may mask a service area or other necessities and should be closed at the back. Be sure you know what is needed in your location.

Booth construction/set up must be completed and approved by 9:30 am Saturday, September 27th 2008 by the Merchant Coordinator.

Every booth should have a storage area for camping equipment, cardboard boxes, extra wares, etc. so such things will not be visible during the faire. Many booths can be seen from more than one side so don’t stack things "behind the booth." All of your things should be within your booth. You may also want a rest area for you and your helpers – perhaps a screened-off corner of your booth. Another important consideration in booth design is safety of wares. Wares should be easy to see, but difficult to walk off with. It is also advisable to have a sign telling shoppers you will hold purchases for them until they are ready to leave if possible.

Attract patrons with a bright display of banners, wares, prizes, menus, and signs. Movement and color catch the eye and draw people to your booth, which in turn will attract them to your stock. Mount guild crests depicting your craft, pictures, or simple symbols to convey the goods that are available at your booth. We cannot stress the importance of a sign to attract people to your booth. Signs identify what you are selling from afar; they will also attract those who are interested in what you have to offer.

Try to avoid the cliché of "Ye Olde" (your wares here) signs. You should do some research on to what period signage actually consisted of the results may amaze you. Pictures more often than words identified what was sold where. Pageantry was very important and many shops had pennants and banners fluttering in the breeze.

Displays that have items at various heights will draw the eye even from a distance especially when compared to items simply sitting on a flat surface. A flat counter can be broken up with hanging shelves, baskets, or other goods suspended at eye level. Also as booths tend to clog with a lot of patrons try and set up your booth so rather than having patrons come
in they walk along the edge of your booth.

Attention to detail is extremely important for setting up a successful booth. Using cloth three dimensionally, i.e. draping, pleating, scalloping, or puffing, can make a flat wall or counter façade more interesting. The background of a painting is just as important in most cases as the subject of a painting. Use this to your advantage and paint the back wall of your tent with a geometrical design, your logo, or even hang a nice tapestry or wall hanging there. Colorful banners suspended from poles make an inviting canopy as well as providing shade in some cases.

Use your imagination; people of the middle ages and renaissance did. Have fun, set up a beautiful booth, and enjoy your part in crafting the faire. While it is your purpose to provide goods and wares, you are also helping the faire by adding to its color and ambiance.

Now why go to all this trouble? It goes to the illusion we are attempting to create. We want those who come to Four Kingdoms to be awed not simply by the entertainment and attractions but by the ambiance, the whole feel of the festival. We do not wish to be nor compared to a flea market with people in funny clothes and secondly we are trying to be a unique event with our own identity not a clone of another festival. Thirdly it gives you a channel for your creativity. Remember a unique booth or a brightly painted tent draws attention; it will set you apart from other merchants even those selling the same kind of merchandise. After all isn’t that the rule you have to get the customer to your door in the first place before you can sell anything?