Organizers of the Maryland Renaissance Festival are cracking down on ticket scalpers, as the event continues on Oct. 11-12 and Oct. 18-19.
Organizers said they are beginning legal action against those buying and reselling tickets, saying scalpers are harming its reputation and overcharging loyal attendees.
In a Facebook post, organizers said Thursday they need more information. If you bought a ticket above face value through a third-party website, they ask you to send them a copy of the ticket and your receipt to their email address.
“As of today, less than half of one percent of all 2025 season tickets have been scalped on these sites,” the Facebook post stated. “MDRF is the sole seller of its event tickets, and we do not permit any other companies or individuals to sell our tickets. All our tickets are marked Not For Resale.”
Organizers also said the third-party websites won’t help them to stop scalping.
They asked for ticket holders to not call their office and to communicate through email instead.
“MDRF is committed to combating scalpers who defame the Festival’s reputation and egregiously overcharge our beloved customers,” the post said.
Hundreds of Facebook users complained on the platform about the issues surrounding ticket sales, suggesting they should be sold at the gate each day of the festival, instead of through third-party ticket sellers.
Back in August when tickets became available, some who tried to get tickets complained they were locked out of getting tickets because of long online wait times, according to WJZ.
According to Jules Smith, the President of the MDRF, there was a peak in interest this year, challenging organizers with bots and scalpers, WJZ reported.
In 2024, Maryland passed a comprehensive anti-scalping law to address deceptive and predatory ticket practices. But scalpers — who are difficult to track down and often work in foreign countries — are still operating.
The Maryland Renaissance Festival, now in its 49th year, takes place in Crownsville, Maryland, 30 miles from D.C. and is considered one of the most popular Renaissance festivals in the U.S. This year it started on Saturday, Aug. 23 and runs through Oct. 19, according to the festival website.
The fair brings its almost 300,000 attendees back to a 16th-century British kingdom circa Henry VIII times with shops, entertainment and eateries. The entertainment features jousting knights, sword fighting and other Renaissance-era games and activities with actors dressed in costumes to match.
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