About

About the Black Hills Renaissance Festival

Like every great tale, the Black Hills Renaissance Festival began with a dream. Since she was 17, Shareece Tatum envisioned bringing a Renaissance fair to the Black Hills—an area rich in natural beauty and steeped in a magical atmosphere. Years of planning, learning, and perseverance eventually brought that dream to life.

The festival first stirred to life in 2020 while Shareece was working as an event coordinator at Firehouse Brewing Company. Asked to create a new experience for their campground, she launched the first iteration of the Black Hills Renaissance Festival, complete with vendors, guilds, and signature Firehouse brews. Just as momentum began to build, the COVID-19 pandemic swept in and brought everything to a halt.

But the story didn’t end there.

As Shareece moved on to new opportunities, the festival followed—her creation, complete with its own Coat of Arms. A chance conversation with Sarah, owner of Aspire Boutique, sparked the idea of bringing events to the charming town of Lead. When the Lead Area Chamber of Commerce reached out with interest, Shareece pitched her “half-baked ren fair” idea. They said yes—and the rest is history.

The inaugural event in 2021 was a resounding success, drawing over 1,500 guests for a single-day celebration of fantasy, history, and merriment. Each year since, the festival has doubled in size, adding more vendors, performances, and even jousting. In 2024, it expanded once again—this time moving to the spacious grounds of the Recreational Springs Resort to accommodate the growing crowds and ever-richer experience.

Today, the Black Hills Renaissance Festival stands as a testament to passion, persistence, and the power of community. Under Shareece Tatum’s visionary leadership and the strong teamwork with her team and Lead, this beloved event continues to enchant visitors from across the region with an immersive celebration of medieval magic and merrymaking.