After 37 years of operation, the Texas Renaissance Festival will partner for the first time with the City of Magnolia in an effort to help promote the city to festival visitors.

At its regular meeting April 12 the Magnolia city council unanimously agreed to be the official host city of the festival.

Renaissance Festival General Manager Terre Albert said the host city package helps promote the city as a place for its visitors to stay for dining and hospitality.

“The people that attend will know that Magnolia is embracing them,” he said.

He said that Magnolia will be among sponsors that also include Coca-Cola, HEB, Woodforest National Bank and more.

“It will be great recognition for the city,” Albert said.

Albert said last year the festival saw 450,000 visitors and employed 2,000 people. This year the goal is to have 500,000 visitors, Albert said. He added that the festival usually has about 40,000 to 50,000 people camp on the festival grounds each year.

According to Albert, Magnolia hotels, dining and attractions will be listed on pamphlets and programs that will be handed out at the festival through the entire season.

In addition, Albert said banners will be placed over FM 1488 and FM 1774 that will describe Magnolia as the “Gateway to the Texas Renaissance Festival.”

On Oct. 1, Magnolia is set to hold a meet and greet featuring Ren Fest participants on the Stroll. Actors and vendors from the festival will set up along the Stroll for a chance to get to know residents of the community and kick off the festival which will be held every weekend from Oct. 8 to Nov. 27.

Mayor Todd Kana said that funds to become a sponsor and host city were taken from the Hotel Motel Tax fund. The city will pay $5,000 annually in exchange for advertising throughout the festival.

“This is one of the best things we’ve done with the Hotel Motel Tax money,” he said.

Neither Albert nor Kana can explain what took so many years for a partnership to develop, but say neither party has issues with the other.

“This is good for both of us,” Kana said. “This should have been formed years ago.”

Kana said he guesses about 70 percent of festival visitors drive through Magnolia.

He says while traffic may be heavy on those weekends, the city will see an “obvious spike in sales tax.”

As the city makes arrangements for the upcoming festival Kana said it will also be looking into the logistics of providing a shuttle to and from the festival.

“We are hoping to make it (a shuttle) happen this year,” he said.

For more information, visit cityofmagnolia.com or texrenfest.com.

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