Will the Sarasota Medieval Fair happen in 2021? Here’s what county site inspectors said
Following weeks of back and forth, a team of Manatee County government staff reviewed site conditions Friday morning at the Sarasota Medieval Fair property, but there still are hurdles for organizers before their opening day.
The inspection gave about 15 county employees an opportunity to inspect the safety conditions of the 47-acre site in Myakka City, where event organizers expect to host thousands of people every weekend next month, beginning Nov. 6.
In a statement provided to the Bradenton Herald on Friday afternoon, county officials said they didn’t find any issues that would lead to safety concerns, but the property owner will still need to apply for a “tent permit” along with a special event permit.
“During the tour, Manatee County officials determined the property owner will need to apply for a tent permit in addition to their existing special permit application,” the statement said. “It appears that the site doesn’t present a risk to the public’s health and safety, but the property owner still needs to continue the special permit process.”
“We greatly appreciate their cooperation and want to thank them for working towards compliance,” the statement continued.
The fair property has been at the heart of a county controversy since a code enforcement officer attempted to put a stop to the ongoing development of the site earlier this year. She came forward with allegations that her supervisors turned a blind eye to the construction, accusing them of favoritism.
Those complaints sparked several investigations into how the county handled her concerns, but in the meantime, fair organizers insisted that they had gone through the correct procedures.
“The fair will be moving forward and we know that a lot of people are looking forward to attending. This is really a family-friendly event and the weather is beginning to change a little bit,” said Edie Ousley, a fair spokesperson. “It’s the perfect time to get to the farm in the fall.”
The owner of the property, Jeremy Croteau, said he believes the allegations of corruption stem from neighbors who were unhappy about his decision to host the fair. Kevin Hennessy, an attorney representing fair organizers, expressed similar concerns.
“We understand that there’s a lot of contentiousness and inappropriate reporting, from our perspective. That’s in large part due to neighbors that are happy keeping everything exactly the way things are and their own personal interests, rather than the rights of other people on their own property,” Hennessy said.
Neighborhood complaints were a large part of the code enforcement officer’s initial reports. She said there was evidence of flooding caused by the fair’s development, but state officials determined that the drainage problems were the result of an unpermitted dam that was built 4 miles away from the site.
Following an hour-long tour through the property, staff thanked Croteau for the opportunity and said they would continue to communicate in the coming days. Staff did not indicate whether permits would be issued within the next week.
“We thought this was going to be a little more hostile and confrontational,” Deputy County Administrator Charlie Bishop told Croteau. “We appreciate you letting us in and letting us do our job.”
It’s unclear what power the county may have to prevent the fair from launching on Nov. 6 if the special permit and the tent permits aren’t issued.
Croteau has maintained that the fair already has been approved by the state as an agritourism event.
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 2:30 PM.
