to a Renaissance fair. Many Catalan towns hold Mercats Medievals (literally "medieval markets") as part of their annual festivities. Internal debates Within the Renaissance fair community, there is a difference of opinion as to how authentic a fair ought to be. Some believe fairs should be as authentic an experience as possible, supplemented with educational aspects as in European living history museums. Others believe that entertainment is the primary goal. Richard Shapiro, who founded what later became the Bristol Renaissance Faire outside Chicago in 1972, favored entertainment, saying "we were so authentic back then it was almost painful." Renaissance fairs may try to bridge this apparent gap between authentic and entertaining. In 1968, Phyllis Patterson, founder of the California Renaissance Pleasure Faires, also created the Living History Centre, a California-based educational and cultural foundation. The foundation's motto "we trick into learning with a laugh" describes her philosophy of merging history and entertainment. See also List of Renaissance and Medieval fairs Medieval reenactment Renaissance Magazine Society for Creative Anachronism Texas Renaissance Festival Notes External links List of upcoming Renaissance Fairs (US) Festivals in the United States Historical reenactment events History festivals by period