By Brian Shane

Staff Writer

(July 16, 2026) Furnace Town has canceled its Renaissance Faire this fall because of a lack of funding, its executive director said, though the event is expected to return in 2027.

The faire has been held annually since 2021 and was scheduled for Sept. 26 and 27. But it costs about $60,000 to produce, more than Furnace Town Historic Site can afford under its current financial constraints, Executive Director Claudia Nagle said.

“No one is happy about it, including us, but the reality is that the funding picture for small nonprofits – it’s a challenging time,” she said.

Nagle said the pause would allow it to concentrate its resources on preserving the historic site and sustaining its primary mission.

Furnace Town operates with two full-time employees, two part-time employees, and about 20 volunteers. Nagle said staging the fair requires significant preparation before, during, and after the event.

The organization also pays performers brought in from across the East Coast, including stilt walkers, musicians, fire breathers and an entertainment troupe that covers emcee duties.

Although the fair generates revenue, Nagle said it barely covers its costs without sponsorship support.

She said Furnace Town also does not want to make up the difference by substantially raising admission prices.

“We have to keep our ticket prices reasonable” for families, she said.

Worcester County provides Furnace Town with $40,000 annually toward its operating costs. The nonprofit’s total annual operating budget is about $250,000, Nagle said.

Nagle introduced the fair after becoming Furnace Town’s executive director in September 2020, and the first, smaller version was held in 2021. It typically attracts about 3,000 visitors.

She said the cancellation brought an unexpected wave of positive feedback from people who had made the faire an annual tradition.

“I knew people enjoyed it,” she said. “I didn’t necessarily know how much.”

Spread across 20 wooded acres in the Pocomoke Forest outside Snow Hill, Furnace Town is a living-history village. The nonprofit preserves the remains of the Nassawango Iron Furnace, where bog iron was produced during the 19th century, along with historic buildings relocated from around Worcester County.

Its collection includes a church, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, woodshop, broom house and weaving house. Furnace Town uses the buildings for school tours and demonstrations of the trades and daily routines of the former company town.

Furnace Town still plans to host a fiber arts event in November. Nagle said that program is less costly, more closely tied to the site’s historical mission and is being organized with help from an outside group providing volunteers and other support.

Looking ahead, Nagle said the Renaissance Faire would return in September 2027, though it may be reduced from two days to one. Furnace Town would first need to secure sponsorship and volunteer support before committing to a format and dates.