Medieval Madness
By Patrick Sullivan
ATTENTION, local druids! Is Stonehenge coming to your town? If Michael Hamilton of California Entertainment Inc. has his way, a life-sized replica of the ancient British monument will be installed in one of nine towns in Sonoma, Napa, or Lake counties. The ambitious Hamilton hopes to make the replica the centerpiece of a 250-acre, Renaissance Faire-style park, complete with five fantasy villages, an arts fair, and a stage for live music. Hamilton has already sent proposals to city councils in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, though he is apparently also considering East Coast locations. “I like Northern California because I think the market is here,” explains the Lake County resident.
The park, which Hamilton hopes to build for $3 million and open in 2003, would include fantasy versions of King Arthur’s Britain and ancient Greece. Hamilton’s press release elaborates: “In ancient Greece visitors will find themselves strolling upon Mount Olympus with Hera, Queen of the Gods, come face to face with the dreaded Hydra guarding the Golden Fleece, or celebrate the wine harvest of Dionysus. . . . Have a bite of lunch with Medusa or join Bacchus, the god of wine.”
From the October 4-10, 2001 issue of the Northern California Bohemian.
