In August 2023, plaintiffs RW Lands, Inc., Texas Stargate Inc., Royal Campground, Inc. and Texas RF, Inc. sued the defendants Texas Renaissance Festivals, LLC, Stargate Manor Arboretum, LLC, and festival founder George Coulam, alleging a breach of contract, according to court documents.
The sale is not expected to affect the festival itself, as Texas Renaissance Festival officials said operations are moving forward on this year’s festival in a statement posted to Facebook on May 8.
How we got here
According to the original petition filed by the plaintiffs, in April 2023, Texas Renaissance Festivals, LLC allegedly agreed to sell the festival property at 21788 FM 1774, Todd Mission, and its assets and liabilities for $48 million.
The original buyer, Lindsay Palms Apartments, Inc., also agreed to purchase a neighboring property at 121 Mill Creek Drive, Todd Mission, for $12 million, according to the petition. After execution of these sale agreements, Lindsay Palms Apartments, Inc. assigned its rights, title and interest to the plaintiffs, according to the petition.
The plaintiffs then allege they learned the defendants would likely not close the transactions, and the closing date of Aug. 8, 2023, went without the defendants complying with their closing obligations, according to the petition.
The petition states the plaintiffs allege that the defendants ignored their obligations under the sale agreements.
On the other side
In the original answer from Texas Renaissance Festivals, LLC, Stargate Manor Arboretum, LLC, and Coulam, among other defenses, the defendants:
- Alleged that the plaintiffs did not comply with their contractual obligations to close
- Denied that the plaintiffs complied with the contracts
- Denied that either party was ready to close Aug. 8, 2023
- Denied that there was a valid contract Aug. 8, 2023
- Alleged the plaintiffs were foreign entities that were not authorized to do business in Texas on Aug. 8, 2023, which was a condition of closing
In his May 7 order, among other stipulations, Judge Chaney ordered:
- The sales of the festival property and the neighboring property
- $22.35 million in damages awarded to the plaintiffs
- $1 million in attorneys’ fees awarded to the plaintiffs
“The commitment will remain unchanged: to deliver a safe, vibrant and memorable experience for the hundreds of thousands of guests who visit each year. Festival operations are moving forward as planned for the 2025 season and beyond,” Texas Renaissance Festival officials said in a May 8 Facebook post.
Zooming out
In 2024, the Texas Renaissance Festival—which offers a recreation of a 16th-century European village with various attractions, vendors and entertainment—celebrated 50 years, Community Impact previously reported.
Before you go
View the original petition, original answer and order documents below.
