By Lou Sokolovskiy

When George Coulam, the owner of the Texas Renaissance Festival—America’s largest event of its kind, drawing over 500,000 visitors annually—decided it was time to retire, he faced a dilemma familiar to many baby-boomer founders. Despite numerous suitors, not a single bid felt right for the 86-year-old man. This moment wasn’t just about finding a buyer—it was about handing off a lifetime’s work as documented in the 2024 HBO docuseries “Ren Faire.”