King Richard’s Faire Continuing Edaville’s Festival of Lights for 2025

CARVER (WBSM) — With King Richard’s Faire permanently moving to the former Edaville Family Theme Park site in Carver, fans of the train park have wondered what would become of Edaville and its beloved Festival of Lights holiday celebration.

The former park's entrance no longer reads "Edaville" over its archway; the name has been covered with green ivy. Any other signage inside the park or leading up to it has all been changed over to King Richard's Faire.

So is Edaville gone forever?

The Festival of Lights Will Return to Edaville

During Thursday’s tour of the new King Richard’s Faire for guests and the media, the Festival’s future was revealed: it will return this year, complete with trains, and will take advantage of its new partnership with the Faire.

“We’re excited to have both entities blend together going forward,” said Ryan Roy, Vice President of Production for King Richard’s Faire and Edaville.

The Festival of Lights is slated to run from November 28 to December 28, an announcement sure to thrill those who thought it would never return once WBSM broke the news back in March that King Richard's Faire had purchased the park and property.

The Faire management team has now taken over operations of the Edaville aspect of the park as well, as the Faire’s new owners Lancelot Entertainment Boston, LLC purchased the land and the Edaville park from former owner Jon Delli Priscoli in 2024.

READ MORE: A Photo Tour of the All-New King Richard's Faire in Carver

The amusement rides and other attractions such as the Dino Land dinosaurs were auctioned off back in the spring to make way for King Richard’s Faire, meaning the Festival of Lights will have a completely different look. The vintage train apparatus from the park was brought to Maine in April.

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“We’ll just have a different backdrop. Lights will have more things to hang on,” Roy said.

READ MORE: Carver's Edaville Auction: How Much Each Ride Went For

The Renaissance ambiance of King Richard's Faire will be transformed after the season ends on October 19 into a holiday wonderland, basically turning from Jolly Old England into the North Pole.

While there won’t be any of the old amusement rides – it looks strange seeing the grounds without “Big Eli,” the Ferris wheel that had stood on the property since the 1950s – there will be plenty to do besides look at the lights.

New Holiday Attractions: Skating and Markets

“We’re working to create a larger marketplace for the Christmas festival, so families can come, they can stay a little bit longer,” Roy said. “There’s going to be an ice skating rink.”

With 11 stages throughout the grounds for King Richard's Faire, there are opportunities for all times of holiday entertainment during the Festival of Lights.

Train Rides Remain a Timeless Tradition

Of course, there will also be the traditional train rides, a staple of Edaville since its founder Ellis D. Atwood first opened the park in 1947.

“We’re bringing some more entertainment to it, not only Santa and Mrs. Claus and some of his elves, but there is going to be more to see as well,” he said. “We’re working on some bigger Santa-themed trains, and some adult-themed trains as well. So both families can come, or you can have another group where your friends can come, sip wine, things like that.”

READ MORE: Edaville's Vintage Train Apparatus Brought to Maine

The previous operators of the park, Brian Fanslau and Hannah Harriman of Maine Locomotive and Machine Works, brought back the traditional steam trains to Edaville the past few years. When asked if steam trains would be returning in 2025, or if they would go back to just diesel engines, Roy said he “believed they are both” but that he “didn’t want to speak incorrectly.”

However, he said Fanslau is returning to run the trains for the Festival of Lights, along with two of his previous team members, Destiny Denson and Scott Lakin.

“They’re working in the train barn building right now,” Roy said. “We’re excited to get (the trains) out.”

Upgrades and First-Class Train Experiences

Aimée Shapiro Sedley, Producer and General Manager for King Richard’s Faire and Edaville, said riders will also be able to choose a more luxurious ride if they wish.

“We’ve done a wonderful amount of upgrading with (the trains). We have a first class cabin now, so that if you want to be first class, you can do that,” she said. “We’ll have the skating rink, so people can do that. We’ll have more merchants, our merry merchants, so all of this will transform from Renaissance into holiday time with more holiday items to be sold, and again, more food and beverage, so it’ll be great.”