Ace Callahan was told he may only have a couple of years to live. He began to think less about the time he had left and more about what he could leave behind.
What followed wasn’t just a change in perspective; it was a decision to bring family to the forefront.
“I went down in 2019 with five massive heart attacks; I have 18 stents in my heart,” Callahan said.
They told me June 24 of 2019, I had 20-24 months to live if I didn’t get a heart transplant.”
He and his family decided to start the 4F Renaissance Festival, a fantasy world tucked between the trees of Madison County that focuses on family and connection with the local community.
At its center is King Lumius, a character brought to life by Callahan. Dressed in regal attire, he greets guests as they step into a world of fire breathers, blacksmiths and costumed performers.
It took Callahan almost four years of planning before the first event could be held. What began as a personal vision has since developed into a recurring gathering that draws visitors from across Northeast Georgia.
First one was a bit rocky, as anything you do the first time, it was very scary, but we enjoyed it,” Callahan said.
He shared that the goal isn’t about profits, but connection.
“You feel like you’ve experienced something,” Callahan said. “You’re not just another number. You’re not just passing your dollars or coinage off just to grab something.”
The 4F in the festival’s name stands for Family, Fun, Fantasy, and Festival. These four pillars became especially meaningful for Callahan after his life-changing health scare.
Every tent holds something handmade, and every character is a piece of someone’s imagination. Vendors sell craft goods and trinkets that take hours to bring to life, adding to the immersive world Callahan first imagined.
Megan McClain, a vendor known for her resin-based crafts and ribbon dancing, said aside from the performances, she loves the sense of community that the festival radiates.
“It feels like a family here, like it really does feel like a little village,” McClain said. “We all take care of each other.”
But something that can’t be sold at the fair’s market is Ace’s pride for his festival. His focus is to foster a sense of community and welcome everyone into his kingdom.
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“The whole world we live in is getting gloomier and gloomier day by day, and if we can brighten it up just a little bit, give somebody a little spark, that’s what it’s about,” Callahan said.
The 4F Renaissance Festival will continue every weekend throughout April and return again in September. Callahan and his family hope to bring more community events for kids to enjoy in Madison County besides recreational sports.
While the festival may not always draw the largest crowds, lead to a profit, or always run smoothly, there is an emotional undercurrent of family and friendship.
And for King Lumius, that is more than enough.
Andrew Otten and Elijah Henderson are journalism majors in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
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