I was browsing Instagram recently and came across some absolutely beautiful photos of a jousting field with this gorgeous mountain range behind it. I was blown away from the view and dug deeper to find this was from the Arizona Renaissance Festival. And there was no doubt in my mind, this was a location I wanted to visit. So let’s talk a bit about this ren festival! The festival opened on February 3rd and runs until March 31st. It is celebrating their 36th anniversary this year! That is amazing to have a festival with such history. The Festival is held at 12601 E. US Highway 60, Gold Canyon, AZ 85118.
Themed Weekends
The Arizona Renaissance Festival, like most Renaissance Festivals, has a special theme each weekend. Those are listed below:
February 17th-19th – Royalty Weekend – That includes a special Monday opening
February 24th-25th – Time Traveler’s Weekend
March 2nd-3rd – Pirate and Brew Fest Weekend
March 9th-10th – Artist Appreciation, Wizards and Wonders Weekend
March 16th-17th – Celtic Weekend
March 23rd-24th – Viking Invasion Weekend
March 30th-31st – Hop on Out to Final Weekend
Each of these weekends has something special going on. Head on over to their website for more details HERE.
Tickets
All tickets are good for one day. Pricing for the festival are listed below (taxes and fees are not included):
Adults – $34
Children (Ages 5-12) – $22
Children under 4 are free!
Seniors 60 and older – $32
Active or retired military personnel and their spouses – $32 (Military ID required, spouse must be present)
Child dependents ages 5-12 of active and/or retired adult military personnel and/or their spouses – $20 (Children must provide dependent military ID)
And for those who are the hardcore festival attendees, they offer Season Passes as well! Those prices are below (taxes and fees are not included):
Sir Lancelot Season Pass – $265 which includes VIP Parking and access to all festival days
Royal Season Pass – $215 which includes access to all festival days
Squire Season Pass – $120 which includes access to all festival days for children ages 5-12.
Entertainment
The Arizona Renaissance Festival has a huge list of entertainers to see over your festival weekend. Here is a highlight of some of entertainment you can see:
The Jousters – These knights compete hard to knock a very tiny shield off their opponent’s armor. And did I mention they ride in full plate armor?! This group is exciting, entertaining and ride 3 times a day. They are do not miss event. On top of that Arizona boasts a 5,000 seat arena to see them perform!
Adam Crack, Fire Whip Show – Adam holds many Guinness Book of World Records for whip tricks and will absolutely blow your mind with his work. Another do not miss performer!
The Ancient Art of Falconry – A display of birds of prey that show why falconry was the sport of kings.
Barely Balanced – A troupe of acrobats who put their life on the line with every show! Danger at every turn and highly entertaining!
Cirque du Sewer – Trained rats and cats who will capture your hearts and make you laugh. They are for sure one of my favorite acts.
This is just a small sampling of the entertainers. You can find the full list the the Festival’s website HERE.
Food and Drink
All great Renaissance Festivals have solid food offerings and this one also delivers. But, let’s talk about the one thing I’ve never seen before at any Renaissance Festival I’ve attended; The Pleasure Feast.
The Pleasure Feast is, as the festival defines, a Pirate Brouhaha with a FIVE course meal to fill you up with some of the most amazing food seen at a Renaissance Festival. The entertainment is bawdy and the food seems fabulous over 90 minutes. This is a separate ticketed event for the price of $100, but that $100 does include your entrance to the Arizona Renaissance Festival for that day AND you get a toasting goblet as a souvenir. Please note there are two feasts per day and a number of them are already sold out. You can learn more about The Pleasure Feast HERE.
Also new for 2024 is The Hops! This is a new Pub Crawl that is hosted by Roland & Florian of The Renaissance Men. The Hops! runs twice a day and will include a 90 minute tour that includes 4 special 7 ounce pours during the crawl and you get to take home a limited edition The Hops! pewter pin. This is also a separate ticketed event at the cost of $85. Your ticket to The Hops! also includes entrance to the Arizona Renaissance Festival that day. Please note the humor is very suggestive and risque! Learn more about The Hops! HERE.
Shopping
It can’t be a Renaissance Festival without seeing artisans selling their crafts! Everything from jewelry to clothing to armor and so much more. Arizona Renaissance Festival boasts over 200 artisans for your shopping pleasure. You can see the Festival’s artistans page HERE.
The Arizona Renaissance Festival looks like a massive festival with amazing entertainers and grounds to see. I know I’d like the opportunity to go visit this festival and I hope you do as well. For more info, see their website at Arizona Renaissance Festival (renfestinfo.com)