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)

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The Bristol Renaissance Faire will start its 36th season on Saturday, July 8th. The faire runs every Saturday and Sunday and also runs on Labor Day, Monday, September 4th. Labor Day is the final day of the season. The faire is held in Kenosha, WI on 30 beautiful acres. The setting for the Renaissance Faire is the year 1574 upon when Queen Elizabeth visited the town of Bristol. The faire is located just west of I-94’s Russell Road exit and is open rain or shine from 10 AM to 7 PM. Linda McFeters, Owner and Producer, said, “Our team is thrilled to be back and doing what we do best: presenting world-class, immersive entertainment that will put a smile on your face. We continue to work closely with the local health department and the most current CDC recommendations to ensure the safety of our guests, vendors, volunteers, and staff.” Bristol Renaissance Faire was voted “Best Renaissance Faire” for the tenth consecutive year in 2021.

Tickets

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.  Pricing is as follows:

Adult ticket – $40.00
Senior (62+) – $35.00 (Box Office only)
Military w/ID – $35.00 (Box Office only)
Child (ages 5-12) – $15.00
Children 4 and younger are FREE!
Season Pass (all ages) – $225.00
Friends of Faire (VIP Garden) – $135.00

The Friends of Faire membership still requires single-day tickets or a season pass to be used. The membership does not include access to the faire. The season membership to Friends of the Faire includes:

A Friends of Faire 2023 Membership includes:

• A beautiful pewter FoF membership medallion especially crafted by Sheldon Pewter (issued in the Garden only)
• Access to the members-only Friends of Faire Garden for one adult and their dependent children (age 12 & younger) for the entire season:
  • Free Gatorade and water
  • Covered pavilion
  • Shaded tables and benches
  • Private dressing rooms
  • Clean, private, accessible-sized privies (port-a-johns)
  • Hot water for handwashing
  • Baby changing station
• The ability to purchase discounted general admission tickets at the will-call window: Adults $25, Children $10
• Two 25% discount coupons for the Renaissance Collection shops
• A members-only Facebook group
• Access to members-only merchandise
• Specialized classes and seminars about the Elizabethan period
• Special invitation to all FoF Events
• The opportunity to get to know other faire fans like yourself!

A Friends of Faire Day Pass  is $20 and grants access to the members-only Friends of Faire Garden and includes:

• Free Gatorade and water
• Covered pavilion
• Shaded tables and benches
• Private dressing rooms
• Clean, private, accessible-sized privies (port-a-johns)
• Hot water for handwashing
• Baby changing station

Themed Weekends

Bristol holds four specific themed weekends during their season. These are:

July 15th-16th: Steampunk Weekend – A weekend for time-travelers from all eras! Come join in the Steampunk Hand-Made Costume Contest and check out the pop-up Absinthe Bar.

July 22nd-23rd: Marketplace Weekend – Dedicated to the vendors, any attendees who spends $250 or more in the Faire’s Village Marketplace will receive two complimentary tickets to next year’s Faire. Tickets must be claimed on July 22nd or 23rd and receipt proof must be shown. Please note that this offer excludes admission, food, beverage, rides, games, and the Renaissance Collection Souvenir Shop. Limit 2 complimentary tickets per shopper.

August 5th-6th: Pirate Weekend – Bring your best pirate garb and eye patches for this dedicated weekend. Come join in the Pirate Hand-Made Costume Contest!

August 12th-13th: RennCon Weekend – An entire weekend dedicated to cosplayers! Come join in for the largest cosplay party in Bristol. There will be a Cosplay Maypole Dance at 10:30 AM Saturday and Sunday and Cosplay Hand-Made Costume Contest.

Entertainment

The Festival will have a variety of entertainers this year and the list announced so far looks solid. This year includes:

Adam Crack – All Season – Master of the whip and holder of 9 Guiness Book of World Records, his skills and wit will entertain the fans without a shadow of a doubt. And yes, audience participation will happen.

Arne Parrott – All Season – A whimsical musician who captures the essence of the faire through his songs.

Audience With The Queen – All Season, Sundays Only – Your opportunity to get time with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

Barely Balance – All Season – A trio of fantastic acrobats who add comedy and skill to entertain the audience.

Cirque Du Sewer – July 8 to August 20 – Come see the hilarious circus of trained rats and cats and the fun when the cats decided to be….cats! Definitely worth watching.

Clan Tynker – August 19 to September 4 – Amazing performances of juggling, dancing, music, and comedy all rolled up into one. They are a unique band of stage performers who will entertain you

Ded Bob Sho – July 8 to August 20 (PG-13) – Everyone’s favorite cadaver is back for more ventriloquist comedy fun.

Moonie the Manif’cent – All Season – Moonie returns for his 31st season at Bristol with three separate shows and all of them will be great fun. Don’t miss out on any of his performances.

And there are many, many more!

Food and Drink

The Faire offers a wide variety of food and drink options that quite impressive. Fully baked potatoes, coconut shrimp, steak on a stake, and so much more. You can find a full listing of food and drink options at https://renfair.com/bristol/the-faire/food/.

And you find more information on the Faire’s Pub Crawls under the Themed Weekends at https://renfair.com/bristol/theme-weekends/.

Shopping

And of course we can’t forget about the Marketplace! With a variety of options from renaissance faire clothing to boots to armor to swords and masks, the Marketplace has something for everyone. You can find a full listing of vendors at https://renfair.com/bristol/marketplace/.

RenQuest

If you’re looking for something different than the standard faire entertainment, check out RenQuest! Join in solving a series of fun puzzles where you are the hero trying to save the Order of Camelot who have been cursed. RenQuest costs $20 per day where you will find a Main Story and dozens of quests to tackle throughout the day.

The Bristol Renaissance Faire offers a large variety of fun and entertainment during their season. For full information on their faire, go to their website at https://renfair.com/bristol/.

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