The 9 Most Magical Renaissance Fairs in America

Whether your favorite part of a Renaissance fair is the food (who can pass up those turkey legs?) or the jousting knights on stunning horses, it’s always one of the best experiences you have throughout the year.

If you’re on an adventure across the country and looking for the best Renaissance fairs worth exploring. So grab your best travel credit cards, be merry, check out the artisan goods, and always save time for a less-than-kid-friendly adult comedy show.

It’s hard not to win the Queen’s favor at any of the following locations.

Gold Canyon transforms into Camelot during the Arizona Renaissance Festival. With numerous themed weekends, including the Pirates and Brew Fest and Celtic Weekend, it’s easy to find a place to call home here.

Dress the part, move through the festival village with a beer in hand, and enjoy the raucous music easily found from one side of the town to another. This festival, taking place in February and March annually, is a fantastic rain-or-shine event.

The Ohio Renaissance Festival is located in a 30-acre 16th-century recreated English village. This late summer and early fall festival offers over 100 shows each day, from dueling to firewalking. Guests can also enjoy artisans, excellent food, and beer.

With 22 stages and hundreds of actors playing the part, you can easily find yourself enjoying a full day or two at this Renaissance festival. You may even be chosen to be in the Queen’s party.

For 45 years, the New York Renaissance Faire has provided guests with incredible opportunities to step back in time. The location features 100 shops with artisan wares and food, as well as plenty of outstanding music, dance, and off-color jokes.

Check out the entertainment, including the Sterling Shire cross-blades show or the fire eaters.

From late August until the middle of October, the King Richard’s Faire transforms the community if Carver taking it back in time. This 80-acre wooded site is the largest (by their estimate) faire in the six New England states.

When you visit, you’ll enjoy aerialists, minstrels, and life-size puppets. Enjoy some spit-roasted turkey legs and mead. There are games and rides for children (all people-powered, of course), and lots of fantasy and magic around every corner (look out for those fairies!)

Since 2012, the Bristol Renaissance Faire takes you back to 1574 in the English port city of Bristol, where Queen Elizabeth I's reign controls everything from the jousting knights to the merchant village.

RenQuest, a live-action role-play event, is a fantastic opportunity for those who want some serious gameplay. There are ample rides and family-friendly things to explore throughout the village. Its themed weekends include a Steampunk and Cottagecore weekend.

Spread over 25 acres, the Carolina Renaissance Festival takes place in the village of Fairhaven during a time of recklessness and fantasy. This Renaissance festival pays homage to beer, food, and the prominent European style of art during the Medieval period.

History really does come alive with the villagers, royal court, and knights that stroll the area. Friendly dragons, incredible falconry demonstrations, and even some beautiful mermaids can be seen in this village.

The artisan market is huge, but jousting knights on horseback is one of the most impressive experiences here.

The Maryland Renaissance Festival goes on for nine weekends beginning in late August. You are certain to make friends here, especially as you participate in the Royal Court events, watch the archery demonstration, and of course, take in the Bad Idea Variety Show.

For a bit of comical science, make sure to watch the Alice and Wendy: Science and Stories show or bring along your young knight to participate in the knighting ceremony. You’ll see plenty of historical figures along the way, including Don Quixote.

This spring fair is an exciting opportunity to explore the very best of history and comedy rolled into one. The Scarborough Renaissance Festival offers jousting, birds of prey, and a mermaid lagoon. There are kid-friendly shows, knighting ceremonies, and fun rides for the youngsters.

Enjoy the merriment of the Grande Parade, enjoy wine and beer tastings, stop in at a pub for a meal, and explore the fabulous artisan marketplace. You may be able to catch some glass blowing in action.

Take the 90-minute drive from San Franciso to the Northern California Renaissance Faire. The fair welcomes Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, and her Privateer Sir Walter Raleigh as they watch the jousting and participate in the royal court.

You’ll find plenty to see here, from the crooked Constables who seem to let things slide to the maidens who fill the streets and lure travelers to their shops.

Watch out for the gossiping washerwomen roaming the streets. The cottage-core, pirate invasion, and Carnevale-themed weekends are exciting!

Renaissance fairs bring excellent entertainment and food but also incredible artisan shops. There’s also likely to be one near you to help you save money on travel.

Make sure you take the time to catch them in action at the glassblowing, smithing, and pottery demonstrations, which are often done firsthand at these events.