Visit a Renaissance Festival? Really?
Every year since our kids were young, we have taken them for a day visit to the Renaissance Festival in Maryland. The Renaissance Festival is a recreation of a 16th century village located in different areas throughout the world and held for a specific amount of time and only open on weekends. It is a great day out with the family and or friends to step back in time and enjoy all that the festivals have to offer.
Each fair has a different story each year, with professional actors dressed in Renaissance costumes, playing out the story throughout the day in different areas of the fair. Some weekends have a different theme like pirate weekend, kids weekend, and Shakespeare weekend. The historical accuracy varies, and a good amount of overlap occurs across centuries, but everyone’s having fun.
Vaudeville is What It’s All About
Our main draw for going to the fair are the shows put on throughout the fair at small, outdoor theaters. It is truly one of the best places to see good vaudeville and for our kids, they love seeing this form of art and theater. For years our family, along with many other visitors went to the same sword swallowing performance, Johnny Fox. We knew his act by heart, but still went back as he was truly an entertainer. Adding a bit of magic, humor and of course sword swallowing. He entertained kids and adults alike and the show never grew old. Sadly, he passed away from cancer, but performed right up to his last moment.
Other venues offer, acrobatics, comedy, music, food demonstrations of food that was served in the Renaissance, choreographed sword fights, alchemy, and magic. You can even find falconers showing off their birds of prey and dangerous stunts performed.
Children’s Attractions
Throughout the fair grounds, kids can find all sorts of attractions designed just for them. The Maryland Renaissance Fair features many of these kid friendly attractions. There is the Jacobs Ladder, a three-ring ladder held up on both ends by rope. Kids and adults will like the challenge of trying to climb to the top without the ladder turning on it’s side or upside down and dumping the challenger off. Our daughter beat this once, but she was a full fledged gymnast at the time, so her core muscles were well trained.
Face painting, hair braiding, pony rides, a playground set in the shape of a ship and a climbing wall are a couple of others. Not sure how a climbing wall relates to the Renaissance, but kids love it. There is also a long wooden slide that kids and adults can slide down on a mat, for a small fee.
Jousting
Throughout the day at the fair, visitors will find a jousting match. Usually the king and queen are there and two riders compete against each other. Unlike Hollywood movies, the lances do not explode upon impact into tiny little pieces. However, this is one of the main events of the fair, horses, lances, theater and action Show up early to get a seat, as it typically fills up fast.
Food and Drink
If you have ever been to state or county fair, you are familiar with the midway and all of the food carts selling a variety of fried and greasy treats. This is the same for the Renaissance fair, there are recreated village homes selling a variety of fried and greasy treats. They also sell beer and lots of mead, a wine made from fermented honey and water and various fruit, spices and grains.
We typically get a variety of different foods and share among each other. Our typical food purchases consist of steak on a stake, fried pickles, deep fried mac and cheese, pickles on a stick, sweet nuts, turkey legs, soft pretzels, and desert. It’s a good excuse to go off your diet for a day.
Costumes
Some women go way out of their way for show off their cleavage. They pick costumes to highlight and allow a lot of cleavage, more than I want to see and for some, more than they should be showing. At times, I want to shield my children’s eyes from way too much cleavage.
There are also some that turn the period costumes into some Steampunk variation of sci-fi meets Renaissance meets make up your own.
Not sure why this is worn at a Renaissance Festival, but it lends itself to great people watching.
Many of the professional actors have wonderful costumes that give visitors an understanding of what was worn and how elaborate.
If you don’t want to buy a costume, but do want to wear one, you can actually rent a costume at the fair.
Shopping
What would a festival be without shopping? Visitors can come home with many knick knacks representing the the Renaissance era. Most items are hand made, leather wear, fantasy figurines, swords, celtic designs, garden art, tapestries, jewelry, stained glass, candles, engraved items, garlands, decorative head items like flower wreaths.
There are stands as well for glass blowing, henna tattoo designs, weaving and wood carving. So visitors can also create their own crafts.
A Family Tradition
Our yearly trips to the Renaissance Festival have become a tradition every fall. We look forward to our day out with the kids, seeing new shows and trying new foods, and people watching.
We tried out the Faire in Pennsylvania this year as they allowed dogs. We brought the dog, which was great, but the feel was not the same. There were paved roads, where the one in Maryland is all trail and in the woods. It was smaller and fewer people. Part of the reason we go is for the people watching.
We will be heading back to the Maryland Renaissance Festival and will be leaving the dog at home. Besides, she wasn’t thrilled with her costume…
Louise Grace
Looks like a great day out for the kids, defo something different and interesting for them to do! Thanks for sharing
Amy Dodd
Great post! I went to my first Renaissance a couple of years ago, I didn’t realize how much fun it would be! This really touches on that. 🙂
Five Family Adventurers
Great day out
Maggie
I went to this Renaissance Fair a few years ago!! It really is the best one in the DC area. I’m not usually into renaissance fairs, but the Maryland one is so big and has so many different things to see and do!
Five Family Adventurers
It is fun for something different
Nina Nichols
Renaissance Festival seems like a really interesting event to attend to. I remember attending similar events with my family back home which became a tradition through the years.
Synz
Oh! I love to experience this. I love to see people dressed in Renaissance costumes! Definitely going to one of these Renaissance in the Future. How do you know where the Renaissance festival take place?
Five Family Adventurers
Great people watching! Here is a list per Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Renaissance_fairs They all have websites too.
Daniel
Looks like a very interesting activity. I have to admit I didn’t think these kinds of activities could be so fun but your article changed my mind
Alex Trembath
What an awesome festival! Looks like such a fun and educational activity to do with kids as well. It’s not often that both of those are combined. Looks like you had an awesome family time there.
Yeshi
I’ve never been to a Renaissance Fair but it looks like such fun! So much to see and do for everyone! I would definitely want to get dressed up too!
Rajat
It Looks like a perfect gateway to go out with family
Sneha Bhandari
This looks like a lot of fun. I’ve never been to a fair like this. Definitely will try to visit this one. 🙂
pujarini mitra
What a cool festival to attend with kids. I am sure it’s a perfect family day out and the kids love it. I like there are dramas and storytelling activities. Dressing up in Rennaisance costumes must be fun.
Simone
Never done a festival like this, and maybe it should be time to do it. Thanks for giving me the idea
umiko Silalahi
Our family loves Renaissance Festival, too although we didn’t get to go every year. In North Texas it held in the spring. My husband would go for the turkey leg, I liked to try different things, but we never skipped the funnel cake. I agree with you that some of the ladies went too far showing off their cleavages that I sometime think whether they could breath easily or not. lol.
Sydney | A World in Reach
I’ve always wanted to visit a Renaissance Festival! This looks like so much fun – I need to see if there’s one near me!
Five Family Adventurers
This may help, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Renaissance_fairs
Nitasha
I have never even heard of Renaissance festivals, what a shame! We don’t have it in this part of the world. Though it looks amazing and I wonder why we don’t have them. Love their dressing up and reading about the activities one can take part in.
Megan
The fair in my city is this month and I was considering going. You just sold me on it! Guess I’m buying my ticket lol
stacey
I love renaissance festivals for the wine/ mead, big turkey legs, fire play, jousting and plays. Its a lot of fun for everyone.
Wendy Lemeric
Oh wow! That is super awesome! I’d love to attend such event if I were there. It’s a great experience and I’ll definitely be fascinated to see those costumes and the setup.
Chandni
This festival looks so colourful and fun! I would love to be a part of it some day.
Tara Pittman
I love how you describe the food for sale. Fried and greasy sums it up.
Bismah Bonnie
I would enjoy visiting a renaissance festival as I love learning about history and cultures from all over the world. Its great that they offer so many activities for the children.
andrea
i went to a renaissance festival when I was younger, I remember the food and everyone wearing awesome costumes. it would be fun to go again now older.
Five Family Adventurers
I’m sure it would be just as fun as you remember.
Candace
Days activities are my favorite!! I enjoy being out and just doing fun stuff. I totally love this. Seems like magical and gypsy. haha
XO
Candace
https://www.thebeautybeau.com
Shannon
Such a fun idea! It looks like it really has something for everyone!
London Mumma
I love festivals like this where the family can come together for a great day and learn lots of historical facts.
Shirley
What a great family tradition! I love festivals of all sorts and this looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing your adventure!
Pam
Looks like a super fun event! We went to one years ago and had a blast – that was before kids and my brother attempted to speak with an accent all day. It was very funny. I need to find one for the kids.
Five Family Adventurers
I love it when people attempt the accent. It is too funny with modern English vocabulary.
Echo
This looks so fun! We love Ren Fests and have a great one here in Minnesota!
Kristie
This looks like a really fun event! Something for everyone. And it’s not a Renaissance Festival without a turkey leg (and lots of cleavage), right? 🙂 It makes me want to take our kids back to the Ren Fest in Minnesota.
Five Family Adventurers
Yep turkey legs and cleavage🤣
Tricia Snow
What a great way to mix in history with fun!
Missy Debnar
I loved the costumes and the events!!!
Devyani Ray
THis looks like super fun! I have never heard of jousting before. Overall a very interesting concept.
Ruth I.
Oh, how I wish there will be fairs like this held in my town. This looks so fun and recreational.
Vikrant
This is perfect festival. Combo of everything you need to enjoy your life.
Kimberly Rood
I love these kinds of festivals! I haven’t been in a LONG time but they are a blast! Dressing up is my favorite part
KatWalkSF
What an amazing day! Take me there!