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A medieval-themed amusement park in Gold Canyon, Arizona – weekends during February and March
A renaissance fair is a medieval-themed amusement park with costumed entertainers and attendees, theatrical acts, arts and crafts for sale, and festival food. The Arizona Renaissance Festival was my first renaissance fair experience and there was a lot to take in.
The setting is an imagined English village in Elizabethan times (that’s the time of Queen Elizabeth I, not the current Queen Elizabeth). Costumed entertainers and festival workers walk the lanes. It is a place for princess dresses and flower hair crowns. I saw many young girls in colourful ruffled skirts. Many adults also attend in costume.
Costumes are available for rent or purchase if you wish to participate.
The Queen makes her rounds
Man in stilts walking the lanes
Medieval-themed carnival games include target shooting with crossbows, throwing tomatoes at an insulting peasant, catapulting frogs, axe throwing, and others. Rides are people-powered.
Royal Pavilion Stage
The Arizona Renaissance Festival has 13 stage areas with almost continuous entertainment. Acts include jugglers, belly dancers, Morris dancers, musicians, hypnotists, comedy acts, whip crackers, glass blowing demonstrations, and even lady lessons on etiquette and loveliness. Miguel of Don Juan and Miguel told us many of the acts are “innuendoed”, meaning there is appeal for both children and adults. A few shows are marked on the Festival program as LC (Loose Cannon), Parental Guidance Suggested. Three jousting tournaments are held each day.
Hey Nunnie Nunnie entertainment act, a funny counseling session with silly songs
London Broil, team jugglers
You can have your fortune told, palm read, Tarot cards read, or handwriting analyzed.
I might just need one of these
Fairhaven Farm is a free petting zoo
Over 200 artisans have goods on display and available for purchase. Scenes of life from “olden times” fill one part of the festival area.
Outdoor kitchen
Blacksmith
Picnic tables are set up on grassy areas and under tent shelters. Food available on food kiosks includes turkey legs, chili or meatballs in a bread bowl, corn on the cob, pizza, steak on a stick, fish and chips, pasties, Scotch eggs, curry, fruit, chocolate treats, and bakery items. Drink options include beer, wine, mead, soft drinks, lattes, cappuccinos and regular coffees.
Its feels like no surprise to see a gypsy-like woman up in a tree blowing bubbles
Superstition Mountains make a good backdrop for the jousting arena
The Arizona Renaissance Festival is set on 30 acres in Gold Canyon, 40 miles east of Phoenix. It is open Saturdays and Sundays in February and March. Tickets to the Arizona Renaissance Festival can be purchased at the door or in advance online. There are additional charges for games, rides, and exhibition halls. The entertainment is free, but entertainers collect donations after each show. People watching is free. Huzzah!
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43 Comments
Marilyn Jones
March 10, 2014 at 9:43 amHow fun!! Your photos are excellent and really tell the story.
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 11:00 amThanks Marilyn.
Viv
March 10, 2014 at 11:57 amThis looks like a terrific festival to attend. Wonderful photos, too. Definitely adding this to our travel list.
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 11:01 amIt was my first time at a Renaissance festival. There was so much to see I didn’t know which way to look.
Patti Morrow
March 10, 2014 at 5:33 pmGreat photos! I absolutely love Renaissance Festivals — it’s on my bucket list to go in costume to one that’s close to my home. 🙂
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 11:00 amGoing to the festival in costume would be fun.
Nancie
March 10, 2014 at 5:39 pmI want a broom, too! This looks like so much fun. The costumes are stunning!
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 11:02 amThe costumes are amazing. People watching is fun.
Patti
March 10, 2014 at 6:55 pmFun photos! We live in Ashland, OR, which is home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Elizabeth Outdoor Theater – so your photos have a very similar feel to our Elizabethan theater.
Welli
March 11, 2014 at 3:36 amThis comment has been removed by the author.
Welli
March 11, 2014 at 3:38 amI love the photos and the story you tell. I would want to attend this event due to your narration. Great post and echoing what Paul says above, forging swords then perfoming marriages? hahaha what a paradox.
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 11:04 amThere were lots of funny signs and amusing things to see at the festival.
A Taste for Travel
March 11, 2014 at 7:25 amI love reading historical fiction so a renaissance fair sounds like the perfect place to take my 9 year old grandson for a vacation as he’s fascinated by knights. The Arizona Renaissance Festival seems a real bargain too with lots of free happenings.
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 11:05 amIf he’s fascinated with knights, he might enjoy the jousting show. We didn’t get to see it this time, busy with other things.
Nancy Thompson
March 11, 2014 at 10:36 amWhat fun! A Renaissance Festival and medieval English village are not what comes to mind when I think of Arizona. Loved your photos and a look at the other side of desert life. Thank you.
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 11:06 amI agree that a Renaissance festival is not what you associate with the desert, but the desert landscape made an interesting backdrop for the festival.
Jason Butler
March 11, 2014 at 11:25 amI love going to renaissance festivals. We have one outside of Atlanta that is pretty big. I used to go every year, but I haven’t been at all since I’ve moved back to Atlanta. I need to go this year and try one of those gigantic turkey legs.
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 7:55 pmThis was my first renaissance festival so it was all new to me. I didn’t try the turkey legs – looked too gigantic.
Doreen Pendgracs
March 11, 2014 at 11:58 amI love Renaissance Festivals! We’ve been to the one outside of Mnnpls in Shakopee and have really enjoyed it. I didn’t realize that Phoenix also had one. Tks for sharing.
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 7:57 pmUntil I did some research and visited this festival, I hand’t realized there were as much renaissance festivals in North America as there are.
Jay
March 11, 2014 at 12:21 pmVery good pictures that brought life to your words. Looks like fun
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 7:55 pmThanks Jay.
jacquie
March 11, 2014 at 4:52 pmWhat a great post! I admire anyone who can tell a story with so few words. And it really looks like damn good fun! Hope to make it there one day 🙂
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 7:56 pmThanks Jacquie. The festival was fun.
Arleen
March 11, 2014 at 5:32 pmI haven’t been to a Renaissance festival in years. I was just in Phoenix and didn’t know it existed. We have family out there so next time we are there in February I will keep it in mind
Donna Janke
March 11, 2014 at 7:58 pmThe Renaissance festival is a fun, family outing.
maxwell ivey
March 11, 2014 at 8:55 pmhello; when i was in high school our scout troop went to th houston festival for the day. it was a crazy place. my favorite games were the archery and one that resembled an oversized pillow fight. its held in september and october here. I imagine that given the costume they probably try to avoid really hot weather. thanks for sharing your experience. Take care, max
Donna Janke
March 12, 2014 at 10:14 pmHi Maxwell. I didn’t try any of the games, but I might if I go again. The archery would be interesting.
JeriWB
March 12, 2014 at 12:48 amI’ve only been to one Renaissance festival, but I loved everything about it. I went to the one that’s held outside of Charlotte, NC. Now that I’ve moved back to Idaho, it will probably be awhile before I get to go to another one again. My favorite part was the jousting. It gave me so many ideas for lesson plans on teaching Arthurian Lore, only I’m not in the classroom anymore…
Donna Janke
March 12, 2014 at 10:15 pmI didn’t see the jousting on this visit, so I guess I may need to visit again – maybe next year.
Susan Cooper
March 12, 2014 at 11:04 amI have never been to one of these. I have always been a fan of the Renaissance. I think it’s all the great costumes… LOL. I feel like I was there through your pictures. It looks like a really fun event. I need to think about going to one around where I live.
Donna Janke
March 12, 2014 at 10:16 pmThanks Susan. There was so much to see and take in at the festival, it was difficult to decide what to show and highlight in this post.
Irene S. Levine
March 12, 2014 at 3:41 pmLooks like a fun experience. It certainly is photogenic!
Donna Janke
March 12, 2014 at 10:17 pmHi Irene. Definitely an interesting place to take photographs and to people watch.
Jackie and Joel Smith
March 12, 2014 at 6:38 pmHad no idea such a place existed in AZ! What a fun post – great photos and most informative. Thanks for alerting us to its existence.
Donna Janke
March 12, 2014 at 10:18 pmA Renaissance Festival is not what one might normally associate with Arizona. It was fun.
Neva Fels
March 12, 2014 at 8:19 pmI have enjoyed the view of Superstition mountain. I guess we need to add this event to our bucket list. I’ve been making children’s costumes for children for a few years now and this would be a chance to make/wear some fun costumes to this event.
Donna Janke
March 12, 2014 at 10:19 pmHi Neva. I love the view of the Superstition Mountains. There are in the background of a number of things I visit in the area. I do not sew and would not make any costumes of my own, but it would be a fun thing to do if I could. It would be fun to do that and take the children in your life to the festival.
Beth Niebuhr
March 14, 2014 at 8:01 amthis looks like great fun. I have been to couple of others but not this one. Fabulous pictures you shared.
Suzanne Fluhr (Just One Boomer)
March 14, 2014 at 9:21 pmWe attended a Renaissance faire outside Chicago once. I’m a serious recorder player (took lessons through high school), so I always enjoy the Renaissance music. Nice “you are there” photos.
Mike
March 15, 2014 at 3:55 pmDonna,
Its been years since we attended one of the Renaissance fire’s in Texas. Your post brought back many memories and made me want to go to one again. They are quite fun! Thanks for jogging my memory!.
Mike
Doreen Pendgracs
February 7, 2019 at 6:38 pmVery cool! I didn’t know there is s Renaissance Fest in AZ. We’ve attended the one in Shakopee,MN and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Donna Janke
February 8, 2019 at 10:43 amDoreen, this was the first (and so far only) Renaissance fair I’ve attended. There was so much to see and take it! Quite a lot of fun.