Ohio Renaissance Festival

MY FAV TIME OF THE YEAR!!Wanna enjoy the day with shows, shopping, treats and great people? This is the place. Dress up or don't. TBH this is my fav thing to do every single year and this year i finally caved and bought a cape Every year it gets better and better!

Having never been to a Renaissance Festival before, I wasn't sure what to expect. This was a birthday outing arranged by someone dear to me, and I was thrilled to dive into my first festival experience. We dressed up in costumes for the occasion, aiming to arrive by 11:30 a.m., just before the royal parade. However, we hadn't accounted for the two-mile traffic leading into the parking area. Thankfully, after parking, getting through the festival entrance was surprisingly quick and efficient.Tickets sell out online every weekend, so make sure to buy in advance if you're planning to go next year! To make the most of our time, I had carefully planned a schedule the night before, excited to catch as many of the shows as possible (there were over 169!). However, being delayed by traffic meant food became the first priority, nullifying my detailed schedule. We started the day with ideal weather, but as the sun climbed higher, the heat became a bit intense specially while standing in long lines and sitting under the sun for the shows.Our first stop was, of course, the iconic turkey legs! They were available at plenty of stalls, and seeing other attendees wandering around with these massive, smoky drumsticks only made the wait more enticing. He wondered if I'd manage to finish one solo, but I was determined--turkey leg or bust! He suggested sampling other dish that might be easier to handle, but I wanted the full, classic experience. Next, we joined the line for mead, another essential at a Renaissance Festival. With food and drinks in hand, we found a spot in a shaded area and were lucky enough to be invited to share a table with a group of friendly festival veterans. Hearing their stories and tips added to the immersive atmosphere, making me feel like I'd stumbled into a warm community of Renaissance Festival devotees. The turkey leg itself didn't disappoint: glazed with a rich molasses-like sauce, perfectly grilled, and not overly sweet or salty. But, as he predicted, I couldn't quite finish it. The mead was phenomenal--light, sweet, and dangerously easy to drink. I downed my glass a bit too quickly. After a glass of the original mead, he opted for blackberry mead. He noted the berry flavor distinctly, though I found it subtle, almost identical to the classic honey mead.With our schedule effectively scrapped, we decided to explore at our own pace, hopping between shows that caught our attention. The Equestrian Chaos show, where warrior women demonstrated impressive archery skills on horseback, was a highlight. We stayed in our seats to catch the next show: the ever-popular Full-Armored Joust, which engaged the crowd with interactive cheer and rivalry--it was impossible not to get swept up in the energy. Everyone was guided to cheer for the King's favor but I couldn't help but to side with the funny "bad guy" that no one cheered for. Another standout was the Wheel of Death, where the performer, Ichabod Wainwright, held everyone's attention with humor and impressive stunts. As a first-timer, I was struck by the energy and freshness each performer brought to their acts. Despite performing the same routines multiple times a day each weekend, they seemed as enthusiastic as if it were the first time, there was not a hint of mundaneness coming from them, and that dedication truly impressed me.Before leaving, we roamed through the grounds to catch glimpses of other performances, like the Knighting Ceremony, Pub Sing, and Pirate Playtime. There's so much happening that it's impossible to see it all in one visit. For any future festival-goers, a couple of tips: pick up a map at the information desk by the entrance, as the grounds are large and easy to get turned around in. And if you see a restroom line near the entrance, there are more facilities (way many more stalls) deeper in the grounds. I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the women's restrooms were, given the size of the event; however I gotta be honest that he admitted being traumatized by the cleanliness of the men's restroom.As we left, we also checked out the Brimstone Haunt area, which he had purchased tickets for as part of a combo deal. Though it wasn't open for admission yet, even in the daylight, it looked thrillingly eerie--a perfect touch for a festive end-of-day adventure. All in all, this Renaissance Festival was an unforgettable, immersive experience. From the vibrant costumes and jovial crowds to the enthralling shows and delicious mead, it was a day well spent, and one I'll remember fondly. If you haven't been, it's absolutely worth a visit, but be prepared for a full day with a little heat, some traffic, and plenty of lines--but with a little planning, you'll be rewarded with a fantastical escape from the everyday.

So yeah, the Ohio Renaissance Festival is pretty badass. Or, as someone in Europe in the 16th century would say, it was "a marvel worthy of legend and song!""A spectacle of unparalleled revelry and grandeur!""Marvel of marvels! A vision most wondrous!"... See, even several weeks since I visited, the mirth and merriment of the fair is still with me.The Ohio Ren Fest is 30 acres of permanent structures with more than 100 shows daily. The attention to detail and commitment to character from its Whimsy Woods to Minstrel's Grove to Dragon's Lair and more was just *chef's kiss* ... or rather *knight's bow.* Expect pretty much everyone around you to be in costume, guests included. I felt very underdressed, and if we go back, I will wear a gown or at least a topical T-shirt. Since we had kids in tow, we didn't get to stick around to see any jousting or performances, but we did pop into a shop or two, buying the kids some wooden swords ... ya know, as any competent parent would. My husband and I also partook in some mead and a turkey leg. We loved seeing so many artisans and vendors specializing in all manner of jewelry, leather goods, costumes, weaponry (within reason, of course), toys, home goods and more. Who doesn't need a corset or two? One quick suggestion if someone from Ohio Ren Fest reads this: Please open a fantasy book stall! So many fantasy books take inspiration from renaissance-like times or are at least medieval-ish. Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Name of the Wind, Throne of Glass ... I bet a shop like that would be a hit! I know I would have dropped a shilling or two. Ohio Ren Fest also themes some of its weekends. We happened to attend during Fantasy Weekend. Pointy ears and fairy wings were in bounteous supply! The fest also hosts Viking Weekend, Romance Weekend and Heroes & Young Adventurers Weekend, with free admission for kids 12 and under and a discount for military and first responders.A break on admission might be nice considering kids 5-12 are $10-$12, and adults are $32-$38 each. But then again, I would happily pay this admission again for what we received. A few last suggestions: Get there early to beat the crowds. Do your research before you go, so you don't miss anything you'd like to see. Don't count on ye olde cell phone to work; reception was scarce. Wear tennis shoes under your wizard's robe. Ohio Ren Fest is a place where your inner history geek -- or fantasy, viking, LARP, cosplay, pirate, occult, steampunk ... pretty much any type of nerd-dom can likely fit here -- can make merry and revel with the best of 'em. I'm excited to come back next year!

This year they had an amazing bird of prey exhibit that was fun and informative. Once again all the performances were also a lot of fun and worth coming back for year after year!

Prepare for long wait times. Long walk from parking lot in walked 10 miles total. The shops are very overpriced mostly from Temu. One blacksmith had a fixed blade viking style knive for $400 I have one almost identical that I bought for $120 off a local blacksmith. The knive throwing and bow shooting was fun. Bbq place was good and cheesecake on stick was good. All popular items have long wait times. I wanted to get some mead and creme brulle but both had 50+ people in line so I didn't do it.

Are you a fan of medieval time? Have an interest in renaissance artwork and pagentry? Or do you just like dressing up in like a knight, lord, lady, or fantasy character? Then the Ohio Renaissance Festival is a perfect event for you. It's always a great time loaded with fantastic shows, tasty food, brilliant libations, and tons of awesome goods to buy.I've gone a few times before and so has my lady, and every time, we've had a great time. There's just so much to do, see, eat, drink, and experience. It's great for people of all ages and backgrounds. Wanna take in a show? There are shows going on all day, many for free, and some you pay a little extra for, such as the Whiskey Witches whiskey tasting ($30 person, great show with a whiskey tasting) and the Naughty Bawdy show ($30, adults only, price includes two adult libations and a drawing ticket for prizes). And yes, we did both if those shows, and yes, both were absolutely worth the price. We also enjoyed everything else, including just people watching everyone in their lavish costumes. So many people wear elaborate costumes to this event that you can't help but compliment them on their gear. I know I was complimenting people MANY times. Every person I complimented smiled and thanked me, so you know pretty much everyone here is friendly. It's just great fun!It's hard NOT to have a great time at the Renaissance Festival, whether you come in costume or not. Of course, we dressed the part, and we felt like we fit right in. But even if you don't, you're guaranteed to have a wonderful time. Cometh, eat, drink, and be merry!

Beware ye, haters of crowds! I'm not a die hard renaissance festival goer but I feel like it's every Ohio child's right of passage to experience the faire at least once and my daughter had expressed interest in pirates weekend. So with our best efforts we donned some seaworthy garb and headed up on an 80 degree Saturday. It was insanely hot and incredibly crowded but it made it all worth it to see how much my daughter enjoyed this new experience. The shops and shows and the general participation of the characters and faire goers alike is so much fun and guaranteed to give you the best RenFest experience!

I have not been to the Renaissance Festival in six years. I will have to say that it is grown substantially. They had at least 100 new vendors and many of the old ones the food prices were not necessarily cheap, but a good value for what you get the worst thing that I seen were lines for the bathrooms, but they moved rather quickly. Parking was a little rough this morning but that's to be understood Viking weekend. Tends to draw a huge crowd. I think I may even come back next weekend just to look around more. I used to come every year but I have not been here in several years due to my children being old enough to come on their own. With that said, I will be back, and I highly recommend you come if you've never been here. The Ohio Renaissance festival is one of the top five largest festivals in the United States I know Texas is the largest Arizona I believe is second largest, I think one or two may be larger than Ohio, but I'm not 100% sure. If you've never been here, definitely worth it, just know you will have absolutely no cell service on the premises, so plan accordingly, if you're planning on separating from friends and family.

Overcrowding was insane. Went during a sold out day and assumed the cap in admission would help the crowd. The wait for anything other than water/soda was 15+ minutes to include bathrooms. We once waited 30+ min for the loaded potato vendor to tell us it's 35 more minutes. There wasn't a single table/chair that wasn't occupied and when one finally opened 3-4 people would jockey for position to grab it.We also tried to watch the armored combat but they showed up later than the expected time and did show and tell with the crowd instead of fighting, at least an hour after their start time before we finally left. Overall a stressful day standing and waiting for crappy food while standing or sitting in the dirt. Wild change from a few years ago. I don't plan on attending again any time soon.

I am giving three stars for nostalgia but the fair has gotten overcrowded and has really gone downhill