Scarborough Renaissance Festival

The Food Changed My Mind!Getting into the fair grounds was absolutely RIDICULOUS! Only two routes of entry and we had to wait in line full of cars about 1-2miles from the parking entrance. The wait was 1.5hrs or so either direction. We started saying we were not going to come back next year just because of the traffic. BUT the food and the people made that 1.5hr wait worth it. We tried as much as possible and it tasted great! Each stall had the perfect seasoning, the meats were tender and juicy, and options endless. A true foodies paradise. The fair goers were so relaxed and chill. People came out in their outfits and really showed out! I loved every bit of it! For future visitors please stay hydrate ESPECIALLY if you are dressing up in layered outfits/costumes; several people fainted/got light headed. I gave a 4-star review because the flow of traffic was not ideal and not controlled properly. Otherwise I would have given this experience a 5-star review.

Improved greatly since last time. No smoking signs up and the majority of people were considerate to us non-smokers but there are always those who are self centered Food was good, steak on a stake was wonderful

Scarborough is a lot of fun. My favorite show is "Birds of Prey". I never miss it, and would go to the event just for that. The show is amazing and their work with the birds is impressive. John does an unique show and incomparable to any other alike. The harpist Sarah Mullen, playing by the river is whimsical. For the most part the lines move fast enough. I love that for the last couple of years they started accepting credit cards. It makes everything a lot easier. We still take cash to tip but it's a lot more convenient then in the past. Lots of food vendors and shops. I enjoy the artists interactions with the public, while they are in character walking around the event. It is also a great opportunity to dress up and try something different.

I have mixed feelings on this place and event. All of the negative reviews are valid. It's hot, there's too many people, everyone clammers to stand/sit in the shade and there's nowhere comfortable for anyone else to stand/sit. You pay $32-$38 per adult person depending on if you bought your ticket ahead of time or not, kids are 12 and under and is $14-$18, and that's only the beginning of what you'll have to pay for. Maze (which should have been free in all honesty) cost $3 a person. Camel rides were $10. Beer cost $8, water was $4 and turkey legs were going for $17 without fries, $21 with fries. Some of the other games and small man powered rides cost between $3-$10. Yes, all of the rides are powered by an actual person, no electricity. The only thing "free" to do once inside is see the shows; some were fun to watch, but standing in a sweaty crowd without anywhere to sit, with the hot Texas sun beating down on you can really suck the enjoyment out of any show. Kids really weren't very interested in any of the shows and even whereas I was interested in a few of them, they were certainly not worth the price of entry. We came the weekend of the 17th, weekend before their last of the season; and their season is too long for this heat IMO. I saw several people have to be ushered to the medic tent. Leather and cloaks do not work well in the heat. I wish they would have this at night, or possibly earlier in the season. The fact that NONE of their buildings have AC, is crazy seeing as how it was well into 90s today. Felt bad for the employees. We got there right at/slightly before opening and we left around 2:30 so we didn't have too bad of a time getting in/out. However I have heard from some friends that attempted to enter and leave at prime time and it was an apparently an absolute nightmare. I would only ever attempt going again if it was a very COOL CLOUDY weekend and if I had serious money to blow. We let the kids ride a bunch of stuff and then paid $70 to buy them both swords since everything else had been so anticlimactic. I felt bad for them, there wasn't really a good place to let them run around since it was so crowded. For a little more (w/a coupon code) you could just go to Medieval Times in Dallas, get a dinner and a show with a nice view, and be in an air conditioned environment. For a medieval/olden days type of excursion that is far more entertaining and comfortable and cost inclusive.

I visited this faire last weekend to see Jacque Ze Whipper. It was magical. Even though it was rainy on Saturday, i enjoyed my experience because the staff were friendly, informative, and fairer. I got to go back on Sunday and walk around. The fire is rather spacious, but it doesn't feel overwhelmingly big (my normal faire ti venture to is the Texas Renaissance faire, and that one is MASSIVE). I definitely want to come back here on another weekend.

I do recommend this experience. However, it was better a few years ago. First off, parking is a bit of a pain. You may be walking quite a ways from car to entrance, so wear comfy shoes. I couldn't imagine walking so far completely decked out in costume!I loved the shops. Most of the shops had wonderful employees who really enjoy what they do. They will even sit and talk to you and enjoy it. However, I wish they had more variety. I thought they had in the past. You can see some amazing things, however. Some of the shops have truly creative products.The food here is mostly expensive. Fair warning. Also, the "food court" isn't in a great area. The lines definitely get long and interfere with visiting some of the shops around the food area. I'm happy there were beverage booths throughout the park, though.I unfortunately didn't get to see everything this time around. I was hoping to see the execution "museum"...is it even there still? It was so awesome to see some of the execution and torture methods of the medieval age. I'm not sure if it's still there. I also would love to see more tables and sitting areas. They are far and few between. Also, an adults only day would be great to see; I was scared I would run in to some of the kids running around with no parents. I'm hoping to go next year with a smaller crowd of people. Maybe it would be a better time, especially on a weekend not as busy.

If you are looking for a great variety of artisan shopping and food you will be disappointed. The faire has very limited food vendors and food was of poor quality. The shops were 85% clothing costumes so if you are into dressing up it's great but the shopping is just not there and for the cost of admission not worth wasting your time. We were looking for handcrafted artworks such as pottery, glass, wood and there just weren't many vendors selling and the ones that were there only sold certain items not a variety. For example the wood was only wooden cups and the pottery was only cups. We have attended festivals in Minnesota and Arizona and they were hugely better with Minnesota's being the best.

The faire itself was fine. Great venue, plenty of entertaining things to see and do. The problem is the parking. Drove an hour to get there, waited 90 minutes in line to park. Spent 4 hours at the faire, then sat for 2.5 hours in the parking lot WITHOUT MOVING before finally reaching the exit 3 hours later. Several called police who did nothing. We counted six cars towed away because they ran out of gas. It was 90 degrees so if you had a/c you used it. Everyone ran out of water and snacks, no portapotty in the lot and the faire closed at 7pm. Stranded. Many had babies and toddlers with them. My two granddaughters (4 and 3) were champs through the whole ordeal but it was a potential disaster. Evidently this has been the case this entire season. With no effort to address it or resolve. You have to ask yourself if it's worth this kind of treatment. Not in my opinion.I've been attending Renaissance Faires for over 40 years, and this is by far my worst experience. And that includes having to run for cover during a severe thunderstorm.My recommendation: get there early, before it opens. Pay the $20 for VIP parking. Leave before 3pm. Even the VIP vehicles waited over an hour to exit after 3pm.

I went here for the first time this year. No parking fee. Plenty of restrooms inside the fair. So many people in costumes here, wish I knew to get dress up. It took us about 3 hours to walk through it but you can definitely spend the whole day here if you're watching the shows. There was not a lot of food options, and of course they were more expensive.

I grew up coming to Scarborough and after Covid I didn't have a huge desire to come back for a few years. My boyfriend and I attended on the last weekend this year and had a wonderful time. I have seen reviews towards parking issues but we arrived 30 minutes after open, came through a back way that was suggested by Apple Maps, and left around 2pm! There were no issues getting there or leaving and we had a wonderful time! Food was amazing, the employees and vendors were wonderful, and I was extremely happy with the entire environment. One thing I will say is that we will be going in April instead of May next year because the heat was extreme. Bring sunscreen and some sort of coverings for children, and if you are someone who goes all out with your attire, please be weather aware and drink fluids! We saw people struggling in their very beautiful, but very heavy outfits.