The Renaissance Festival has been taking folks back in time for 36 years. This “medieval outdoor amusement park” is an adventurous trip to a medieval marketplace. The 50-acre site features 16 stages of entertainment. The festival takes place in Gold Canyon every year, from the first weekend in February through the last weekend in March or the first weekend in April, depending upon the year.
The Festival is open on Saturdays and Sundays from February 3 through March 31, 2024, Including Presidents’ Day on Monday February 19. The festival opens with Opening Canon at 10 am. Closing Canon takes place at 6 pm.
This season brings new performers and groups for your enjoyment. Supernova the Strongwoman, The Reelin’ Rogues, Jeremy Graeff, Minstrel, The Toasted Clover, Harröm the Sage, and Pirouette the Magical Dancer promise to add to the joys and wonders already present in the great entertainers the patrons know and love.
Themed weekends
RenFaire weekends have themes that appeal to patrons with different interests. Themed weekends kick-off right away. Here’s a list of the themes for this year’s festival:
Opening weekend – Two for One adult tickets
February 10 and 11 -- Renaissance and Romance Weekend. Kids aged five to twelve can get in free by taking a Valentine to the Box Office for the Queen on February 10 or 11. Saturday is Deaf Awareness Day. Sign Language Interpreters will be available at select stage shows. Visit the Deaf Awareness Day tent outside the front gate on February 10 for a schedule featuring the available interpreted shows. Chivalry and Romance at 1:30pm at the Royal Pavilion. Queen Katherine and Prince Simon invite you to partake, listen, and learn about the customs of the 16th Century. They will share 16th Century thoughts about Romance, Chivalry, and how you went about wooing a partner during the Renaissance period.
February 17, 18 and 19 -- Royalty Weekend. All three days, you can get two for One adult tickets. On Sunday, celebrate Royal Pride Day. Monday brings Queen Katherine’s Birthday Surprise. Kids ages five to twelve can get in free when they bring a Birthday Card for the Queen to the Festival Box Office. Contests at 1:30pm at the Royal Pavilion. Saturday is the Child’s Princess Contest Presented by Enchanted Dream Parties. On Sunday, join in the Adult Pride Contest.
February 24 and 25 -- Time Traveler’s Weekend. AZ Tardis lands both days. Contests at 1:30pm at the Royal Pavilion. Saturday you can join the Doctor for the Time Travelers Contest. Sunday has the new Multiverse Contest.
March 2 and 3 -- Pirates and Brew Fest Weekend. BrewFest is open to everyone at the Festival. Patrons who wish to sample the wonderful variety of brews, the cost of a tasting ticket is $30.00 for seven pours of beer or mead.
March 9 and 10 -- Artisan Appreciation and Wizards and Wonder Weekend. Artisan Appreciation is on both days. Contests at 1:30pm at the Royal Pavilion: Saturday is the Childs Mythical Creature Contest – Sunday brings the new adult Sorcerer’s Contest.
March 16 and 17 -- Celtic Weekend. Contests at 1:30 pm at the Royal Pavilion. On Saturday, check out the Celtic Legends and Lore Contest. On Sunday, it’s the Wearin’ ‘O the Green Contest.
March 23 and 24 -- Viking Invasion Weekend
March 30 and 31 -- Hop on Out to Final Weekend! Kids ages five to twelve get in free with three non-perishable food items donated to the Superstition Community Food Bank booth at the faire.
In 2023 I shared a list of pointers for experiencing the Arizona Renaissance Festival. Here’s a quick rundown for this year’s show:
Take more CASH than you think you’ll need. ALL food and drink at the Fest are cash only. There are ATMs, but the lines can be very, very long. Try not to have to wait in those lines.
If there’s a food you like, particularly a special one like the exclusive chocolate that is only available at the Arizona Festival, don’t wait for the end in hope of catching an end-of-day special. Get something when you first walk by, then go back at the end of the day.
Even if you aren’t waiting for an end-of-the-weekend special, stop back by the vendor you love the most, especially if it’s chocolate or other food. Take something home for the ride home! The only exception is the pub. Sorry.
If you’re enjoying the mead or the beer, drink wisely. Don’t over-imbibe, or stop well in advance of the time you plan to leave.
“Pack your patience” as the saying goes. Especially if you’re a little hungry and you’re at a food line. Those lines can be quite long. I promise you; the wait is usually worth it.
If you like dressing up and roleplaying, you can put together some kind of garb to wear. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly period-appropriate costume. You can cobble together from thrift-store finds. A pair of tights, a long shirt, a vest, and a pair of boots paired with a hood, a coif, or even a beret jauntily tilted on the head can make for a great costume. If you prefer a more accurate historical costume but don’t have your own, you can rent garb at the festival.
Look for the true artisan shops first. There are always quite a few vendors that sell things that are made in bulk, and they are fine, but this is a chance to support both local and traveling artists. Take it!
Take your time to enjoy yourself. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get to see everything. You can go back next year. Or, if you’re feeling financially flush, you can go back another weekend.
Stay all day if you can! The Arizona Renaissance Festival opens with canon at 10 am with closing canon at 6 pm. If you get there before the first canon, there’s a funny, punny, heckling-filled show from atop the gates. Hilarity ensues. Around 5 pm, all the drummers gather together in one location where there is fun, dancing, and merry-making to be had by all!
WHAT: The Arizona Renaissance Festival
WHERE: Gold Canyon, at 12601 E. US Highway 60, Gold Canyon, AZ 85118; free parking courtesy of Bashas’ and Food City stores.
TICKETS: Purchase discount tickets in advance at Bashas’ & Food City Stores statewide. $33 for adults plus tax; $21 for children 5-12 plus tax (children 4 and under are always free); tickets purchased at the Festival Gate are $1.00 more plus tax. Tickets can be purchased at the Festival Main Gate Box Office on the day of the event for $34 for adults (13 and up) and $22 for children ages (5-12).
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Most Popular
Comments / 0