Love a RenFest? Then you’ve got to spend a day at Scarborough Renaissance Festival! The beloved RenFest is located in Waxahachie, TX less than hour south of Dallas and is open every weekend in April and May. Admission is a reasonable $32 for adults. You certainly don’t have to dress up in a Renaissance outfit but it’s absolutely encouraged. It’s an immersive theme park with 16th century architecture and tons of things to see and do.

Things to Do

There are tons of shows happening simultaneously on multiple stages throughout the park as well as performers wandering around the grounds. I highly recommend looking at the acts online first and noting a couple that you really want to catch. The parade at Taylor Lane is quite cute, the whip and fire performers are awesome, and there’s a really cool bird show but hands down my favorite event is the joust.

The Joust

The Joust takes place three times per day and is one continuous story, not the same show three times. Get to the arena at least thirty minutes before the show if you want a seat. It gets popular! Pro tip: there’s a bar next to the arena so consider a nice class of wine or mead to enjoy during the show, which involves four nights on horseback, equestrian games, and sword fighting.

Rides & Kid-friendly Activities

There are a few sweet old-timey wooden rides for kids and lots of family-friendly activities like a mermaid lagoon (great for photo ops!), carnival games, and sword fighting lessons. There are also numerous shows specifically for kids.

Shopping

If you’re thinking you’re going to get cheesy theme park souvenirs, think again. The shopping at Scarborough is absolutely incredible. Almost everything is handmade by artisans. The pottery and costumes are some of my favorite things here. You can even watch blacksmiths and ceramics artists and glassblowers making items right in front of you, which is something I really appreciate. I love watching the craftsmen work!

The Food

There are lots of food stalls and even a restaurant inside Scarborough Renaissance Festival. You have to hit the bakery and you can’t leave without king’s nuts. They’re simply a must. There are even daily wine tastings which I’m going to do one of these years! It should be noted that some food stalls are cash-only so plan accordingly.

There are some themed weekends such as Celtic Weekend and Legends of the Sea so before to check the full schedule of events before you go. I hope you love a day in the Renaissance as much as I do!

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Happy traveling back in time,

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