Best time to go: 08/23 - 10/22
You can find tickets (generally $20-$30pp) at the RennFest website. Be sure to avail thyself of the costume rentals before all the good ones are taken.
The festival kicks off with a different storyline each year, for example:
The day begins well, although eyebrows are raised as it is noticed the Queen is not in attendance, but the King openly flaunts Mistress Anne Boleyn. The King is seeking an annulment from Queen Katherine and hopes to quickly marry Anne Boleyn. The case has been dragging on for years. Cardinal Wolsey assures King Henry that a Court will be assembled, and all will be settled very soon.
This is an opportunity, it seems, to walk through the pages of a Hilary Mantel creation (if that’s the closest we can get to the 16th century here in the 21st), brought to life by flamboyant characters in gorgeously imagined costumes.
Beneath the surface, there will also be the unofficial performers who are not paid out of the King’s purse, but nonetheless find their way to every Renn Fest.
I have also heard a rumor that the Wheel of Death has made it back again this year, along with the brilliant athleticism and melodrama of the Jousting Troup.
For those who wish to really get into the culture, there are ample camping options nearby. Don’t forget your leather.