The Arizona Renaissance Festival & Artisan Marketplace is 50 acres of adventure and entertainment for the entire family. To attend the festival is to experience the food, crafts, and performance arts of a bygone era in a unique medieval theme park environment.
The festival boasts 16 different stages and pavilions with continuous live performances ranging from juggling and circus acts to comedy and story-telling. There is a record-setting whip show, countless varied musical performances, and dancers of all disciplines. That's not to mention the main events of thrice daily jousting tournaments and multiple demonstrations in the ancient art of falconry.
There are "people-powered" rides such as DaVinci's flying machine and the giant Piccolo Pony, along with interactive games such as a maze, climbing wall, and axe toss.
The medieval style arts and crafts fair has more than 200 merchants selling (and often demonstrating) the artisan work of blacksmiths, glass blowers, woodcarvers, potters, and more.
Food and drink options abound ranging from pub fare (with the requisite turkey leg) to fresh-baked bread bowls and enticing sweets.
The 2024 Arizona Renaissance Festival will be held every Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine, from February 3 to March 31.
The Festival is held at 12601 East Highway 60, Gold Canyon AZ, 85118, east of Apache Junction (approximately two hours from Tucson).
Tickets at the gate are $34 plus tax and fees for adult, $22 plus tax and fees for children aged 5-12. Free admission for children 4 and under.
Discount tickets for seniors (60 and older) are $32 plus tax and fees. Available only at the Festival Box Office.
Advance tickets can be purchased at Bashas or Food City stores statewide. These tickets are discounted ($1 off).
The free parking, courtesy of Bashas' and Food City, is well-organized and plentiful.
Yes. The "privies" are plentiful and strategically located throughout the festival. They seemed to be well-maintained and stocked.
No. Pets are not permitted "because of the great variety of performing animals in the Festival."
Temperatures in this region in February and March range in the 50s-80s, often with blue skies and lots of sun. The Festival is entirely outdoors so good walking shoes and light layers are best. Sunglasses and hats (feathered, perhaps?) would also come in handy.
A camera for the countless fun photo opps. Consider sunscreen and a picnic blanket because shaded areas (especially for eating) are sparse.
Admission includes all of the performances (including the jousting tournament, falconry, & pageantry) and a few attractions (petting zoo), but you'll want to bring cash for rides (almost all of them can be enjoyed for an additional fee) and food. There are 8 ATMs on site.
You may bring one 16-24 ounce factory-sealed water bottle. No other food or drink is permitted.
The on-site dining options are numerous. There is mostly "fair-type" food sold from stands and shops on the perimeter with typical fair pricing. Alcohol is served on-site.
For a truly indulgent experience, you can partake in five courses of fine food and drink at the Pleasure Feast (seatings are at noon and 2:30pm) while watching "raucous renaissance entertainment." The $100 tickets are advance purchase and include admission plus all the Pleasure Feast extras. *Note that this event includes lewd/crude humor and is not suitable for children.
Not many...and the ones that are close by are not very good. If you really don't want to partake in the festival fare, you should probably pack food to eat right before or after your visit.
Yes! There are numerous activities just for kids such as a free petting farm, a storybook castle, a playground, and craft & story times. Kids tend to be enchanted by the authentic costumes, roving performers and period games, toys, and crafts. You'll see stilt-walkers, juggles, musicians, and even "living trees." Fun rides include the Dragon Tail Tower Slide, the Swan Swing, Throne Carrousel, and Steam Pirates Airships.
*Note- The Renaissance Festival lists its entertainment as "varied" and states that some of the shows include improvisations and risqué jokes. These performances are noted with "LC" (loose cannon) on the schedule of events and on the signage at the performance site.
Yes! A comfy stroller or a wagon with a shade would work well to navigate the dirt and gravel pathways winding through the acreage.
There are also strollers, wagons, scooters, and wheelchairs for rent on a first-come, first-served basis at the festival gate. We recommend bringing your own, as prices range from $15-$18 per day and some were sold out on the day we attended.
No - and we'd love to see a shaded or indoor private area added for this purpose. As it stands, the Festival is not particularly nursing-friendly since shade is hard to come by and there is not enough seating for the amount of people who attend. Your best bets for finding a bit of privacy are First Aid or the Village Green.
Yes- in the restrooms. There are also some grassy areas that would be just fine for changing diapers. Trash cans are plentiful.
The Festival is held in a natural, outdoor setting. Wheelchairs and motorized wheelchairs are allowed. The Festival website states that they "have disabled accessible parking, disabled accessible portable toilets, and special seating at our Jousting arena."
Yes. There are a variety of themed wedding packages at the festival to fit any budget. Call ahead to speak with the Festival wedding consultants.
Gold Canyon Golf Resort (located a few miles west of the festival) offers special room rates for Festival guests.
If you prefer to camp (in a tent or in an RV), Lost Dutchman State Park is about 20 minutes away.
Yes - you can follow Arizona Renaissance Festival on Twitter and on Facebook.
This is a popular event! Crowds can be thick and varied in sensibilities. Patience and a sense of adventure (and humor) will serve you well.
We also noticed that the festival got slightly busier and more raucous as the day went on. Many of the costumes worn are revealing (i.e. bare midriffs and generous cleavage). You may want to consider getting to the festival right when it opens at 10:00am before the height of the "revelry."
That just about covers it. Have a great time! HUZZAH!
