Tips for Attending The Ohio Renaissance Festival ~ Ticket Giveaway

The Ohio Renaissance Festival is an annual event in the fall each year in southern Ohio, 45 minutes from Cincinnati. Guests step back in time as they explore the 30-acre recreated 16th Century English Village.

There are plenty of things to do while you’re there with 49 shows, 132 daily performances, 17 stages, 166 shoppes and 9 themed weekends. The hardest part is narrowing down all of your options.

I’m sharing more about what to expect at the Ohio Renaissance Fair and tips before you go.

Plan Your Day Around The Entertainment

There are so many great shows at the Ohio Renaissance Festival with 49 shows daily on 17 stages. The biggest challenge is deciding which show to see next.

Many of the shows have multiple time slots throughout the day and some of the show times may overlap. 

You can check out the entertainment ahead of time on interactive map online. There are also paper maps at the entrance when you arrive.

The stages are pretty spread out so you’ll want to allow for some travel time in the crowds between the shows.

A few of the MUST SEE shows in my opinion are:

• The Fully Armored Joust – real knights doing 3 jousting tournaments a day
• The Kamikaze Fireflies – one of our favorite shows with comedy and creative stunts
• Cincinnati Barbarians – pictured MMA with real armor- it gets intense but it’s fun to watch
• Wheel of Death – death defying danger on the wheel

Younger kids will love cheering on their favorite knight during the joust and laughing at the Pirate Stunt show that takes place on a pirate ship stage.

The street magicians are also fun to see. The pickle vendor is hilarious if you happen to catch his one liners to the customers.

There are also several musical acts that perform throughout the day. The couple with a bagpipe and drums are definitely worth checking out near the pub.

Arrive Early for a Good Seat for the Popular Shows

The fully armored joust is definitely worth arriving early for a good seat for a better view. We arrived 30 minutes early for front row seats.

If you have smaller kids you may want to have one person hold seats while the other walks around before the joust starts.

The Mudde Show is also a show to arrive early for good seats. If you are too far back you will miss a lot of the context because your view is obstructed and it’s harder to hear.

Most of the performers work for tips so you might want to bring some extra cash to support some of your favorite performers throughout the day.

What Time Should You Get to the Ohio Renaissance Festival?

To make the most out of your experience I would try to get there early. Sundays tend to have lighter crowds than Saturdays.

The parking lot opens at 9:30 and the gate opens at 10:30. You can purchase your tickets online or at a ticket booth near the entrance.

It’s recommended to print or screenshot your tickets because cell phone reception can be weak at the festival.

Parking is free and there is a designated area for anyone with special needs.

Try the Ohio Renaissance Festival Food

One of the best parts of the Ohio Renaissance Festival is always trying the food. A few of the popular festival foods are the giant turkey leg, bread bowls and Dole whip. There are plenty of heart food options to fill you up.

 The Turkey leg can feed 2-3 people and the bread bowls can also easily be shareable. 

If you want a snack you can’t go wrong with a pretzel or a large pickle.

If you want to avoid long food lines eat around noon before the first joust ends at 1pm.

You can see the full list of festival food and drink options here.

What Should You Wear to the Ohio Renaissance Festival?

You should wear whatever you are comfortable in. A lot of the festival attendees do dress up.

In fact, the people watching is spectacular. There are some really creative costumes.

If you don’t want to dress up that is totally fine too. There are also plenty of vendors if you want to purchase a few pieces while you are there. The elf ears are a very popular accessory.

If you arrive early you may want to dress in layers because it can get warm on a beautiful fall day. It can also get dusty so plan your footwear accordingly.

There are both permanent and portable bathrooms located throughout the festival. I would highly suggest a permanent one if you have a more elaborate costume.

Are There Things For Kids at the Ohio Renaissance Festival?

You’ll find many children-centric vendors along Urchin Alley between the Revelers Stage and the Mudde Show.

There are also some really creative human-powered rides that kids will enjoy.

Take Home a Unique Souvenir

You can blow your own pumpkin or ornament with a glassblower or you’ll find plenty of unique swords and other one of a kind souvenirs from vendors located throughout the festival.

I’ve been given a Family Four Pack of Tickets to Giveaway!

Enter below for a chance to win 4 tickets to the Ohio Renaissance Festival to be used on Saturday, October 29 OR Sunday October 30th, 2022.

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Disclosure: I was given tickets for review and giveaway purposes. All opinions are my own.