How to Attend the Ohio Renaissance Festival
The Ohio Renaissance Festival consists of eight fun-filled weekends every fall in Harveysburg, Ohio, in a recreation of a 16th-century British hamlet. Complete with jousting, theater in the mud, and roving troupes of clever wenches, the Ohio Renaissance Festival is a fun experience for the entire family. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your visit to the Ohio Renaissance Festival.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- A full day to enjoy the festival
- A Renaissance-era costume (optional)
- Comfortable shoes
- A camera (optional)
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How to Attend the Ohio Renaissance Festival
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Plan to arrive early. Gates open at 10:30 each day, so the parking lot is pretty full by about noon. Don't bring pets, because they're not allowed inside the Festival village. If you know which weekend you'll be attending, check the Festival website to see if there are any special admission packages you can take advantage of. Reduced rates are available for large groups of 15 or more. Restrooms are available--they're typically in portable trailers, but reasonably clean.
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Dress in costume! While it's not required, it certainly does make the experience a lot more fun. Remember, the theme is Renaissance, so try to dress for the time period. Long skirts, peasant blouses and cloaks for ladies and girls are appropriate, while men can dress in tunics and leggings. If you bring a sword, it must be tied into a sheath at all times for safety. Again, you don't have to dress up, but it's definitely a lot of fun.
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Check out the entertainment while you're at the Ohio Renaissance Festival. All shows are included in your admission price, and more than 100 entertainers perform all weekend long. Be sure to catch the Theater in the Mud, which is very interactive (and inevitably messy), as well as the Pirate Show, which takes place on an actual 65-foot-long ship. Don't miss the jousting event--it's amazing, and your kids will love it--but arrive a good 20 minutes before the start time so you can get a decent seat. Here's another tip: Sit near the trees so you can be in the shade. There are also wandering minstrels, jugglers, storytellers and professional insulters roaming the Festival, so stop when you see them.
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Indulge yourself in the food. The Ohio Renaissance Festival's giant turkey legs are legendary, and well worth the price. There are a number of walk-up stands where you can purchase traditional English foods like meat pies, steak-on-a-stick and bread bowl soups. Some foods even satisfy the vegetarian palate, such as the giant portobello sandwich. If you'd like to bring your own food instead, pack a cooler and leave it in the car. You can't bring outside food or drinks into the village, but you can picnic in the parking lot and re-enter the festival after lunch.
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Be sure to do some shopping. The Festival has vendors selling crafts, handmade items and other souvenirs like swords, sparkly jewelry, handmade bodices, wood carvings, leather goods, and pottery, just to name a few. Typically, you can wait until near the end of the day to do your shopping; most of the vendors have multiple items on hand each weekend. Another benefit of waiting until late afternoon to shop is that the crowds have typically thinned out by this time.
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Have fun! There's something for everyone to do at the Ohio Renaissance Festival, no matter which weekend you choose to attend.
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Tips & Warnings
If you take your kids, take them through the giant hay maze. It's a lot of fun and will keep them busy for a while.
The village is not paved, so wheelchair access is limited to non-existent.
Strollers can negotiate the village with a little work, but it becomes more difficult on rainy or damp days when the paths turn to mud.
