Best Things to Do at the Arizona Renaissance Festival

Each late winter and early spring, a 16th-century European village appears in the Arizona desert, near the Superstition Mountains in Gold Canyon, east of Phoenix. The Arizona Renaissance Festival celebrates all things medieval, with jousting knights, royal courts and wandering minstrels. When you look at the festival schedule, you might find yourself overwhelmed by all the different things to see and do in one day! If you plan to attend, here are the ten best.

This shortlist is best for first-timers who want an introduction to the Ren Faire, and for anyone who loves a day built around craft, costume and history. I’ve organized the list chronologically so you can use it as a schedule for the day, but if you want to make your own, feel free to use it as a thought starter. The festival runs on weekends, and the 2027 season is listed as February 6 to April 4. Read our Complete Ren Faire Guide for more tips on visiting the Ren Faire for the first time!

Breakfast and Bagpipes

Try to arrive about 30 minutes before the gates open so you’re inside the moment the festival begins. That leaves enough time to head straight to the Cappuccino Inn, where you can pick up a delicious iced coffee and a sweet to enjoy while watching the Breakfast and Bagpipes show. Staged in Falconer’s Heath when we visited, it is one of the best ways to start your day. The band Tartanic kicks off the party by burning up their bagpipes and drums, sending a barrage of sound rolling across the festival grounds. Dancers accompany the band, and plenty of “bagpipe groupies” dance alongside.

Laugh and Lunge with Swordplay and Comedy

Next, walk towards the Theatre de la Rose stage, where we found the Renaissance Men. This duo, Rowland and Florian, puts on a thrilling and hilarious sword-fighting demonstration for an enraptured audience. I laughed so hard my face hurt by the end of the show, and I enjoyed the comedy as much as I was impressed by the wizardry with a sword. The performance felt very Shakespearean and was a great way to slip into the medieval spirit.

Admire the Artisans at the Glass Hut

Right next door to the theatre, you’ll find the glassblowers’ hut, where artisans put on glassblowing demonstrations. Old Castle Glass is one of several glass studios that set up shop in the festival’s artisan marketplace. The demonstrations are entertaining and informative, and it was amazing to see an art form that still feels like a Renaissance craft.

Watching these artisans at work, we got a glimpse into the hard labour and artistic talent it takes to create pieces of glass. When we visited, the prices felt reasonable for this kind of glasswork, so buying a piece makes a wonderful souvenir.

Gnaw on a Turkey Leg

If you’re feeling peckish, head over to the King’s Kitchen to grab a bite for lunch. There are plenty of food and drink options at the festival, but if you want to try one of its most iconic meals, order a traditional turkey leg. These things are MASSIVE, so plan to split one if you aren’t a huge meat eater. Pair it with corn on the cob and a glass of mead, a type of honey wine, to complete a meal plucked from medieval times.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Darby Paul (@darbs3)

Shopping till you Drop!

To work off all that food, spend some time meandering around the artisan marketplace, a treasure trove of handmade crafts and unique gifts. Browse booths selling everything from leatherwork to hand-crafted jewellery. Many booths cater to Ren Faire clothing and costuming, but there are also shops that feel on theme while staying accessible to the everyday person. At the Apothecary shop, for example, we found soaps and teas that anyone could enjoy in daily life.

Be Amazed by the Death-defying Sword Swallower

Lynx’s Comedy Sword Swallowing Show was a performance we were keen to see, since several people had recommended it to us. Lynx is a veteran of Renaissance festivals across the country, blending sword swallowing, magic and comedy into one show. It was hilarious, and I’m still confounded by how he pulled off so many of those stunts.

Try out Archery

Archery is one of those medieval skills that pops up in every movie set in that era. Most of us have seen plenty of bows and arrows but never had the chance to try one, and the Ren Faire is the perfect place to do so. When we visited, twelve arrows cost only $6, a fair price for the activity. We had a BLAST, and I was surprised how quickly you could pick it up. Alas, neither of us hit a bullseye, but that gives us something to look forward to next year.

Relax to some Renaissance Music

The festival is full of live music, from Celtic tunes to songs that nod to the medieval and Renaissance eras. While there are plenty of planned performances on the schedule, one of my favourite things to do was simply to happen across the wandering minstrels as I explored the grounds. When we visited, Dora Viellette was the one I loved most.

Dora Viellette plays the hurdy-gurdy. Never heard of a hurdy-gurdy? Well, me neither. It is a string instrument that makes its sound with a hand crank that turns a wheel, which rubs against the strings. In the Renaissance, it was as popular as the bagpipe. The sound is ethereal and enchanting, and the music she plays combines classics of the medieval and Renaissance eras. She casts a spell on all who pass her by.

Another favourite was harpist Sarah Marie Mullen, who played captivating Celtic tunes on her gorgeous harp right outside the jousting arena when we visited.

Learn all About life in the Medieval Times

A section of the fairgrounds is dedicated to education, which I know sounds boring, but it was one of the most interesting parts of the festival. Towards the far end of the grounds, you’ll find the Yokel Village and Croft Thistlewood Cottage. Here, members of CROFT, the Celtic Re-Enactment Organisation for Fellowship and Trades, aim to promote fellowship while researching the lifestyles and trades of the Celtic peoples from 400 BC until 1746 AD. They work on handicrafts, recipes and other techniques that people would have needed to survive everyday life. If you have kids, adding a little education to your day out is a nice touch.

Nearby, when we visited, was Lady Tess, Countess of Trueheart and, most importantly, Fashion Advisor to Nobility. Lady Tess gives presentations to the public on medieval bathing, hairdressing and the application of make-up, and she demonstrates various garments and accessories worn by noble men and women. She is a performance unto herself and well worth checking out!

Cheer on Your Knight at the Jousting Tournament

To end your day at the festival, make your way to the tournament arena for the final joust of the day, the Joust to the Death (scheduled for 5 p.m. in 2026). I like leaving the joust to the end of the day, when the heat dies down slightly, and it really feels like a finale you don’t want to miss. Choose your seat in the 5,000-seat arena of champions; the section you sit in determines which knight you’ll be cheering on.

Two knights on horseback, in their finest armour, gallop onto the field with ten-foot lances to win the Queen’s honour. In the joust to the death, the knights also dismount and fight with swords to the literal death (okay, not literally, but they pretend to) to the shock and awe of the crowd. When we visited, you could buy a flag bearing your knight’s banner to help cheer on your side of the arena. After the battle, you can come down and say hello to the knights. Although it’s a show, the skills it demands are genuine, and it is a real sight to behold.

From the first skirl of bagpipes to the last clash of swords, the Arizona Renaissance Festival turns a stretch of desert near the Superstition Mountains into a 16th-century village for a day. With so many things to see and do, plan your visit carefully to make the most of it, and don’t miss these ten attractions. Bring your appetite, your curiosity and a little room for a handmade souvenir, and have a blast at the festival!

Happy Travels, Adventurers