Colorado Renaissance Festival

The Colorado Renaissance Festival is one of the longest-running and largest Renaissance fairs in the United States. It is held in Larkspur, Colorado and runs over eight weekends (Saturdays and Sundays only) in June and July, attracting over 200,000 attendees per season.

The Colorado Renaissance Festival was founded in 1975 and has been held each year ever since. The festival is set in a fictional 16th-century Tudor village and incorporates fantasy elements. The event features a diverse and eclectic cast of authentically costumed characters who reenact the life in a village in Tudor England and perform on seven stages. The Colorado Renaissance Festival offers eight summer weekends of fun and merrymaking for children and adults alike.

One of the festival’s main highlights is the artisan marketplace that features over 200 shops offering unique and handmade products including jewelry, pottery, authentic clothing and accessories, footwear, weapons, toys, and more. Some artisans hold live demonstrations, creating beautiful items made of metal, clay, glass, leather and wood right in front of the attendees.

As far as entertainment is concerned, the Colorado Renaissance Festival presents an exciting line-up of performers who bring joy and merriment, creating a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The festival program includes music, singing and dancing, jousting, comedy, theater, juggling, circus, fire eating, improvisation, and other breathtaking acts.

Like many other Renaissance fairs, the festival hosts themed weekends. There are eight weekends of fun to choose from, each with its unique events and atmosphere. For example, the 2017 festival season featured the following themed weekends: A Magical Adventure (opening weekend), Royal Ale & Art Festival, Celtic Festival, Children’s Weekend, Wine Revelry, Love and Romance, Pirate Invasion, and Fare Thee Well & Mardi Gras Style Carnival (closing weekend).

And of course there’s food. The kitchens at the festival offer a variety of authentic dishes such as turkey legs, steak on a stake and Scotch egg. There are several food venues to choose from at the Colorado Renaissance Festival: Canterbury Kitchen, International Food Court (for those who can’t live without pizza, lasagna or burritos), Knight’s Kitchen, Queen’s Pantry, King’s Pantry, and Friar Tuck’s Bakery.