The history of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire begins thanks to three teenagers who once attended a Renaissance fair. They didn’t know what awaited them inside the fair gates, but when immersed in the atmosphere of this unique event, they were fascinated by it. Many years later, they organized their own Renaissance fair in their home town of North Haven, Connecticut. In 2017, the event moved to the town of Lebanon.
The Connecticut Renaissance Faire embodies the best traditions of numerous Renaissance fairs held across the United States. The fair features nine stages where actors give incredible performances that make you believe you really are in Elizabethan England instead of contemporary New England.
Jousting tournaments and the royal parade are among the fair’s main attractions. Other special events hosted at the fair include Meet the Author for fantasy book readers and the Queen’s Feast (for ages 18+ only).
As the event takes place in October, closer to the end of the fair it becomes imbued with the Halloween spirit. The fair hosts a special “Halloween Nights” event to celebrate the holiday. It transforms into a haunted village where attendees can witness and participate in a costume parade, zombi dance, costume contests, and other attractions. The event is presided by the Pumpkin King.
The fair’s programming also features themed weekends dedicated to a wide range of topics such as Pet & Marketplace Weekend, Pirate Invasion Weekend, Time Travelers Weekend, Fantasy & Romance Weekend, and All Hallows Weekend. These weekends have special shows, musical acts and merchants, featured foods, and more.
The Connecticut Renaissance Faire has a medieval marketplace where merchants from all over the state offer a wide array of souvenirs, handmade goods and foods.
Photo by David Hocking
