Most Renaissance festivals are set in Elizabethan England, but the St. Louis Renaissance Fair is an exception. It is set in the 16th century French village of Petit Lyon during a visit from King Francis I. The festival takes place at Rotary Park and attracts about 25,000 attendees every season. It is open on weekends, rain or shine.
The St. Louis Renaissance Festival offers an exciting program filled with the spirit of Renaissance. It includes jousting tournaments, a marketplace with unique crafts and artisan demonstrations, nine stages of non-stop entertainment (music, dancing, comedy, magic, and more), games and activities for children, thematic pubs, and a plethora of costumed characters (villagers, peasants, nobles) who keep attendees entertained.
Every day of festival is filled with entertainment and special events. The entertainment program includes musical groups playing folk, folk rock and traditional music, vocal ensembles, and stage acts (dancers, acrobats, fire breathers, comedians, storytellers, magicians). Besides, there are costumed characters who create an authentic atmosphere and interact with the guests. The characters are divided into guilds, such as the Court, Gypsies, Guard, Village, Germans, Mariners, and Fae.
The festival marketplace features over a hundred local artisan shops that offer an impressive selection of wares, including accessories, handmade cosmetics, jewelry, glass and leather goods, masks, musical instruments, pottery and sculpture, weapons, toys, and other goods. Besides, the marketplace features food and drink vendors, as well as various games and rides for all ages such as archery, axe throw, bucketeer, pony rides, Jacob’s ladder, and more.
Like most other Renaissance fairs, the St. Louis Renaissance Festival hosts theme weekends to make things more exciting and to encourage visitors to come back. For example, the 2017 theme weekends included Highland Fling, High Seas Adventure, Pet Fest, Oktoberfest, and Sweet Endings. Each theme weekend includes special events and activities relevant to its theme, for example, Highland Games Championship for the Highland Fling weekend or Talk Like a Pirate Competition for the High Seas Adventure weekend.
Photo: John Wright
