The Tennessee Renaissance Festival is held near Castle Gwynn, a stunning replica of Castell Coch in South Wales conceived by high school student Mike Freeman in 1970. Mike and his wife Jackie broke ground on the castle in 1980, with the assistance of John Covington who helped them purchase the land and Bob Bodkins who designed the building. In 1986, the Freemans started the Tennessee Renaissance Festival. Even though it took them over a decade to break even on the event, they never gave up, and the festival is still going strong. As of 2024, its main organizer was the Williamson County Parks and Recreation.
The Tennessee Renaissance Festival is set in the fictional 16th-century town of Covington Glenn. Like most Renaissance fairs, it features artisans, entertainment, games and rides, and delicious food. The exciting entertainment program of the festival, held across several stages and other locations, includes sword-fighting shows, musical acts, dancing, comedy and storytelling, artisan workshops and demonstrations, jousting, juggling and sword swallowing, equestrian shows, quests and treasure hunts, classic festival fun and games, and more. You can attend all of these amazing events at the price of your admission ticket.
In addition, there are several special events, for which you will have to pay extra to attend, such as Queen’s Tea (a lavish tea party with the Queen and her court at Her Majesty’s private pavilion), Fairy Training, and the Queen’s Promenade Dance Class. Note that you cannot attend any of the special events without purchasing a general admission ticket first.
The artisan market at the Tennessee Renaissance Festival is filled with vendors offering all kinds of hand-crafted items, including, but lot limited to, handcrafted bath and body products, tea and tea sets, garments and accessories, candles, drinkware (goblets, mugs, drink horns), pottery, home decor, jewelry, art prints, dolls and toys, music instruments and accessorizes, and even weapons (swords, shields, bows, etc.). At the market, visitors can also have their hair braided or face painted, or get a temporary henna tattoo.
If you get hungry or thirsty while roaming the festival grounds, there are plenty of delicious delicacies and refreshments to choose from: BBQ, loaded baked potatoes, roasted corn, fried pies, sandwiches, pizza, a variety of desserts, refreshing ice cream, smoothies, coffee, ice tea, and lemonade.
The Tennessee Renaissance Festival takes place over four weekends in May. To make things more interesting and encourage visitors to come back, each weekend has a special theme. For example, 2024 Theme Weekends were Viking Victory, Fantasy and Folklore, Pirate Plunder, and Celtic Celebration. Each theme weekend featured a costume showcase with prizes, and the Fantasy and Folklore Weekend also included the Fairy Habitat & Hobbit House Competition.
Photo: tnrenfest.com
