My First Ren Faire - What To Know Before Going To The New York Renaissance Faire
After spending the past calendar year discovering my love for fantasy through reading ACOTAR and watching House Of The Dragon, I decided it was time to go to the Renaissance Faire for the first time.
I have wanted to attend this event for three years, but it was never a good time. With my newfound interest in the genre, it was the perfect time.
After spending the whole day open to close at the Ren Faire, here is my experience going to the New York Renaissance Faire for the first time.
Parking can be free
Entrance
There are a few parking lots. One lot is conveniently located across from the fair's entrance. This is perfect if you are not able-bodied or have kids, but parking here costs $20 per vehicle.
We parked in the free lot, and this lot is about twice the size of the paid lot I mentioned. The only thing that sucked about this was the walk.
The walk could be 15 to 20 minutes, depending on where your vehicle is, and it is uphill. If you foresee a problem with this, I advise paying for parking. The walk was rough, but the weather wasn't hot, so it was doable. There is a shuttle, but we were unsure how that operated, so we just walked.
Pro Tip: if you plan to park here, MAKE SURE to get everything you need before you leave your car because that walk can be brutal if it’s hot or raining.
Portable toilets vs flush toilets
Not me immediately thinking of King's Landing
So, the bathroom situation was interesting. There are portable toilets in the free parking lot, but there are flush toilets in the paid lot across from the entrance. At the fair itself, there were flush toilets among the portable toilets. Which was great because I thought they would be tied to the medieval theming and have portable toilets everywhere
Cash Is King
Lunch rush at Boars Den
90% of the venues take cash. I bought three food items and a bottle of water (more on that later), and only one of the places had a square for card transactions.
Not much shade & a lot of dust
This is how dusty it was during the joust at the end of the day
The complex has little shade, and I wish I bought a hat and sunglasses. There is some wooded area near the Sherwood Forest Stage, and it’s heavily shaded and cooler over there, but everywhere else was subjected to the brutality of the sun, especially at the Joust at sundown.
Besides being sunny, you should bring sunglasses for the dirt and dust and consider wearing a mask because that dirt got in my eyes, nose, and mouth, which was kind of disgusting. I could imagine it being concerning if you have respiratory issues.
Many little children would play in the dirt, causing the dust to be airborne.
Get to the shows early
Audience for The Flaming Ginger
Get to all the shows early, even if the previous show hasn’t ended yet. Wait on the sides if you are allowed to. Doing this ensures you have first dibs on the seat of your choice. This is how I was able to be front and center for the hilarious and fun Mythic Madness Swords and Sorcery stage show.
You should arrive 45 minutes to an hour early for the Joust. We arrived around 40 minutes early, and all the seats in the stands were already taken.
entertainment
The powerful sorceress Minerva from Mythic Madness
The entertainment was fun, humorous, and engaging. I only attended two stage shows and the Joust as there was so much to see elsewhere in the festival. I loved how audience participation (the first time I liked participating, go, ask my former professors) made these shows even more entertaining, especially during the Joust. That show had such an unpredictable ending that I felt like I was in the first episode of House Of The Dragon.
My vlog, which is linked at the beginning of this post, includes clips from all three events!
Here are the official descriptions of the Entertainment Of The Shire.
The Flaming Ginger
Eating fire is crazy
“Jon Norton, The Flaming Ginger, performs a fast and fun family-friendly fire danger comedy show. From juggling fire to seven-foot unicycles and nonstop jokes along the way, you’ll laugh, cheer, and come back for more!” - renfair.com
Mythic Madness
Loved the choreography and blocking of the fights during this show
“Minerva, the powerful sorceress, is here to demonstrate her mastery of the arts martial and magical. She is accompanied by an unwilling assistant: Mythos, her human-bound fae familiar. Together, they present a hilarious swords and sorcery show- which definitely doesn’t fund a plot to take over the world- that is fun for humans of all ages and magical creatures of every persuasion. Watch this disastrous duo unleash their weapons of wood, steel, and magic upon each other in a fight for power and vengeance.” -renfair.com
The Jousters
We were team green and team black, and as I am writing this, I just realized the similarities to House Of The Dragon Season 2
(We are team black in this house all hail Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen)
“The Jousters have an entertainingly fresh take on a very old sport. These knights are excited to bring their fully-armored, hard-hitting, and wholly unique style of jousting to the Faire. Combined with bold attitudes and fierce competition, this is a true sport. Every lance break and shield shatter achieved is done in an authentic quest for victory!” - renfair.com
food review & eat off hours to ensure seating
I was shocked by the numerous food offerings at the festival, but the food quality shocked me the most.
As you may already know, I am a comic-con connoisseur, so I am used to attending events and having horrendous, overpriced food. But this food, all that overpriced, was good. The main food hall-type area has food displays to show what I would look like and how big the portion sizes would be before you order it.
They also have the menu online if you like to look at menus and pick out your meal before arriving at the restaurant (aka like me). They also have food for a variety of dietary restrictions.
Pro Tip: Eat off hours. We ate around noon, and it wasn’t that busy, but as soon as we got our food, the line got super long. I suggest eating as soon as they open or waiting until 1:30ish.
Bring a water bottle - maybe?
DIY fire demonstration in Viking Village
I filled my reusable water bottle before I arrived because you can bring one in, and I didn’t want to pay $5 for water. Once you enter the fair, there is a drinking fountain to your right near the entrance to Viking Village, and I took note of that for when we would need to fill up our bottles later in the day.
After a couple of hours, I refilled my water bottle, and the water tasted like the cleaning fluid I smelled near the bathrooms in the parking lot across the street. This was quite concerning, so I paid $5 for bottled water to stay safe. I would still bring a reusable water bottle just in case the water doesn’t taste toxic when you go, and you can spend nasty amounts of money on water and pour it into the reusable bottle to keep it chilled.
Quick Tips:
I literally laughed way too hard when he pulled out the OOOO and AAAA signs
Walking shoes
You can easily walk a couple of miles here.
Get a physical Map or download it on your phone
You have to pay for everything
Entertainment is included, but other experiences like archery and games are an upcharge.
Go when the weather is cooler
It was 74 degrees when we went, making the day comfortable and enjoyable, but I found it too warm to dress up. I had a cloak but didn’t even wear it because I would have been sweat-drenched. Also, I don't know what they are doing about the bug situation because there were zero bugs, and that made me super happy.
You don’t have to buy your ticket in advance
I purchased mine the day before to ensure good weather because they do not give refunds.
Final Thoughts
I had a lot of fun at the New York Renaissance Faire and wish to return one more time before it ends for the year. There was so much to see and do; even though I spent the whole day there, I didn’t see everything. The vibes were great, and the people were friendly. I may have to add this to my yearly event schedule.
Hi! I’m Andrea, the creator of Cinematic Excursions.
I am a socially anxious girl who loves to travel, write about travel, attend various comic cons and events, write movie analyses, and yap about all things fandom.
I am a video editor, photographer, and travel content creator from New York City, and I have a useless film degree.