Hear Ye, Hear Ye: The Ohio Renaissance Festival Brings Elizabethan England to Warren County Through October

Expect jousting knights, elaborate costumes, mugs of mead and giant turkey legs.

By Maija Zummo on Thu, Sep 1, 2022 at 2:52 pm

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Photo: Adam Doty

Ohio Renaissance Festival

Lords, ladies, knights and knaves, break out your corsets and breeches to welcome 16th-century England back to Warren County.

The 33rd Ohio Renaissance Festival returns to Renaissance Park in Harveysburg, Ohio starting Sept. 3 and running through Oct. 30.

The fest brings beloved favorites — including full-armored jousting displays and giant turkey legs — to the 35-acre recreated Elizabethan village. And this year offers 18 different performance areas and stages.

"With over 100 shows each day there’s never a dull moment," reads a release. "New this year are original risqué pub songs, Blades of Death, Norse/Viking music from Sirena, and heavy metal and heavier hits from a new joust troupe, Combatants Keep."

There will also be comedy acts and circus performers, costumed and wandering actors and stall after stall dedicated to various artisans and vendors. Shop for everything from jewelry and elf ears to wood crafts, fiber art and forged chainmaille.

Kids can enjoy "human-powered" rides and games, while adults indulge in various boozy beverages, including honey mead and a special Chain Mail Pale Ale from Rhinegeist.

In addition to fest favorites, like the aforementioned turkey leg and bread bowls, this year's food offerings include fry pies, pulled-beef sandwiches and brats.

According to the website, the Ohio Renaissance Festival sees more than 200,000 visitors each season. Part of the draw are themed weekends, which this year include:

Fantasy Weekend (Sept. 10-11)
Pirates Weekend (Sept. 17-18)
Highland Weekend (Sept. 24-25)
Time Travelers Weekend (Oct. 1-2)
Viking Weekend (Oct. 8-9)
Romance Weekend (Oct. 15-16)
Feast of Fools (Oct. 22-23)
Tricks or Treats (Oct. 29-30)

There are also special ticketed events, like a five-course royal fest; The Sirens' "naughty bawdy pub show;" the Whiskey Witches of Willy Nilly bourbon, Scotch or Irish whiskey tasting; and a pub crawl.

The Ohio Renaissance Festival runs Sept. 3-Oct. 30 at Renaissance Park, 10542 OH-73, Harveysburg, Ohio. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day Monday. Tickets are $28 for adults, $10 for children ages 5-12 and free for those under 5.

Get tickets and more info at renfestival.com.

Originally published by CityBeat, Scene's sister paper in Cincinnati.