Your Guide to the 2026 Colorado Renaissance Festival: Dates, Tickets, Tips and What to Expect

Hear ye! Hear ye! King Henry, Queen Anne and their royal court await you in a realm of imagination and fantasy. Willingly suspend disbelief, and don the mantle of the age. Great merriment awaits at the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

“I always say the quintessential festival experience is get a beer, get a turkey leg and go watch the joust,” says Kristy Ekiss, artistic director of the Colorado Renaissance Festival, member of the Royal Court for more than a decade and Queen Anne for the past five years.

The Lists, or Joust Arena, is conveniently located in one of the four large feasting grounds scattered around the realm, so seizing upon a roasted turkey leg, Steak-on-a-Stake or spinach pie is easy. Traditional fair foods such as corn dogs, pretzels and pizza also abound. Sweets and treats are found at Friar Tuck’s Bakery, Royal Delights and some food stalls.

Quench your thirst with a variety of libations, non-alcoholic and alcoholic, dispensed throughout the festival. Find traditional Renaissance-era drinks such as ale, beer, wine and mead alongside margaritas, piña coladas and Pepsi products.

Each victuallers’ establishment offers its own specialties. Meander to take stock of the bounty of the realm or risk disappointment. A promenade through the thoroughfares is a must, even if not hunting a meal. Prepare to be immersed in a 16th-century amusement park filled with games, merriment and adventure. Escape the maze, hit a target with an axe or a bow and visit the Dungeon Museum. Stay alert for the occasional creature of myth and enchantment.

The jousting and combat by the Knights of Noble Cause occurs thrice daily. Watch bold and valorous knights compete in the sporting event of the age, accompanied by pageantry and chivalry, from the lawn overlooking the tournament ring.

The Children’s Realm has rides and a menagerie of gentle beasts for young pages and maidens to pet and feed. Nearby stands a live unicorn, delighting believers of all ages. “Every day in the afternoon at 4 o’clock on the joust field, we have a Princess Tea Party,” says Ekiss. “We do story time. That’s my personal favorite. It’s very small, very intimate.” Children can participate in a knighting ceremony in Canterbury Chapel at 3:30 every afternoon.

Artisans and craftspeople hawk their wares amongst the stalls of the market squares offering goods from the beautiful to the arcane. See the blacksmith, glassblower and potter ply their trades and wander the shoppes of jewelers, stained-glass makers, artists, leather workers and puppeteers. Some of the more unusual shops to choose from are Jesters Courtyard’s juggling props, Whirlwood Magic Wands and Imaginarium, which is filled with fanciful creatures.

In addition to wares, massages, hair-braiding and weaves, face painting and henna body art are available. Many shoppes offer activities or games, such as a marble maze leading to a prize if the marble drops into the right spot.

Definitely make time for some of the entertainers and shows held at the outdoor stages. Music lovers should not miss the CRAIC show, which Ekiss describes as a rock ‘n’ roll good time. Another musical act, The Spice Boys, unites the golden age of piracy and the golden age of boy bands with song parodies and synchronized dance moves.

One of the most popular acts is Jacques Ze Whipper, whose tricks and expertise with a whip will be on display June 13–July 12 only. “A lot of people come out just to see him,” says Ekiss. Other noteworthy daredevil acts, Blades and Bravery and Dragonfire, will perform every weekend.

The Tortuga Twins is a “classic Renaissance festival comedy act,” says Ekiss, combining vaudevillian-style entertainment with medieval-inspired interactive improv. This year marks their return to the festival after an absence of many years. The often bawdy but still charming Washing Well Wenches whip their wet laundry around while engaging with the audience. Arsene of Paris adds humor to his feats of conjury. Damh and Dove perform on bagpipe and drum. The Angels show off sword fighting and song.

At its heart, the Renaissance Festival is a nostalgic celebration and first-hand experience of the world described in fairy tales. Several long-time Ren Fest visitors agree that it’s fun just to go and see the world created there. But the best way to experience the fair, they say, is to open your heart to the age and let the faire take hold; play dress-up and engage in merry improvised sport with the vendors and participants who are in character.

“Come ready to play,” agrees Ekiss. “We’ve got over 80 cast members that are going to be wandering around, interacting, having big moments, small moments.”