There & Back Again: Returning to the Ohio Renaissance Festival

Blog by Stacha Yundt. Photos courtesy of the Ohio Renaissance Festival.

All things fantasy, comic, and sci-fi have been enjoying something of a renaissance in the last several years, so it’s no surprise that renaissance festivals themselves just keep growing in size and in popularity. Every season videos of ren fest fits, both thrifted and custom-made, go viral as attendees stretch their imagination, their whimsy, and their creativity to achieve original and inspired looks. The festivals themselves draw thousands of visitors every year, and our own Ohio Renaissance Festival is no exception. In fact, it was recently named the No. 2 Renaissance Festival in the United States in USAToday’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

The Village of Willy Nilly-on-the-Wash

The Ohio Renaissance Festival is held on the grounds of Renaissance Park, a 250+ acre property in the Waynesville-Harveysburg area. Here festival operators have built the 16th century-inspired village of Willy Nilly-on-the-Wash. Many of the shops and restaurants that you’ll visit as you explore the festival are housed in permanent structures, giving you a fully immersive experience.

Other vendors have tents, wagons and caravans, and booths set up across the grounds. While the walkways aren’t paved (where do you think you are? 18th century England?), the dirt and gravel roads have been well-constructed to make for easy movement. And although it’s not historically accurate, strictly speaking, you’ll find no shortage of ye olde portajohns and even a number of privies with working plumbing.

Have Coin, Will Spend

When it comes to shopping, there’s really nothing quite like the Ohio Renaissance Festival where, with enough money burning a hole in your pockets, you can find everything from dazzlingly intricate petticoats to genuine swords, daggers, and throwing stars. Attendees can watch talented glassblowers and blacksmiths at work and then bring home a keepsake of the experience. From 3D printed dice towers to hand whittled bird whistles to intricate paintings and carvings, there’s no shortage to the beautiful works of art to discover.

The hallmark of any great festival, however, is its food and it’s just not a renaissance festival without a great, hulking turkey leg. This classic ren fest fare can be found at a few different restaurant locations across the park and remains an attendee-favorite year after year. Other top culinary contenders include the pineapple Dole Whip (served in a hollowed out pineapple, naturally), perfectly seasoned dill pickles from the festival’s popular Pickle Pirate, and genuine dragon-fired crème brûlée. To pair with your meal, there’s no shortage of beer and meade, as well as nonalcoholic options like lemonade, soda, and water.

Are You Not Entertained?

Alright, that might be from the wrong era but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the live entertainment. From the lively performances of song and dance at the 3 Fools Pub to the gravity defying stunts at the Wheel of Death, these aren’t your typical festival acts.

Scattered throughout the festival grounds are 17 stages where performers put on shows throughout the day. If you’ve ever wanted to see epics like Beowulf and Dante’s Inferno performed while the actors fling mud from a pit, long-time festival favorite the Mudde Show will be a must-stop. Be sure to make the time to see the Kamikaze Fireflies, a two-person act that appeared on America’s Got Talent and currently holds two records in the Guiness Book of World Records. Can you guess how many flaming Hula Hoops they can work at once? (Hint: it’s about 19 more than I can).

If you don’t run into the Queen and her royal entourage touring the festival grounds, you can find her overseeing the joust while you cheer on your knight. Other shows include Christophe the Insultor, the Cincinnati Barbarians, Washing Well Wenches, the popular Swordsmen, and much, much more. For the full show schedule, visit the festival’s website. Every show is absolutely free to attend, but be sure to bring some cash along for your visit so that you can tip the performers afterwards.

Know Before You Go

Tickets must be purchased online in advance, so be sure to secure yours before setting out. Download the Ohio Ren Fest app for schedules, maps, and updates, and allow extra time for traffic if you’re visiting on especially busy weekends. And when planning your outfit, keep Ohio’s unpredictable fall weather in mind — layers will keep you comfortable whether the day feels more like summer or late autumn.

The Ohio Renaissance Festival is truly a can’t-miss event not just because of the fun things to do and unique souvenirs to buy, but because absolutely everyone is welcomed there, whether you’re an enthusiastic cosplayer, a family looking for a fun way to spend a weekend, or a first-time guest curious to see what it’s all about. No matter where you fall on the scale, as soon as you arrive at the festival you’re going to feel right at home.

The Ohio Renaissance Festival returns for the 2025 season on August 30th and will be open for Labor Day and weekends through October 26th.