Chivalry is alive and well in Gold Canyon, Arizona where you’ll find the 35th Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival & Artisan Marketplace in full Renaissance revelry! From February 4 through April 2, 2023, patrons can step back in time and take part in some medieval mayhem including jousts, rides, food, and period crafts from gifted artisans. Just over three and a half hours from Kingman and Zuni Village RV Campground, this annual festival takes over 50 acres of the Arizona desert with an entire village that houses sixteen stages of entertainment, hosts an arts and crafts fair, and all the merriment and feasting one would expect from lords and ladies. Visitors can experience themed festivities that take place every weekend from 10AM-6PM. If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary to make your Arizona trip memorable, visit the Arizona Renaissance Festival and have “ye a goode ole tyme!”
Shoppe Till Ye Drop
What more could you ask for than a delightful assortment of fun and frolic mixed with hand-crafted treasures and treats? Visitors to the festival village marketplace can sample and “shoppe” the incredible period-styes wares of over two hundred different vendors. You can find everything from hand-stamped leather goods to delicate blown glass. Check off your holiday list early this year and purchase a bright bauble or two, or even custom clothing for the lord or lady in your life from one of the many artisan jewelers in attendance. And if you’re searching for something to make your castle feel like a home, you can choose from a wide variety of one-of-a-kind gifts and housewares like hand-poured, delicately-scented candles, cast pewter goblets, hand-carved wooden furniture, woven tapestries, and even a babbling fountain or two! In this shopper’s paradise, you’re certain to find something to tickle your fancy. So bring your wallets and plenty of tote bags and get ready to “shoppe till ye drop!”
“Joust” a Whole Lot of Fun
The Arizona Renaissance Festival isn’t only about shopping. Scattered throughout the village, visitors will be dazzled and delighted by a non-stop visual feast of entertaining antics and amusements. There are sixteen stages where talented performers present a mix of theatrical fare ranging from musical minstrels to tale-spinning bards. Jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, fools, and knights set the stage for a dizzying array of engaging spectacles to enthrall one and all. Don’t be surprised if you’re swept up in the fun as a wandering character or two pulls you into the revelry. Catch the exhilaration (and your breath) as brave knights battle for the Queen’s honor and favor with lance and sword. No matter which way you turn, the Arizona Renaissance Festival is “joust” a whole lot of fun.
Pick Your Pleasure at the Feast
With all the fun to be had at the festival, you’re certain to work up a healthy appetite. The festival is ready for you, serving a menu of entertainment to feast on—even in the Feast Hall! While you can sample and sip some simpler fare from any of the delicious food purveyors throughout the village—sausage rolls from Ye Olde World Sausage Maker or mead from the Dancing Pig Pub—the festival also offers up an invitation to the most exclusive event within the Faire—the Pleasure Feast!
Loosen your belts and belly up to a five-course meal with a side order of bawdy and bodacious fun at this limited-seating event. Inside the festival’s Feast Hall, attendees will not only enjoy a wide sampling of mouth-watering food and drink, but comedic entertainers will keep you laughing. The feast takes place twice a day, with performances at 12:00PM and 2:30PM.
To attend, purchase the special Pleasure Feast ticket. This $100 ticket includes not only the feast, but also a limited edition, souvenir toasting goblet and full admission to all the Renaissance Festival entertainment and events. Buy your tickets early, though, as this popular ticket sells out quickly! Seating is assigned, so indicate seating preference when purchasing your ticket. Families, take note that sometimes the feast can contain suggestive and risqué humor, so use discretion if bringing your young pages. One way or another, this event will have your bellies bursting.
Set the Theme for Fun
Each weekend at the Ren Fest brings a new and exciting theme. From Renaissance romance to time travelers, there’s something for everyone throughout the fest.
It’s magical mayhem March 11-12, 2023, when the theme is Wizards & Wonder. Attendees will be spellbound with children’s and adult costume contests, a visit with fantasy authors Ronald Tobin and Jacob Devlin, and more!
Think you have a little Irish Spirit in you? Show it off during the Celtic Appreciation Weekend at the Wearin’ of the Green Contest on March 19th! Observe old world trades and unique items crafted by the Queen’s artisans! Shop and be rewarded with a return visit! If you’re feeling lucky, you might even spot a leprechaun leaping about! And that’s no blarney!
Celebrate theatre and the Bard March 25-26, 2023, during Commedia Dell’Arte’ Weekend!
Get your Shakespeare on and participate onstage in the Battle of the Bards Contest and compete for the “King of the Bards” title!
On April 1-2, 2023, kids enter FREE ($22 value, ages 5-12), during the fest’s final weekend, Fool’s Masquerade. Just bring 3 non-perishable food items to donate to the Superstition Community Food Bank booth at the Faire.
As you can see, Arizona has so much more to offer than its beautiful desert scapes and clear blue skies. For a unique day trip from Kingman and the Zuni Village RV Campground, take a journey back in time. “Shoppe till ye drop” and “joust’ have a whole lot of fun in Gold Canyon, Arizona. The 35th Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace—where renaissance revelry is alive and well.