Subscribe to the USFamilyGuide.com KidsScoop!
The monthly family event and savings newsletter. Receive coupons for Fun Activities, Summer Camps, Parties, Dining, Shopping, Field Trips, Child Care and more! We NEVER share your information.
THE REVELRY RETURNS
Open Saturdays and Sundays April 9 through May 22
Revelry returns as the worlds oldest Renaissance Faire, located just ten minutes east of Pasadena, will open for its 60th anniversary season after a two-year closure amid the world-wide pandemic.
One of the most inclusive places on Earth, modern-day cosplayers, hipsters, families and singles all have one thing in common: they have come to escape their 21st Century reality in favor of a carefree, joyful day mixing with jousting knights, saucy wenches, regal ladies, and the court of a beautiful and gracious queen. The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire is open Saturdays and Sundays from April 9 through May 22 at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale, CA.
Revelry reigns at this recreation of a bustling sixteenth-century seaside town where thousands of costumed performers interact with and entertain guests throughout the twenty-three-acre lake-side village. Guests are immersed in the music, language, merchant scene, and entertainment of the era. More than forty performance groups including magicians, dancers, jousters, comedians, musicians, storytellers, jugglers and improvisation troupes grace the sixteen stages throughout the village.
ENTERTAINMENT
Diversity among Faire guests ensures a wide range of tantalizing entertainment. Adults, children and those in between will find plenty to keep them talking for days after their visit. Among new acts this year is Supernova! Pushing her muscles to the limit, Supernova the Strongwoman amazes audiences with insane feats of strength, daredevil acrobatics, and the wanton destruction of perfectly good steel! The whole family can join this cyclone of comedy and demolition!
Laugh along with returning favorites, The Washing Well Wenches, the Clan Tynker Family Circus, MooNiE! The Magnif’Cent. Join Broon for his zany vaudevillian smack down and don’t miss the deadpan delivery of Ded Bob! Sing along with guest favorites including the Poxy Boggards, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and the Story Wrens. And for international dance and musical flare, don’t miss the world-
renowned Seraphim Arabesque, who will share hypnotic movements set to the beats of the Middle East.
JOUST
The town is abuzz with excitement, as the grandest jousting knight in all of England has agreed to hold a Pas D’Armes for Her Majesty’s visit, in the hope of becoming her champion. This jousting tournament features elite challengers who test their mettle in spectacular feats of equestrian skill, and noble, bone- crunching jousts of honor. Who will dare to compete? Will arrogance and might take the day? Can skill and speed, or grace and beauty, win Her Majesty’s favor or will deceit and anger overpower the best- laid plans in these fast-paced, deadly duels of cold steel and splintering lances…
UNIQUE EXPERIENCES FOR ALL AGES
Elizabeth I, whose reign is noted as the start of the English Renaissance period, greets fairgoers throughout the day, and also holds audience at a royal tea. Tea with the Queen is at 4:00 pm daily in the St. Cuthbert Guild Yard, where authentic English scones, tea sandwiches, tarts and tea are served. Reservations are required. Admission is $31 for adults and $15.50 for children and includes a commemorative teapot.
Gnomes have invaded Port Deptford yet again! Guests of all ages are invited to join in an epic Gnome Hunt! start at the Front Gate Information Booth or at St. Helena’s to get your map to begin. Then seek out the many gnomes hidden about the village in the guild yards, markets, and shops. When you find them, have the shopkeepers and guild members sign your information sheet. Then return to St.
Helena’s to receive your Official Gnome Finder Certificate and credit toward this year's Collectible Limited-Edition Medallion.
MARKETPLACE
The Faire’s extensive Marketplace featuring more than 170 artisans offering hand-made wares including a tempting selection of authentic Renaissance clothing looks to fantasy and contemporary choices, but so much more! Accessorize with eye-catching hats, bags, and exquisite jewelry. Make the look your own with a creative mask or indulge your inner warrior with the perfect set of hand-crafted armor and weaponry. And take the sights and delicious scents of the Faire home (or find the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for someone) with exotic spices and incense, fine soaps, or unique and beautifully wrought pieces of pottery, sculpture, blown glass, original artwork, and other décor for the home and garden.
With so many merchants in the village, plus an ever-changing array of guest artisans, you’re certain to find something you can’t live without. And if the sight of so much artistry gets your creative juices flowing, why not partake of one of our arts and crafts workshops, such as Celtic drawing, beadwork, or basket weaving, which are offered for all ages at Queen’s College.
FEASTING
Merrily feast your way through the Faire! Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and omnivore appetites are all appeased with dozens of choices dotted throughout the Faire! Roasted turkey legs – the gigantic icon of the Faire – pairs perfectly with an ale or port. Vegan pizza, anyone? Try Scoops on Tap – delicious ice cream infused with craft beer! Coffee bars, Spanish and Greek flavors, cupcakes, salads, sorbets and so much more are available every Faire day!
Special themed events:
Weekend 2
April 16 & 17
Weekend 4
April 30 and May 1
Polish your brass goggles, dust off your time machine, and join us with your finest time- traveling attire! Sign up at the Guest Services booth at the top of the Food Court before 2:45
p.m. All contestants will gather in the Food Court Area from 3 to 3:30 p.m. While the Time Travelers discuss the finer points of the timeline, anonymous judging will occur. We’ll close our gathering with a group photo. The winners of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire’s Time Traveler Costume Contest will be announced at 4:15 p.m. each day.
Come, humble heroes and magnificent overlords! Wave to your adoring fans as you swagger in our Marvelous Heroes and Villains Parade. Meet at the Maybower Stage. We'll parade with appropriate pomp to the Maypole for a group photo! Full details are available at RenFair.com.
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence affected literature, philosophy, art, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. In England, the Elizabethan era (1558-1603) marked the beginning of the English Renaissance with the work of writers William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Sir Thomas More, Francis Bacon, Sir Philip Sidney, and John Milton, as well as great artists, architects, and composers.
The Renaissance - to be “reborn” - A time when individuals celebrated the awakening of a new idea, when light was let into darkness. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire celebrates the spirit of this period of history, where people have the willingness to try anything and everything.
We offerhe public an opportunity to join us as we embrace a cornucopia of diversity! Escape from the stresses and demands of the modern day and enjoy cutting-edge performances, artisans, experiences, and culinary delights for every palate.
As William Shakespeare wrote, “Let the world slip, we shall ne’er be younger.” We are historically-based with a twist of modern fusion.
We are 60 years strong and the adventure has just begun.
Tickets for The Renaissance Pleasure Faire are $38 for adults and $23 for children aged 5-12. Children 4 and under are always free. Adult season passes are $200 and children's season passes are $100. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or on-line at www.renfair.com. The seven-week Faire is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 in the morn, ‘til 7 eventide April 9 – May 22 at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, 15501 Arrow Highway, Irwindale, CA. A Vehicle Entry fee of $10 is charged and collected by Los Angeles County. For more information, visit www.renfair.com.
