Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire Tips and  If you don’t know what a Renaissance fair is it is when people get dressed up in a costume and the act out they are in the Renaissance.  It is a great time and a different fun thing to do as a family.  The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire has been operating for 33 years so it is a well established Renn faire.

I decided my 8 year old daughter would enjoy the Renaissance Faire more if she dressed up in costume.   The morning of I looked through my stash of fabric. She had a great time in a Renaissance Faire costume.  She was a little shy at first when everyone kept bowing to her.  She was not sure about it.  She said “Mommy why  do they keep stopping, bowing?  my knees are hurting for curtsying so much.   I have to show off you my creation.. Before I share my Renaissance Faire Tips:We attended many Renn Fair  events  the Jousting, human chess match,  and Falconry show was some of the kids favorites.  The faire is filled with shows and many many vendors that are interesting and tied to Renaissance.  Expect mask, glass blowing, weapon vendors, period toy, and costume vendors.    It think it is the only fairs where you are allowed to walked around with your own weapons.  My son was particularly interested in the shield and swords.. he just wanted looks at them.   There was many more  shows and shops .. I think my family  would have loved (we really needed 2 days),  but we did not plan out or visit so we missed something, learn from what I did not know.

Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire Tips:

• Do stop and get Renaissance Fair discount coupons in our area, Wawa has them but sometimes towns have them
• Do dress up you go from being a spectator to being part of the experience.
• If you do dress up use a coupon and show your costume for and additional discount at the gate.
• Tip check out what I wore for the Renn Faire on my other blog biggirlsguide  What I wore Plus Size Pirate
• Bring CASH …Tickets and some shops take credit cards but the food vendors are all cash-  no Credit Cards Accepted-  there are ATMs
• Bring water  the waters are $3 each so you might want to save yourself some cash
• Food: If you get a turkey leg share it.. they are a lot of meat and salty
• Chilli is very tomato based kinda tasteless though my daughter enjoyed
• Bread bowls think thick store bought roll …not that good.. not worth getting them.
• The funnel cakes were very yummy
• Bring a small blanket to sit on.. many of the events Jousting, and Human Chess match you can sit on the lawn to enjoy the match if the seat is unavailable
• Dress in layers and Bring a coat it is a long day and because it is fall you might get chilly when the sun goes behind the trees
• Arrive early in the day and be prepared to walk ( the PA Renn faire built  is on a slight hillside)
• Have a Plan ahead of PA Renaissance Fair events, shows you want to see the schedule is on line.  If it is your 1st time you might have a hard time finding the stages
• Attend the Shows watch that some of the show are “Adult”  some of the later ones,  so be sure to check the schedule
• Arrive 10-15 minutes before a show,  so you can get a good seat.
• For the Human Chess match go to the match and avoid the walking parade so you get a seat.. (we had a hard time getting a seat at the chess because we followed the parade)
• So much to do with kids and when you see something do it.   when we walked in we saw a knight battle kids with swords, my daughter want to pass and come back to it latter.. he was not there later, so take advantage of a hand on experience when you see it.
• Do ask the Puppet vendors for a Raffle ticket for the Dragon giveaway at the end of the night (Hatchery.) You can win a Dragon and the kids get excited about the chance to win-  Giveaway is after the Jousting and Knight meet and greet,  right on the corner.
• Do spend $5 on a hatching a Dragon egg at the Hatchery.. It is an Experience Souvenir.  It is a Styrofoam egg with a prize ticket in the middle,  they hatch the egg with a machine that launches a heavy steel rolling ball.  The smallest you can win is a small statue of there choice (they are like a something you would get a dollar store) but you have a chance to win a $150 gift certificate for a Dragon also.  Watch the cost of the eggs.. when you enter the hatchery  they are marked different prices- the hatchery is located near the Jousting match .
• Do think about going overnight because there is a lot to see in one day the 1st time.
• If you plan to go 2 days do take advantage of the 2nd day return tickets.. the prices are way less the 2nd day 1/2 price.
• NOTE :  The Renaissance Faire can be an eye full.  The weekend we went was pirate weekend and it was cooler.  So I did not notice the a huge amount of women with their chests on display.  But I will let you know from my other friends who have attended there can be alot of cleavage showing.

Events the kids will love :  This is what we saw .. I am sure we missed some.

• Learning sword play to be a knight
• Being put in the stockade and the jails
• Royal Falconry
• Don Juan & Miguel early shows are comedy that is fun .. later shows are adult
• Untrained Dog Show
• Jousting match  –  My daughter thought it was a real story line

• Meeting the Knights  The Knights were great my daughter loved meeting each one originally she was rooting for the Queens knight but then she met the Pirate King .. whose moto is “Cheat to Win”  He gave her a token of the joust and then kissed her hand.. And said she was a Beautiful Princess .. so she was swooning as much as a 8 year old can be when a King kisses her hand.
• Pirate walk to the Dragon house /hatchery for the Dragon raffle  it is after the jousting match .. My daughter got to pull the raffle ticket for one of the Dragons  This is one of the last events,  if you go to this you will miss the final song.

PA Renaissance Faire Ticket Cost

Adults Online: $25.95 – No Convenience Fee!   ($29.95 at the Gate)  (be sure to read my tips above on ticket cost)
Children (Age 5-11): $10.95
Children (under age 5): Free

Royal Pass: $170.00
Season Pass: $100.00
Child Season Pass: $45.00

The PA Renn faire is Saturday and Sunday  from Aug thru October and they change the schedule an performers every weekend so every time is different.

We are excited to return next year and I plan to make my husband and my self a costume as well.  My 12 year old son he said he will take a sword.   Have a great time and All Hail the Queen.

Visit PA Renaissance Fairs website