Ren Faire 2023 - Family Audience

SPONSORED BY THe northern california renaissance faire

Get your tickets now: The family-friendly Northern California Renaissance Faire is back

Kids love playing make-believe: embarking on a chance to sail aboard a pirate ship, dress up like a knight or a princess or imagine themselves in a far-off land. This autumn, a child's whims and an adult's fantasies blend together perfectly at the annual Northern California Renaissance Faire. From dancing around the Maypole to juggling to laughing at the Willy Nilly Show, the NorCal Ren Faire delights kids and parents alike on weekends from September 16 to October 22. The faire will return with non-stop entertainment, a full-contact joust, games of skill for all ages, an artisans marketplace, delicious food and — of course — those turkey legs. As a parent, it's hard to imagine a better place to bring a family, given the NorCal Ren Faire’s reputation for theatrics, interactive opportunities, diverse food and artisanal crafts. Located on more than 12 country acres in Hollister, California, every weekend casts a creative theme that encourages attendees to step back in time and let their fantasies run wild. The annual God Save the Queen celebration opens the Faire, September 16 and 17, followed by five more themed weekends. Kids 12 and under are free every weekend.

Let your imagination take over for Halloween Fantasy, the faire’s most popular themed weekend, on October 21 and 22. Halloween Fantasy is all about the fairies, knights, goblins and witches, giving your young ones a chance to dress up and play on a funhouse set unlike anything else in the region. There are prizes to take home for the best costumes, trick-or-treating and family-focused fun throughout the faire. Among its many pleasures, the faire has always been known as a diverse gathering and a place for young people and families to come and express themselves. The spirit of camaraderie, imagination and community live on at this Northern California cultural gem, inviting a rare opportunity for young and old to step back in time and engage in the world of fantasy.

Pirates come ashore for Pirate Invasion, the faire’s second themed weekend on September 23 and 24. Yes, that was a Spanish galleon you saw off the coast the other day — delivering a raft of buccaneers for a weekend of swashbuckling. Children seven years old and under will have the opportunity to choose a life at court or a lifetime with the pirate crew once they dress up for the wee pirate costume contest. Heroes and Villains remain front and center September 30 and October 1 when familiar characters from comic culture, history, literature, entertainment and imagination arrive at the faire. Following Oktoberfest on October 7 and 8, the Queen returns to her throne dressed incognito to celebrate Italian culture for Carnevale & Masquerade on October 14 and 15. You never know who you might meet when walking through the faire bedecked in disguise.

And yet, weekend themes are just one element of the colorful Ren Faire experience, which includes live performances across seven stages. Witness a few fairies weaving their magic in the Enchanted Garden near the Storybook Stage. There, you’ll find Natalie, Willingtown’s resident storyteller and Fairy Godmother, who will be crafting her finest plots and most magical tales to keep the youngest Faire-goers on the edge of their seats. Returning, to the delight of audiences, the comic duo Shrewed and Knavishe present their popular interactive show, “Shakespeare Was a Pirate.” But parents beware, some young thespians might just ditch school and run away with the Faire after these theatrical interactions.

Like the colorful dramas that fill the Royal Garden, Storybook and other stages, music is a mainstay of the NorCal Ren Faire. The Minstrels of Mischief walk the streets with lutes in hand, singing a lewd tune or two. The Sea Dogs bring a maritime beat to the village, inviting even the youngest pirates to sing along to familiar and more obscure shanties. The fools also come out for Ren Faire, as witnesses to the delightful Willy Nilly and Dirty Laundry shows will attest. No Ren Faire would be complete without breathtaking feats of endurance and strength. Broon is back with the crack of his whip, dry wit and fiery juggling feats to wow his audience. Cydeshow Cy: Sword Swallower takes ingesting sharp objects to another level, adding curved scimitars and other bent blades to the mix disappearing down his throat.

There are so many ways to faire, especially with the kids in tow. Some of us can't get enough of the theatrics, while others cannot wait to take our own gowns, tunics and crowns out of storage and disappear into much simpler times for a few hours or days. Whatever your fantasy, the Northern California Renaissance Faire turns magic into reality for six consecutive weekends beginning September 16. Tickets are only available online. Go to the NorCal Ren Faire website to plan your trip. The Queen and her court look forward to seeing you this season! Huzzah!

The faire has always been a place for young people and families to come and express themselves.

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Parents never tire of watching kids marvel at knights or laugh at actors all without a cell phone in sight.

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There’s no horseplay with The Queen’s Royal Joust, where hooves and steel meet three times daily along with sword fights and tests of skill that have become an annual must-see. The Equine Show is also back, a chance to marvel at the sublime Gypsy horses as they are put through their paces by their talented riders. Renaissance faires began as a celebration of the colorful, even cartoonish, cultures from the storied past. As parents, we never tire of watching our kids marvel at knights crossing lances, actors drawing laughs, and a sword swallower leaving us speechless, all without a cell phone in sight.

The NorCal Ren Faire also teems with more opportunities to participate than ever, from call-and-response during the Sea Dogs’ shanties to trying one’s hand at a javelin throw. Over 68 specialty vendors and craftspeople fill the space, including tarot readers who foresee the future, brilliant face painters converting young cheeks into their canvas, and talented artisans presenting unique, handmade crafts and jewelry. The legendary giant turkey leg is just one of scores of dining options that have been beefed up this year, including themed fare to nourish your family’s day at the faire.

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The faire has always been a place for young people and families to come and express themselves.