Renaissance Faire

I literally felt like I stepped into a time machine! This was one of the most amazing events I have ever been to!!! I didn’t know an event like this was actually real. Through out my life, I would just fantasize about strolling down a town during the renaissance times and I cant believe it actually came true. I came across Nor Cal Ren Faire after hours of research on possible medieval restaurants I could take my boyfriend to. (Since we both love medieval times and renaissance days). I had HIGH expectations after seeing all the reviews and pictures on here and boy, were they met!
The marketplace felt so authentic. They highly resembled the marketplaces we often see in movies during the middle ages. Everyone participating in this event were all in character with their great accents, gestures and acting. You couldn’t help but go along with it! Everything in the marketplace was reasonably priced.
The shows, the dancers and performances were great! They were very entertaining!
And of course, the food was delicious! We ordered pulled pork and tri-​tip sandwiches with chilly! YUMMY! Even thinking about it makes me hungry!
The whole experience was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had! We will definitely be back next year and every year after that!

I loved everything about this place. It was our first Ren-​Faire ever and because of this event, we are looking forward to more faires! The general vibe is really friendly, and even though we were not in costume we were treated as if we were. The food, the shows (especially the wacky improv) were so entertaining. The jousting and the knight battles look so real and the glimmer and loud clangs of their steel blades were awesome. Looking forward to attending every year and dressing up next time. The only bad thing about it was that I was not able to attend all weekends, just the first and last!

Had a great time visiting the NorCal Ren Faire this past weekend. It’s $ 25 for general admission, for $ 35 for the whole weekend? Ended up spending about $ 100 total for the day — entry fee, foods, trinkets/​gifts.
No costume? No worries, they have costume rentals facing the entrance of the faire for your pleasure and blending in! Tons of people really take the faire to heart and dress up (although not always in the correct time period, but hey, cosplay is cosplay)
Turkey legs were $ 13 a head, but will take 2 people to finish.
Beer was about $ 8 a drink, needed to wear a wristband while drinking it.
Got a fruit ice which was delicious, but at $ 10, I wish it was a little smaller for less money.
Lots of shows, especially enjoyed the jousting. The Scottish knight was half naked and in a kilt. He obviously won because our section of the stadium was SCREAMING our heads off for him. Wonder why? ;)
Spent about 5 hours there and that was enough to see a couple comedy shows, the jousting show and walking the grounds. There are games for the kids and a beer garden for the adults.

Wow this is such an amazing event. I loved everything about it from the friendly crowds, fun details, delicious fair food to strong entertaining drinks = perfect day right? The jousting, spear throwing, hair braiding, willy the comedian, and interaction with the staff/​vendors were also all amazing!
Parking was very easy to find in the $ 10 parking lot just a few minutes walk past the preferred lot ($ 20). We lucked out on weather which was a perfect cool 75d all day it seemed. The line for getting tickets was super long so I would recommend getting them online next time. The cash line does move incredibly faster than the CC line if you do opt to purchase tickets there.
Standing in the line wasn’t a problem as there were lots of entertaining folks along the way «selling leeks» (two for none deal!) and offering to «remove teeth with pliers».
I was pretty apprehensive about the meat pie that my sister kept raving about but WOW — go to this line first when entering the food area. This line kept growing and I can see why. Super delicious contents surrounded by a tasty puff pastry. I would come back next year to eat this again!
It was a really heartfelt special event with great people everywhere contributing to the atmosphere from the friendly crowds to the dedicated staff.
My only negative experience was at the jousting area where there were too few seats and it was difficult maneuvering around the crowded benches.

Looking forward to going Saturday, got invited to go and it’s been so long since I’ve been to The Renaissance Faire, well since the 80’s in Marin Co. and I really enjoyed the entertainment, crafts, food and so many people dressed in Beautiful Renaissance costumes. so looking forward to Saturday. .see you all there!

My friends and I really enjoy this renaissance fair. This was our second year coming, and it was nearly as fun as last year. The work put into making this area look like a village from the Renaissance is truly awe-​invoking. Last year it was a total surprise to see how seriously everyone took this.
This year was not as fun, mostly because we went on a day that was very unexpectedly hot and sunny, as opposed to when it was overcast (which added to the pseudo-​European event) last year. I was so thirsty that even buying drinks didn’t necessarily make me feel better, and even the thought of eating anything they offered made me feel faint.
The other reason it was a little less exciting is because I brought my boyfriend with us, and he’s a pretty cynical person. He HAD to point out that the fair was mostly just people trying to sell their unusual artisanal goods at marked up prices, so that everyone buying them will think, «cool, I got this mug at the Renaissance fair,» and not «I just spent $ 150 on a mug.»
In all fairness, I think it’s fine that people who have unique talents are selling their goods at an event where they know people will spend money on them. However, it did sort of take away from the event for me.
It would be nice to see more shows, or at least more than just shops next year. I think my friends and I would like to make this an annual outing, but I don’t know if I can keep justifiably paying $ 25 just to look at more things to spend money on.

Never been to a Renaissance faire before, but it absolutely blew my expectations away.
A friend and I arrived at Casa de Fruta on Saturday around noon. Parking was held in two sections: preferred parking was 20 $ per vehicle and regular parking was 10 $. There was plenty of space for parking so don’t even worry about that at all. We get to the ticket booth and I’m looking around at some pretty amazing costumes thinking to myself «okay this is pretty cool». After we got our tickets we head into the actual faire itself and I was just blown away. You legitimately feel like you’ve just walked into a time machine and were transported back in time. Women were singing folk songs and washing laundry in old wooden tubs, knights were patrolling the roads, wenches were serving beer to mobs of drunken people, and that was just a drop in the bucket.
The amount of dedication some of these people have is astonishing. It feels so much like a living breathing medieval community that even after a couple hours I was still in awe. Just some of the things we did/​saw were the plays (some of them kind of weird, some are really funny), jousting (sooo cool), archery, knife throwing, mazes, shops, concerts, oh and don’t forget the food. Where else can you can a MASSIVE smoked turkey leg that’s literally heavy enough to club someone over the head with? It was delicious by the way.
No doubt we will be back next year now that we got a taste for it. I’m even thinking of dressing up too haha. Definitely recommend you attend if you have never been, one of the best weekends I’ve had in a while.

This was my first Renfair and so I have little to compare to but I must say I was impressed. The most relevant part to me was that the fair did a a great job of providing a fairly seamless experience in that the theme and suspension of disbelief were maintained from the moment you walked up to the ticket booth. Staff and vendors mostly remained in character throughout and the level of decoration of the vendors to create the theme was impressive. No modern pop-​up shade structures, for example, to break the theme. In the arena, for instance, the loudspeakers were covered by cloth tied with rope to hide the modern design. Even the porta-​potties were hidden by curtains marked «Privies». This theme extended to the food offerings, with some exceptions. For instances, hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza, cotton candy were not available but the vendors sold meat pies, scones, even haggis, etc. There were more conventional offerings too but the theme was at least somewhat maintained.
The fair has a large number of free acts included in admission, some were better than others. There was a bit of a push to tip the performers, but nothing too bad. The horse/​jousting shows in the arena were fun, I would have enjoyed a bit more horsemanship and a bit less mock pageantry. The number of costumes staff/​actors was huge — it’s not clear to me if these are all paid performers or a mix of paid and volunteers. For instance, the bit where the queen (Queen Elizabeth I played quite well by an actor) arrives in a parade had probably 40 cast members.
Despite reviews to the contrary, nobody stopped us from bringing in water to drink (which I highly recommend doing). Food was not cheap but frankly not that expensive, less than at a major sporting event or concert but more than at a local restaurant. The midway-​style events were mid-​priced, typically $ 4 – 5. My son and a friend decided to try the fencing lessons which were a bit more at $ 10 each. To my pleasant surprise, the lesson went on for at least 20 minutes with a skilled instructor. It was explained to me that the folks running that booth were all fencing enthusiasts and loved coming out to share their passion.
The vendors were typically high (sometimes very high) priced but with high quality goods. In that respect it’s much more art-​and-​wine festival type goods than carnival.
Parking was easy, they have «preferred» parking for $ 20 but the $ 10 parking was all of 3 minutes extra walk.
We went on a day with relatively cool weather and it was still quite warm, there is not much shade and the shade there is tends to be partial shade at best. Bring a hat and sunscreen.
All in all a fun time, and very impressed by the level of detail to which the organizers and vendors went to preserve the illusion.

Hot but great trave back in time to a midevil theam.
Cost $ 25 week days and $ 35 weekends.
Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Verity of entertainment, shows and displays. They have rental costums for rent or sale for he experience.
Experience the event comfortably in about three hours
They concerts after 6pm included.

We have to say this is a great place to enjoy a full day of events and fun. Yes, you can even drink beer and ale. We were able to get there at a good hour about 11am, and then you can start your day with shopping, games and show from the time period.
We usually have a fun time, we do recommend wearing good shows as you are walking on dirt and some grass areas. If you enjoy yourself you will have a fantastic time.
The food is some of the best, the meat pies are great. There is plenty of water, beer and ale. the vendors have some very fun things for the kids and adults too. The best thing of the day was watching the tournament of champions event with 4 different knights fighting in combat, of course depending on which area you are sitting in you get to root for that knight, so yells scream and just have fun.
The cost of the total day can be a bit on the higher side, but it is still worth it, as we do come to this event every other year.

I’ve attended many a Ran Faire throughout my life, and I have to say they can be loads of fun as long as you haven’t been 3000 times.
I’m at this point in my life where the novelty has sort of worn off, I don’t have children yet, and I’ve spent about all the money I can see spending at these things.
Though, if you’re looking for a good excuse to get dressed up, bring a bunch of your pals and get rip roaringly wasted off of the delicious Meads & Hard Ciders whilst pretending to be in a time warp, this is the place to do it.

First time at a Renaissance Faire and I had a good time!
Came in pretty early around 10:30 am so by the time it gets pretty hot then we are getting ready to get out of the place.
Went for food first since we were hungry. I got myself some BBQ Pulled Pork & Tri Tip sandwich in one and cob corn. Pretty damn good. I wish the meat in my sandwich didn’t get cold easily so I would’ve finished the whole thing. My friend got the Scottish pie. she said it was really good and tasty.
After food, we walked around and took our time to check out everything that was there. I went straight to the flower crown section because they are super pretty. I’ve purchased a lavender one and wore it around the whole day. Got lots of compliments. Best $ 24 I’ve spent there lol. The man who made it said he made 1,000 of them so I hope everyone bought one. Nice fella.
We’ve also checked out Archery and I had tons of fun. I was a noob so… umm. the string when I released the bow hit my other arm which resulted into a big ass bruise… as if. I was bitten by a zombie or I was beat it pretty bad. HAHA. It’s a reminder that I went to the Renaissance Faire: D battle scar/​bruise bitches! They had knife throwing area so my friend and I tried it too. I failed at it but I had tons of fun. Instructor was very funny — his niece was bugging him before the knife throwing started and he kept saying random, funny things.
Activities, Entertainment and other stuffs:
— Interactive shows
— people in their costumes/​characters that walk around
— The kids in costumes. SUPER CUTE!
— trampoline and other activities
–Dancing/​Performances
— henna tattoos and face-​painting
— Tarot card readers and palm readers
— FOOD
— Vendors for shopping: Perfumes, wands, incense, jewelry, walking staffs, wood swords, costume rentals and for purchase, potions/​elixirs, hats, flower crowns, mugs/​cups/​glass.
— QUEEN ELIZABETH AND HER NOBLEMEN AND NOBLEWOMEN doing a parade around the area.
Am I going back next time? YES!

I have loved coming to the Renaissance Faire for many many years. I believe it’s much more than a fair, it’s an experience. The only way to visit to fair is by coming dressed up. If that’s not your thing, no worries. Just think of it as an elaborate pre-​Halloween party.
There are some other Fairs in town, the Casa De Fruta Renaissance Faire tops them all. If you love shopping, they have really high-​end handmade renaissance apparel.
Tip, I believe there are discounts for large groups over 9 people (buy online). I believe cash (or gold, jk) is still the preferred method of tender.
If you bring kids, there are some areas that are better than others. You many want to do a little research prior to attending any of the shows.

Awesome Fair! I think everyone should check it out at least once just to say you’ve been there. Easy to find (driving wise). It’s a fairly large place with a lot of things going on.
They have:
*Interactive shows
*Interactive characters that walk around
*The kids in costumes? ADORABLE!
*Rock climbing, trampoline and other activities
*Dancing/​Performances
*Temporary tattoos and face painting
*Tarot card readers and palm readers
*Lots of food!
*Lots of vendors for shopping
–perfumes
–incense
–wands
–jewelry
-(walking) staffs
–wood swords
–costume rentals
–costumes to purchase
–trinkets and wind chimes and all that
–baskets and bags
–potions
–hats and ribbons
–mugs/​cups/​glass
–a bunch more
The characters that walk around and interact with the guests are friendly, welcoming and entertaining. Many are quite humorous.
Most of the vendors are in costume but not all of them are in character. Many of the items they have starts from $ 3, you’ll see lots of things for $ 5, $ 15, $ 20, $ 25, $ 35. Bring cash!
Restrooms: Porter Potty but there are plenty of them in different parts of the park and they are clean. They also have a washing stand (which is awesome in my opinion since a lot of places don’t!).
General Admission $ 25
General Parking $ 10
VIP Parking $ 20

Many a year ago I attended a ren faire, I must have been 7 or 8, I remember enjoying it and coming home with a wooden battle axe, my cousin with a wooden sword, both of which we still own today. Yesterday I decided to take my own son to experience it for himself as well as my fiancée who mentioned he’d never been. We loaded up early as we had a long drive from Pleasanton, ca (about 2 hours with traffic). Parking fees are to be expected, it was hot already by 9 so we opted for the preffered parking ($ 20) as opposed to the regular parking ($ 10) we expected it so all was well. We arrived to banners, drumming and excitement just before the gates to the faire were opened, I grabbed a map and program from the information both and we were off, straight to the costume rental to get suited up! The Belrose has wonderful costumes of all shapes, colors and sizes, even some for the bustiest of women ;) from then on we wandered through the stalls of hand made goods, watching jousting and shows.
Happy to say there’s bathrooms all around the venue and fairly clean!
Food: many options and I think a reasonable price for a faire, son got a slice of Roma pizza which was a good size, fiancée took a large turkey leg, I got myself some bruchetta which was piled high with tomatoes and very tasty. Drink options were interesting and the bartenders are happy and generous!
Overall my family and I had a great time, and will hopefully be back next year!
After tickets, parking, costume rental, food/​drinks, and souvenirs it can be a bit expensive but its definitely worth it. I hope this is something my son will remember years from now and think fondly of itn

We came here on the second Saturday of the faire, around 3:00.
Pros:
–tons of people were dressed up… most were just for fun, not to act like they were from the period.
–games. I enjoyed the archery the best.
–for all ages. Just beware that their are mature behaviors going on among children. The first scene when we walked in was a guy motorboating women.
Cons:
–expensive. The booths selling their wares were only for the serious buyer.
–rude.
–the girl taking the entrance fee forced me to show her my id, which is PROHIBITED by Visa and Mastercard.
–the woman doing my face painting was abrupt and wouldn’t talk to me until the man taking the money told her what I wanted. She didn’t even copy the painting I asked for… which they offered.
–they were out of most food. It was only 4:00 and every food vendor was out of a majority of what they offered.

This was our first time going to Renaissance Faire and it was most certainly the best day of the year for all of us. We have two small kids (6.5 and 4 years old) and the entire day was absolutely perfect. We really lucked out because it was a nice 72 degrees but yet the sky was overcast so we never got hot or sunburn. Also given the recent rain, it wasn’t dusty like other reviewers had indicated.
Not only was everyone authentic but everyone there was extremely warm and welcoming. None of the vendors were pushy or mean. They made sure you were having a good time.
Our son did a fencing class while there and instead of rushing him through it in 5 minutes, the instructor spent 20 minutes giving him a real lesson and full fencing match!
The Medieval Games were incredible to watch with horses and knights. Our little girl was given a rose from the winning knight after he won.
The glass blowing, the blacksmith, the candle making, the Elizabethan plays, the parade, and fencing, the knife throwing, and much more were all very family friendly and lots of fun.
We didn’t eat at the faire since we’re vegetarian, but our car was close enough so we had a quick tailgate back at our car during lunch time.
We went fully dressed up (the Faire forced us to go Halloween shopping early). We went with «Game of Thrones» themed costumes and we fit right in.
There are tons of great shows throughout the day, so plan on a full day to get through everything and if possible get there right when it opens so you don’t have to rush.

Parking is still 10 dollars and now you can get discounts at the gate. We got a decent discount for state employees.
But still can’t bring water & have to pay 3 dollars for a small bottle. You get your purse checked too.
I think what pissed me off most this year is that we wanted to see a show and got CARDED because they sold beer in that area but we only wanted to see the show. The snotty girl said she wasn’t joking about the i.d. check & wanted all of us to pull out our id’s. My boyfriend did but I’ll be damned if I was going to or let his 89 year old mother have to — how insulting! Screw that little snot. She can take her little power trip and shove it up her ass. Other than that, we had fun.

I was here this past weekend and it turned out to be the opening weekend which means that it is buy one get one free.
Admission is normally $ 25 which is pretty steep for what you get. I know kids are free but I don’t know up to what age. I think $ 15 would be more reasonable.
The floors are absolutely disgusting. It’s covered in dirt, rocks, hay and little pieces of wood. My friend actually had her flip flops pierced by the crap on the floor which poked her foot. You really need to watch where you step and you can really get hurt. Also, by the end our feet were completely covered in dirt to the point where it was noticeable. It took 4 wipes to clean my feet. I also used one to clean my face and the amount of dirt I wiped off my face was disgusting. I can only imagine how much of it I actually breathed in while I was there.
Also, they charge $ 10 for parking and $ 20 for vip parking. They also block off all of the street parking in order to force you to park in the paid lot. Being that it’s not private property, I wonder if it’s really legal for them to block off the sides of the road and not let people park. The parking lot was also disgustingly dirty.
Let’s get to the fair, there were plenty of shows. Some tacky and some entertaining. Most of them ask for tips so bring some cash if you want to support them. the bulk of the fair consists of shops. Everything is super expensive and while I understand that you have to pay extra for things that are handmade and unique, they are clearly taking advantage of people as well.
As for food, I didn’t end up eating here. I did buy a fruit sorbet ($ 5) which was totally worth it since it was so hot and it held up really well. I also bought some nuts ($ 5) which were OK.
Some tips if you decide to go:
1. Wear sturdy shoes. The floor is full of dirt and other crap so you need to protect your feet.
2. Bring some wipes. Everything is covered in dirt. You’ll need them by the end of the day or to wipe your hands before you eat.
3. Bring cash. Lots of the food places only accept cash. The parking attendants also only take cash.
4. They search your bag when you walk in but they let you bring non alcoholic beverages in. Bottled water is $ 3. I would freeze some the night before and bring them in instead of buying them there. Plus they will stay cold longer this way.
5. Bring a hat, sunglasses and wear sunscreen. It gets really hot and there is very little shade.
Overall, I think it is something that you should experience once in your life. People are really into their roles and wear extravagant costumes.

Hands down, this has been my most favorite faire in all of California so far.
I would recommend paying for your tickets online… just be sure you print them! And like others have noted, BRING CASH. And be ready to spend a pretty penny for food/​beverage let alone anything from a vendor. Sure, things are a little costly, but walking around with some shepherd’s pie or a turkey leg just enhances your experience.
Enjoy some amazing costuming and impersonations as you stroll around the very well organized park. You’ll see some beautiful art, and costume stores that will be extremely hard to avoid… I could have bought everything!
One vendor had The Ocarina of Time from Zelda! ARE YOU SERIOUS. Amazing.
This event was SO much fun, and you can enjoy yourself by just walking around and people-​watching. The extras are up to you and how much you want to spend.
And yes, there is lots of cleavage. Enjoy!