While the Renaissance Festival has been a staple in Arizona for decades, this was only my second time attending and my first time taking kids. I am not going to lie, I went in almost completely blind without having done any research so feel free to read and learn from my victories and losses.
XO,
Kristen
Best time to arrive to the Ren Fair
Getting to the fair can be an adventure all on its own. It is out in Gold Canyon so depending on where in the Valley you’re coming from, planning car games or car entertainment might be necessary. For us, it was a 30 minute drive coming from north Mesa.
We got there right as it opened and had our tickets purchased beforehand. Even so, there is a line that weaves back and forth to get in. Fortunately, the line moves pretty fast so it wasn’t too much drama for my kids.
And here’s where we learned our first lesson: We have a very active and independent 2 year old so we assumed that we would not need a stroller. Bring the stroller. Or a wagon. Or a baby carrier. Everything is gravel and dirt so our 2 year old kept kicking up rocks and getting them stuck in his shoes.
Tips on dressing kids for the Arizona Renaissance Festival
Closed toe shoes. As I mentioned, it’s all dirt and gravel, so this isn’t a good place for sandles, boots or other shoes that dirt/rocks can get into.
But for kids who love dressing up, lean into it! The fair gives a great excuse to dress up!
There are plenty of shops and things to buy at the festival itself, but if you are looking to save some money, a few good options would be finding a costume online, finding some pieces from a local thrift store, borrowing something from a friend, or raiding your past Halloween costume storage in your closet.
We did choose to wait to purchase a few items there at the fair as a fun treat for the kids but we limited it to only one or two items each. My son chose a sword and my daughter chose a sword and a flower crown.
How to maximize a day at the AZ Renaissance Festival with kids
We let our school-aged daughter pick the shows that she wanted to see most (there’s so many options).
By the end of the day we had seen a balancing act, a pirate dog show, a cat and rat show, and the jousting. Along with that, we visited with retired greyhound dogs, flew in the pirate ship ride, and shopped a little.
They hand our maps as you enter that help you get around and list all the shows (and also list if they are kid friendly or not.)
There were many more kid friendly things that we didn’t get time for this time but would definitely want to check out next time:
- Petting Zoo
- Mermaids
- Birds of Prey Show
- Camel & Pony Rides
- Children’s Knighting Ceremony
- And so many more shows
Should you bring cash to the Arizona Renaissance Festival?
Another lesson learned is that the food, drink, and games are all cash only!
They do have many ATMs around but if you wanted to skip that step, highly recommend making sure you have cash on hand coming in.
They have shaded picnic tables scattered all throughout the fair so when we were ready to settle down to eat, I snagged a spot at one of the tables with the kids while my husband went and grabbed our food.
We were there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but it does go till 5:30 p.m.. Our two year old was just too tired to keep going so we headed home.
The big suggestions:
- Bring an all terrain stroller/wagon if you have littles
- Bring cash for games and food
- Wear sunscreen
- Be flexible! (You’re not going to be able to it all in one day)
