8-29-2026 7:18pm

America's Best Renaissance Festival Returns September 5 — With Some New Looks

Beth Callahan Editor

WAYNESVILLE, OH -- The votes are in, and the country agrees with what southwest Ohio has known for decades. The Ohio Renaissance Festival, ranked the #1 renaissance festival in the United States by the 2026 USA Today Readers' Choice poll, opens its 2026 season on Saturday, September 5. The festival runs on weekends plus Labor Day through November 1 at Renaissance Park located at 10542 E. State Route 73 in Waynesville. Gates are open from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Getting into the festival just got easier — and safer. A new dedicated right-turn lane now serves westbound traffic on State Route 73 heading into the parking lot, and a temporary traffic light has been installed at the main entrance. The signal is a major safety upgrade for the tens of thousands of guests who travel SR 73 each season, and police will still be on hand at the main entrance throughout the run.

Inside the gates, the 30-acre village of Willy-Nilly-on-the-Wash has some new looks. Whimsy Woods features beautiful new landscape installations. Tiered stone seating now surrounds Roman's Arena for prime views of the Cincinnati Barbarians, and two new water features offer a quiet respite from the revelry.

New World Knoll has been transformed as well — steampunk details across the face of the building and a giant clock that delivers guests straight to 1572.

The entertainment lineup grows, too. Jacques the Whipper joins the festival September 19–20 and September 26–27 on the Pirate Stage with four shows a day. He joins a roster of more than 100 shows daily across 22 stages — full-contact jousting, sword fighting, and fire juggling included — plus 215 shoppes of handmade artisan goods and nine themed weekends, from Pirates to Highland to Heroes and Villains.

The festival's website, renfestival.com, has been updated with new information for artisans, food and beverages, and entertainment. Tickets, themed weekend details, and the full entertainment schedule are available there now.

Festival goers are encouraged to download and plan their revelry with the app, complete with a daily schedule, map and push notifications.

About the Ohio Renaissance Festival

The Ohio Renaissance Festival is produced by Brimstone & Fire LLC at Renaissance Park in Waynesville, Ohio, home to Celtic Fest Ohio, Yuletide Village, and other seasonal events. Now in its 37th year, the festival recreates a 16th-century English village each fall and welcomes guests every weekend plus Labor Day, September 5 through November 1, 2026.