The Texas Renaissance Festival

The Texas Renaissance Festival will mark its 50th anniversary with an extraordinary celebration of magic, merriment, and new attractions. (Photo courtesy of Texas Renaissance Festival)

The Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF) will mark its 50th anniversary with an extraordinary celebration of magic, merriment, and new attractions. Located just one hour north of Houston, the nation’s largest and most acclaimed Renaissance-themed event spans eight uniquely themed weekends from Oct. 12 through Dec. 1, including Thanksgiving Friday.
 
Established in 1974, this time-tripping extravaganza welcomes more than half a million visitors annually to its 70-acre campus. Attracting generations of festival goers for its delectable food, world-class entertainment and immersive experiences, the festival features 21 stages and 400-plus artisanal shops, with over 200 acres of camping facilities.
 
New and noteworthy acts for the 2024 season include The Accidental Acrobats, a high-energy street-style stunt show; Carnival of Sound, featuring global carnival traditions and dances; Norðanfólk, serving up enchanting Nordic folk music with traditional instrumentals; and The Romani Roses, performing joyous folk dances for RenFest crowds. 

This season also features the return of Merlin the Magician, Bill Palmer’s legendary magic show last seen at RenFest in 2000; the Pyrojuggler, Thomas Wood’s uproarious fire-eating juggling act; and the Golden Anniversary Celebration, a once-in-a-lifetime variety show with current and past performers. 
 
For its milestone 50th anniversary, TRF collaborated with Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewing Company – the oldest craft brewery in Texas – for King’s Fest Ale, a malty English ale available only on the festival grounds. Karbach Brewing Co. has conjured up the limited edition Dunkels & Dragons – a sessionable dark lager – especially for the festival. Mainstays Texas Mead Works will pour the hearty Mead Of the Lake exclusively for thirsty Rennies, and Gulf Coast wine purveyors Haak Winery will offer up Fenrir's Fury red wine and Freyr's Bounty white wine only at the grounds in Todd Mission. 
 
This year’s eight uniquely themed weekends at the Texas Renaissance Festival include: 

• Oktoberfest (Oct. 12-13)
• 1001 Dreams (Oct. 19-20)
• All Hallows Eve (Oct. 26-27)
• Pirate Adventure (Nov. 2-3)
• Heroes & Villains (Nov. 9-10)
• Barbarian Invasion (Nov. 16-17)
• Highland Fling (Nov. 23-24)
• Celtic Christmas (Nov. 29-Dec. 1)