This Festival is a full day of entertainment and pageantry as history comes alive with hundreds of costumed characters re-creating a 16th Century European Marketplace. It's a 25-acre outdoor, open air village nestled in the forest and meadows, complete with castles, cottages, kitchens and pubs, filled with activities. You'll find music, comedy and theater, food and drink, fine hand-made arts and crafts, artisan demonstrations, games and rides.

Click to view the listing of performers.

Click to view the 2026 Entertainment Schedule of Events (updated in summer).

Click to view the Craft and Vendor listing for the Artisan Marketplace.

Click to learn about the Festival’s Games & Rides.

‍Click here for MUST KNOW information about your commute to the Festival.

The annual Carolina Renaissance Festival returns Saturdays and Sundays, from October 3rd through November 22nd, 2026.

The Festival day kicks off with a pre-Opening Gate Show at 9:05 a.m. and gates are open from 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

The Festival is open rain or shine unless extreme weather or unsafe conditions beyond the Festival’s control inhibit its ability to park vehicles or operate safely. Scheduled performances on open rain days may be revised or modified for safety.

Most of the 140 vendors inside the Village Artisan Marketplace, including Food & Beverage concessions, are cash only due to limited access to stable internet at the still rural Festival property.

Cash is King! 20 ATM machines are located throughout the village and wait times for the machines can be long. Plan to arrive with cash in hand.

The price of admission includes all the performances on stage and off, including the popular Tournament Jousting, Falconry Presentations, Swimming Mermaids exhibit and Petting Farm.

You may choose to purchase arts and craft items, food and beverages, or rides and games.

And you may choose to show appreciation to performers who are permitted to solicit tips and/or offer their own souvenir merchandise for sale.

Click here for detailed ticket price information.

And click here to learn how to save on the price of admission.

And click here to buy tickets.

Still have ticket questions? Click here to contact us.

Click here for all frequently asked questions and answers about our Tickets.

Seniors and Military:
Have a refreshment on us! Seniors (age 65 & over) and Military Personnel are invited to present their I.D. at the Festival’s onsite ticket office to receive a voucher valid for a single complimentary soda, iced tea, or bottled water at the festival kitchens (up to a $3 value).

Group Discounts:
The Festival offers groups of 15 or more people a $2 per ticket discount. A single adult group organizer also receives a single free complimentary admission ticket (not counted towards the 15-person minimum). Group Discounted tickets will be date specific and made available for purchase online at the Festival website, activated via promo code, and while ticket supplies last. Groups interested in this discount opportunity can inquire at tickets@renfestinfo.com to receive a promo code.

Yes. Season Passes are valid for admission on all Festival dates even if the date is announced as sold out. The limit quantity of date specific admission tickets made available for sale per each date has been determined with Season Pass attendance in mind. Individuals interested in season passes can inquire at tickets@renfestinfo.com

Pirates! Superheros! Halloween! In addition to all the great renaissance themed activities and entertainment happening each and every Festival date, the Festival also offers a variety of Special Themed Events and Discount Admission Opportunities.

• Click here to learn about Special Event Themed Weekends.

• Click here to learn about Discount Admission Opportunities.

Yes. As you exit the front gate or rear exit, you may have your hand stamped in order to re-enter the Festival that same day. You will not be permitted to exit the village with any type drink in hand due to alcohol control rules and you will not be able to re-enter the village with an open / unsealed beverage container due to alcohol control rules.

No outside food and drink is permitted through the Festival Main Gate with exception of one factory sealed bottle of water per person. Click here to view the Festival’s Food & Beverage options. Those with concerns pertaining to dietary allergies can request special accommodations by contacting our Food & Beverage Department by clicking here.

We do not allow pets to be brought into the park by visitors because of the great variety of performing animals in the Festival.

Pets are not permitted on the festival grounds; however, service animals are not considered pets by the federal government and are welcome at The Carolina Renaissance Festival.

Under the American Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as a dog or miniature horse that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.

ADA is also clear that emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals are not considered service animals and, therefore, are not permitted in the festival.

Please understand that your service animal may be excluded, and you may be asked to leave the premises if the service animal is disruptive, the handler is unable to take effective control of the service animal, the service animal is not housebroken and not cleaned up after, or causes the animals in performances at our event to behave aggressively or become agitated.

We want all our guests to have a safe and enjoyable experience at the festival.

The Festival is an outdoor event. We suggest you dress for the day’s weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Shirts and shoes are required. Costumes are welcome.

We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone dressed in a manner that may be deemed by Festival management as offensive and/or can provoke a disturbance or embroil others in conflict. Examples include:

• Excessively revealing or transparent fabrics

• Apparel and/or body art displayed with written obscenities, violent or sexual images, and/or offensive symbols.

You are welcome to come dressed in costume and costumes are available for rental just outside the Festival gates. Adult sizes range in price from $18 - $65 (average $39) and Child sizes range in price from $8 to $25 (average $14). Costume rental booth is operated by Belrose Costume Rentals.

The Festival hosts a variety of performers that include those trained and insured to use specialty props while maintaining awareness of safety for themselves and their audience.

And as a performance venue with paid admission, all musicians are provided strict music copyright laws to adhere to.

Additionally, select performers and all musicians are permitted to solicit and accept tips from the audience in addition to compensation provided by the Festival, as a supplemental means of earning a living.

It is for all these reasons and more that patrons are very welcome to attend, interact, play, and have fun, with the following considerations:

• Patrons are to take care to not interrupt or disrupt a performance in action by joining it without invitation.

• Patrons are not welcome to play with props, enter with nor play musical instruments, enter with nor play with puppets not purchased inside at a festival vendor, nor walk in stilts, nor accept or solicit tips.

Costumed patrons can gift / trade “trinkets” (small themed gifts) under the following guidelines:

1) Only small items are permitted for trading.

2) Please refrain from using items that are of similar design as items made available in the village by vendors and/or performers.

3) Trinkets may only be used for the purpose of trading for other trinkets.

4) You may not sell nor accept any monetary payment for your trinkets. 

Furthermore, patrons soliciting and/or accepting tips by other patrons is not permitted.  Only select performers are permitted to solicit and accept tips from patrons in addition to compensation provided by the Festival, as a supplemental means of earning a living.  Please refrain from tipping performers in trinkets.

5) Do not attempt to barter your trinkets for any merchandise with a vendor.

6) Do not trade any trinkets with children to prevent any possibility of choking hazards. Trinkets intended for children must be provided to the attentive adults accompanying the child. 

7) Please be considerate of those who do not wish to participate in trinket trading.

Management and safety services will request that patrons stop participating in this activity if violation of these guidelines are seen or reported.

Your understanding is greatly appreciated.

Costume blades of any type (swords, daggers, axes, spear heads and arrow heads) must be blunted, properly sheathed, and peace tied with red twine or ribbon at all times. Arrows are to remain tied together and tied inside the quiver.

Prop and/or replica firearms having any capability of launching projectiles and/or making sounds of gunfire are not permitted.

Prop crossbows having any capability of launching projectiles are not permitted.

All prop weapons must be presented to Safety Services Personnel at the Festival Main Gate.

The Festival is hosted on private property. Signs are posted on the property notifying all visitors that open carry and concealed carry firearms of any type are prohibited.

The Festival is held in a natural, outdoor wooded setting. Wheelchairs and other accessibility devices are encouraged. There is a mild grade and firmly packed ground. Since we are an outdoor event, Festival pathways vary from grass, dirt and some graveled lanes. We have accessible parking and ADA compliant portable restrooms.

Strollers, wheelchairs, electric mobility scooters, and wagons are available to rent on a first-come, first serve basis at the Belrose Costume Rental shop located just outside the Festival gates. Weather permitting.

Prices are:‍ ‍

Wagons $25.00

Strollers $20.00

Wheelchairs $30.00

Scooters $65 for the day or $12 per hour with a 4 hour minimum and a 325 lb weight limit.

* Prices include tax.

The Festival greatly appreciates the school students and chaperones that time travel to the Carolina Renaissance Festival to enjoy a field trip experience like no other.

Unfortunately, the Festival is no longer able to open on week dates to accommodate school groups due to too many reasons to detail.

The Festival offers numerous educational opportunities for students on its weekend dates. Click to learn more.

The display of signs and/or the distribution of literature and/or products without prior Festival permission is prohibited.