A mere ten minutes east of Pasadena lies a land seemingly thousands of miles away. It's a land of imagination and wonder - a recreation of a seaside town built hundreds of years ago, and teeming with remarkable sights, sounds, and savory delights. It’s here where jousting knights, saucy wenches, regal ladies, and the court of a beautiful and gracious queen mix with today’s hipsters, history buffs, fantasy lovers and  families. The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire – the world’s oldest – presents its 56th anniversary season, beginning April 7th, and continuing each weekend through May 20th, at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale, CA.

Campus Circle Readers - DOWNLOAD special coupons to attend this years Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

Set in the royal shipyard city of Deptford during the reign of Elizabeth, fairgoers – many of whom dress in period costumes – are immersed in the music, language, merchant scene, and entertainment of the era. Thousands of performers roam the 23-acre lakeside shire, including Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth herself, and Sir Francis Drake, as well as a bevy of knights, ladies, peasants, and more colorful characters that one could count! There are 16 stages of entertainment featuring more than 40 performance groups, such as magicians, dancers, jousters, witty comedians, musicians, storytellers, jugglers and improvisation troupes.

The town is abuzz with excitement, as the grandest jousting knight in all of England has agreed to hold a Pas D’Armes for Her Majesty’s visit, in the hope of becoming her champion. This is a jousting tournament where select and elite challengers test their mettle in spectacular feats of equestrian skill, and noble, bone-crunching jousts of honor. Who will dare to compete? Will arrogance and might take the day? Can skill and speed, or grace and beauty, win Her Majesty’s favor? Or will deceit and anger overpower the best laid plans, as the jousts become a fast- paced, deadly duel of cold steel and splintering lances…

The invigorating Entertainment lineup includes something for everyone. Brand new this year, internationally renowned artist Arsene Dupin shares his amazing illusions and ingenious comedy with The Magikhana Show. Sound and Fury invites the audience to participate in their original parody plays. The Tortuga Twins (all three of them!) are back with their “asthma attack inducing” comedy, Jack Dagger proves that he has earned his titled of Living Legend from the International Knife Throwers’ Hall of Fame, and Aaron Bonk risks his life to amaze and amuse, with machetes, whips, swords, and fire.

Revisit old friends such as The Washing Well Wenches, “Wet Dirty Women, Good Clean Fun!” Belly laugh at the antics and hijinks of the Clan Tynker Family Circus. MooNiE! The Magnif’Cent will tickle your funny bone with his whimsical companions. Join Broon for his zany vaudevillian smack down. Watch Sky Kings Falconry with their free-flying falconry and birds of prey, and witness Draiku’s aerial delights. Sing along with local favorites such as the Poxy Boggards, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and the Story Wrens. And for international dance and musical flare, don’t miss the world-renowned Seraphim Arabesque, who will share hypnotic movements and have you dancing in the aisles.

Elizabeth I, whose reign is noted as the start of the English Renaissance period, greets fairgoers throughout the day, and also holds audience at a royal tea. Tea with the Queen is at 4:00 pm Daily in the St. Cuthbert Guild Yard, where authentic English scones, tea sandwiches, tarts and tea are served. Reservations are required. Admission is $26 for adults and $13 for children, and includes a commemorative teapot.

The Unrulie Foolie Tea: Join the Court of Misrule for tea, and have a crazy MAD time! Be prepared for fun and zany antics as these fools stir a little sugar into the mix of your day. The daily Unrulie Foolie Tea is at 2:00 PM in the St. Cuthbert Guild Yard, where authentic English scones, tea sandwiches, tarts and tea are served. Reservations are required. Admission is $26 for adults and $13 for children and includes a commemorative teapot.

The wee ones and the young at heart will enjoy Kids’ Kingdom, where games, crafts, story- telling, songs, interactive shows, and magic are featured in the fairytale land. Join in the fun, where you can see shows like Foolish Fractured Fairy Tales, The Witches’ Apprentice, The Giant’s Treasure, Beauty and the Beast, Merlin's School Of Magic, and Gwendolyn’s Quest.

Knighting Ceremony: Be one of only 25 lucky children each day to be made a Knight or Dame of the Realm by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in person! Signups start at 2:00 pm for the 4:20 pm ceremony at Kids' Kingdom.

Gnome Hunt: Gnomes have invaded Port Deptford yet again! Start at the Front Gate Information Booth or at Kids' Kingdom to get your map. Then seek out the many gnomes hidden about the village in the guild yards, markets, and shops. When you find them, have the shopkeepers and guild members sign your information sheet. Then return to Kids' Kingdom to receive your Official Gnome Finder Certificate and credit toward this year's Collectible Limited Edition Medallion.

Children's Militia: The Guild of St. Michael (near the joust) enlists kids of all ages in a fun and educational experience. A careful history and use of weapons is explained, and the kids get to learn how each weapon is used through hands-on interaction. Placed in groups, the new soldiers are then taught drilling and advancement techniques. Upon completion of the half hour course, the kids lead the march on the tournament field during the Royal Joust (with the Queen, no less!) Parents, get your cameras ready.

While costumes are not necessary for admittance, thousands of people each year enhance their experience by donning garb from the Elizabethan era, or participate in one of our special themed weekends by dressing up as their favorite pirate, time traveler, fairy, or fantasy character! Come dressed to the nines in your favorite costume, or treat yourself to a brand new look as you peruse a variety of clothing options available for rent or purchase in the Faire’s extensive Marketplace, which is focused on hand-made wares. The shops of more than 170 artisans dot the fairgrounds, offering not only a tempting selection of clothing, from authentic Renaissance looks to fantasy and contemporary choices, but so much more! Accessorize with eye-catching hats, bags, and exquisite jewelry. Make the look your own with a creative mask, or indulge your inner warrior with the perfect set of hand-crafted armor and weaponry.

Choose a tankard, goblet, or drinking horn to help you sample all of the tantalizing tastes the Faire has to offer. And take the sights and delicious scents of the Faire home (or find the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for someone) with exotic spices and incense, fine soaps, or unique and beautifully wrought pieces of pottery, sculpture, blown glass, original artwork, and other décor for the home and garden.

With so many merchants in the village, plus an ever-changing array of guest artisans, you’re certain to find something you can’t live without. And if the sight of so much artistry gets your creative juices flowing, why not partake of one of our arts and crafts workshops, such as Celtic drawing, beadwork, or basket weaving, which are offered for all ages at Queen’s College.

Healthy appetites will welcome a roasted turkey leg – the meaty icon of the Faire – as they quench their thirst on their favorite ale or port. Dozens of food vendors offer an array of foods, from fish and chips and sausages to salads and sorbets. Vegetarian entrees and desserts are available.

Pub Crawl! (Every Faire Day!)

Laugh, sing, and stumble your way through the faire in a guided tour of our finest pubs! The  Pub Crawl visits 6 pubs, and you receive one drink at each location – anything on tap, including cider! There are two crawls daily: 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Meet at the Crown & Anchor Pub to begin your crawl. The cost is $50 per person, in addition to a regular admission ticket. Each crawl is limited to 25 participants. 15 tickets are available for purchase online via ShowClix to ensure your spot. You must redeem your Pub Crawl tickets at the Crown & Anchor Pub. No refunds within 24 hours of scheduled Pub Crawl. 10 tickets will be available for day-of purchase at the Crown & Anchor Pub on a first-come, first-served basis.

Special themed events are planned, including:

Weekend 1,

April 7 & 8, 2018

Saturday & Sunday - Opening Weekend Celebration!

Opening Weekend! Join Sir Francis Drake and Lord Mayor Barnabus Blyss as they Open Wide the Gates to the 2018 Renaissance Pleasure Faire’s 56th anniversary season!

Weekend 2

April 13, 14, 15

School Day, Pirate Weekend & Marketplace Bonus Ticket Weekend

School Day (Friday April 13) – Tickets must be purchased in advance. The Box Office is not open on School Day.

Pirate Weekend (Saturday and Sunday April 14 & 15)- Dress as your inner pirate and enter our Costume Contest! Sign up at the Guest Services booth at the top of the Food Court before 3:15 p.m. All contestants will gather and toast in the Food Court Area from 3:30 to 4 p.m. While the Pirates boast of their adventures, anonymous judging will occur. We’ll close our gathering with a group photo. The winners of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire’s Pirate Booty will be announced at 5 p.m.

Marketplace Weekend (Saturday and Sunday April 14 & 15)-Spend $250 or more with our merchants or artisans during Marketplace Weekend and receive 2 FREE tickets for every $250 spent to come back to the Faire (valid thru May 14th). Offer does not apply to games, rides, food, beverage or the Renaissance Collection Stores. Paper receipts must be presented at the Guest Services Booth (located outside the front gate) by 7 p.m. to receive tickets.

Gnome Hunt – Gnomes have invaded Port Deptford yet again! Start at the Front Gate of Deptford or at the desk at Kids’ Kingdom to get your special gnome hunt map. Then seek out the many gnomes hidden about the village in the guild yards, markets, and shops. When you find them, get the shopkeepers and guild members to sign your map.

Then return to Kids’ Kingdom to receive your Official Gnome Finder Certificate and credit towards this year’s Collectible Limited Edition Medallion.

Weekend 3

April 21 & 22

RennCon™    Trying to decide whether to hit the faire or the con this weekend? Now you no longer have to choose! Join us on RennCon™, for our celebration of cosplay in all its forms. Attend a panel, take in the scenery, and enjoy some very special surprises! Whether you draw your inspiration from the sci-fi scene, anime, comics, television, fairy tales, or anywhere else… we invite you to mingle with our 16th-century townsfolk in the biggest costume party in L.A.

Masquerade Costume Contest – Sign up at the Guest Services booth at the top of the Food Court before 3:15 p.m. All contestants will gather and toast in the Food Court Area from 3:30 to 4 p.m. While the contestants meet and greet, anonymous judging will occur. We’ll close our gathering with a group photo. The winners of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire’s Masquerade Costume Contest will be announced at 5 p.m.

Maids of Honour in Training – (for ages 6-10) Be one of 20 lucky little girls of the realm! Join the Maids of Honour in the Nobles Glade to learn how to tend to the Queen. The Maids of Honour in Training will learn to walk, reverence and address people like a true Maid of Honour. The new Maids might even perhaps have the opportunity to meet the Queen! Sign up at the Guest Services Gazebo inside the Front Gate.

Weekend 4,

April 28 & 29, 2018

Military Appreciation, Scouts Weekend & Marketplace Weekend

Military Appreciation Weekend – The Renaissance Pleasure Faire supports our troops and veterans by offering discounted entry at our Box Office with valid military ID. Save $4 off adult tickets with military ID this weekend and EVERY weekend in the 2018 season! Join us this weekend for a beautiful, handmade favor for members of the US Military. Favors only available April 28 & 29. Look for parchment signs within the Faire to find this year’s favor locations.

Scouts Weekend – Uniformed Scouts and Leaders will receive a discount for their entire group. Discount Tickets ONLY at the Box Office – not online.

Scouts Ages 5 – 12 = FREE Scouts Ages 13 – 17 = $10.00

Scouts/Leaders Ages 18 and up = $20.00

There will be a list of Scout-Related Badge and Journey work available. All Scouts can complete a Faire Passport to earn a patch. $5.00 per patch, $3 per rocker patch per year.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Spend $250 or more with our merchants or artisans during our Marketplace Weekend and receive 2 FREE tickets for every $250 spent to come back to the Faire. Offer does not apply to games, rides, food, beverage or the Renaissance Collection Stores. Paper receipts must be presented at the Guest Services Booth (located outside the front gate) by 7 p.m. to receive tickets.

Weekend 5

May 5 & 6, 2018

Time Traveler Weekend. We invite all our guests to dress up in your finest time- traveling attire. No matter which century you portray, we’re looking forward to celebrating a leap back (or forward) in time! It is, after all, a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey… stuff.

Steampunk Costume Contest – Sign up at the Guest Services booth at the top of the Food Court before 3:15 p.m. All contestants will gather and toast in the Food Court Area from 3:30 to 4 p.m. While the contestants meet and greet, anonymous judging will occur.

We’ll close our gathering with a group photo. The winners of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire’s Steampunk Costume Contest will be announced at 5 p.m.

Saturday’s Contest: Put the “punk” in Steampunk Costuming Sunday’s Contest: Epic Accessories

Weekend 6

May 12 & 13

Heroes & Villains – New! ! Wear your colors with pride, and help us celebrate this weekend with a brand new twist! Step out and join the Heroes - or the Villains - for a weekend ?lled with daring deeds and diabolical schemes. Expect fandom photo opportunities and larger than life personalities, and prepare to have a good, or wicked, or just a wicked good time!

Maids of Honour in Training – (for ages 6-10) Be one of 20 lucky little girls of the realm! Join the Maids of Honour in the Nobles Glade to learn how to tend to the Queen. The Maids of Honour in Training will learn to walk, reverence and address people like a true Maid of Honour. The new Maids might even perhaps have the opportunity to meet the Queen! Sign up at the Guest Services Gazebo inside the Front Gate.

Weekend 7

May 19 & 20

Craft Brew Celebration - On our final weekend, let your tastebuds experience a variety of craft brews while enjoying all that the Faire has to offer. This weekend will feature dozens of local and international craft brews throughout the shire. Come join us for a tour!

Closing Weekend - Join us as we celebrate the final day of our 56th Season carrying on the tradition of our Closing Day Parade (on Sunday, May 20 only).

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence affected literature, philosophy, art, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. In England, the Elizabethan era (1558-1603) marked the beginning of the English Renaissance with the work of writers William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Sir Thomas More, Francis Bacon, Sir Philip Sidney, and John Milton, as well as great artists, architects, and composers.

The Renaissance - to be “reborn” - A time when individuals celebrated the awakening of a new idea, when light was let into darkness.  The Renaissance Pleasure Faire celebrates the spirit of this period of history, where people have the willingness to try anything and everything.

We offer the public an opportunity to experience a true Renaissance of our Renaissance, one that was introduced 56 years ago. The faire embraces a cornucopia of diversity, and is unified in inviting our guests to enjoy the environment we have created – an escape from the stresses and demands of the modern day.  We offer cutting edge performances, artisans, flavors, and culinary delights from the past and the future. These are the things which propel us into advanced forward thinking.

As William Shakespeare wrote, “Let the world slip, we shall ne’er be younger.” We are historically based with a twist of modern fusion.

We are 56 years strong and the adventure has just begun.

The Renaissance Pleasure Faire

Tickets for The Renaissance Pleasure Faire are $29.95 for adults and $15 for children aged 5-12. Children 4 and under are always free. Adult season passes are $150 and a child’s season pass is $60. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, at participating Walgreens stores, or online at  www.renfair.com. The seven-week Faire is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 in the morn, ‘til 7 eventide April 7 – May 20 at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, 15501 Arrow Highway, Irwindale, CA. A Vehicle Entry fee of $10 is charged by Los Angeles County. For more information, visit  www.renfair.com.

Campus Circle Readers - DOWNLOAD special coupons to attend this years Renaissance Pleasure Faire.