Maryland Renaissance Festival

Maryland Renaissance Festival

The Maryland Renaissance Festival is in its 50th season, open Saturdays and Sundays through October 25 in Crownsville, outside Annapolis. If you've never taken kids, picture a permanent wooded village with jousting, stage shows, craft shops, and a cast that stays in character whether your four-year-old is ready for it or not. Kids tend to either fall completely into it or need an hour to warm up. Either way it fills a whole day.

Here's the part that matters right now: tickets are sold online only, they're date-specific, and there are no sales at the gate. When I checked on October 6, every remaining date, this weekend included, showed waitlist only. If you still want to go, join the waitlist for your day. The festival releases extra tickets for the upcoming weekend on Mondays and Fridays, and people on the waitlist get the first offers, though signing up doesn't guarantee a ticket. Adults are $31, kids 7 to 15 are $17, and 6 and under are free but still need a ticket.

One more heads-up from the festival itself: after the rainy weekends, the grounds and parking fields have been muddy and rutted. Put the kids in boots or shoes you don't mind ruining, and follow the parking staff on the way in and out.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Join the waitlist now. Every remaining date showed waitlist only on October 6. Extra tickets go out Mondays and Fridays, waitlist first.
• ✓Pack for mud. The festival warned that the grounds and parking fields are muddy and rutted after the rain. Boots for everyone.
• ✓See the joust early. It’s the thing kids remember. Hit the first jousting show of the day before the arena benches fill, then wander.
• ✓Bring more cash than feels reasonable. Most vendors take cards now, but games, small treats, and tips for performers move faster with cash. Everything inside costs something.
• ✓A wagon beats a stroller. The paths are dirt and wood-chip through forest. Festival veterans pull kids in collapsible wagons for good reason.
• ✓Set the souvenir expectation in the parking lot. Wooden swords and flower crowns are everywhere and your kids will notice. Deciding the budget before the gate saves three meltdowns.