Scarborough
Renaissance Festival
On May 23, my son Ryan and I went to Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, about 30 minutes south of Dallas, Texas. This trip report explains our observations at the festival.
What is Scarborough Renaissance Festival?
Scarborough Renaissance Festival is one of the largest events to happen around the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex every year, attended by 200,000 visitors annually. Since 1981, people have traveled from all around the country to enjoy this six-week event.
Scarborough
Renaissance Festival is an event based on the year 1533, during the reign
of England's King Henry VIII. Since 1981 the festival has operated every
Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day Monday in April and May. Many people call
it "Scarborough Fair" but the "Fair" part isn't right
- although it's not too far off. The real Scarborough Fair took place in
the Middle Ages in the English town of Scarborough and was a 45-day festival,
not too unlike Waxahachie's celebration.
But I digress.
Scarborough
Festival is a 35 acre village within a 167 acre site, with more than 2,000
performers, artisans, food service people, grounds crew, and retail staff.
150 volunteers become the "characters" of Scarborough, including
King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn. Daily Falconry demonstrations are
conducted by John Karger of Last Chance Forever Wildlife Conservatory.
The property includes 200 permanent shops where you will find a bewildering assortment of souvenirs, collectibles, arts and crafts. Each day during the festival, artists demonstrate ancient arts like glassblowing, blacksmithing, candlemaking, leather crafting, armor making, medieval music and more. The village features 21 stages with over 200 performances - including three Full Combat Jousts - each day.
Naturally, food is a big part of the festival. Turkey legs are always popular, but you can choose from more than 70 menu items at the five food court areas, ranging from pastas to seafood to Italian Ice to fajitas or meatball sandwiches, pastries, etc. etc. The village is home to eight different pubs and taverns selling beers, wine and other drinks, and based on my observations, the regulars at the event spend a good deal of their time in these establishments. You'll notice that most every person dressed in period attire has a loop build on to their belt with a stein hanging off of it - unlike the weapons they're carrying, these steins aren't just for show.
Our Visit to Scarborough Renaissance Festival
Ryan and I went to the event on the Sunday before the Memorial Day weekend, so it was actually not too crowded. The drive to Waxahachie is very easy - right along I-35. Coming from Fort Worth we went 287 instead since that's the shortest route my GPS could find. This was an easy drive as well, although there were no signs along that road to guide me to Scarborough. Once you're on I-35, you'll find it is very well marked.
The
village is located out in the sticks - there is almost nothing between I-35
and the village except a rather dumpy little gas station that isn't easy
to get in and out of, so you probably want to fill up the tank before you
get there.
Getting in to Scarborough is somewhat pricey - $22 for teens and adults. You can find discount coupons at Tom Thumb grocery stores, but we don't have any of those near where we live so Ryan and I had to pay full price. Fortunately, the parking is free. (It always chafes me when places charge admission and then charge you to park as well, so I like how Scarborough handles that. Charging to park is a scam - DID YOU HEAR THAT, JERRY JONES!!!!)
As
with any event like this, Scarborough is designed to part you with as much
of your cash as possible - souvenirs abound, costumes can be rented and
they do have a wide selection of foods. You will be astounded at how money
seems to evaporate magically from your pocket. Is it the spells from Twig
the Fairy, or Rhianna the Troll? Nope - it's just really good marketing
and a big variety of ways for you to spend the bucks. LOL
Actually, many of the things at Scarborough are extremely well priced for an event like this. The program is only $3. Sodas are a modestly painful $2.50 for a 20-ounce bottle. The torture dungeon and the mythical monster museum cost under $5. And all the shows and the jousting are paid for with your admission. You could spend the day just looking at all the shops and watching shows constantly and not spend any more than the ticket price, so if you can keep away from the souvenir stands and food places it's not too bad at all. It's just hard to tell the kids they don't NEED that wooden sword, flower headdress and painted face. LOL
Happily, Ryan didn't need any of the above accoutrements so we were able to enjoy the day without breaking the bank. And there is a lot to look at enjoy. Everywhere you turn, someone is walking around in the clothing of a knight, warrior, princess, jester, pirate, Vatican guard, etc.
Several
volunteer actors play specific roles at Scarborough, and they really do
it up. Sholo the Nubian has been at Scarborough for years and is a terrifically
menacing warrior. Twig the Fairy is just delightful; with all the expressions
and mannerisms, the young lady who plays this part has it down to a tee.
Rhianna the Troll had the kids wrapped around her finger as she sat and
told stories. It's obvious these actors really take the roles seriously
and they add a LOT to the event.
As
I said earlier, there are over 200 free stage shows presented each day.
Singers, dancers, musicians, acrobats, magicians, knife-throwers and comedians
all put on free shows all around the village, starting every half hour.
I missed the falconry display, which is a big bummer. I would have loved
to see that.
One big event that happens every day is the grand parade - an assortment of characters from around the village participate in the parade, which winds through much of the village at 1:00 p.m. The kids really enjoyed watching all the different costumed paraders going by.
Along with the shows, you'll find there are rides and games as well. You can try your hand at archery, climb a castle tower, or play various carnival-type games. There are several rides as well, geared primarily for the younger guests.
As
you can see there is a lot to do at Scarborough Renaissance Festival, and
I haven't even gotten to the premier event: The joust. Twice each day the
village hosts a joust and sword fight. In years past, the event included
several knights - this year there were only two, at least on the day we
were there. I don't know if this was for budgetary reasons or what. The
event is lots of fun to watch - the performers put on a heck of a show.
Even though it's not real combat there is contact involved; for the show
I watched, both knights had their neck pieces knocked loose during the joust.
If you stop to think what these guys are doing, it's really remarkable. They're in full armor, riding around in the Texas heat - after 10 minutes of that, they must feel like a chicken inside a pressure cooker. As I said before, they really do whack each other with swords and lances and take tumbles off the horses in their armor, which has to hurt. And they do this show three times a day.
Family
Travel Tips at Scaroborough Festival Renaissance Festival
#1 - Arrive early. If you can get there right as the festival opens, you'll park closer, have fewer crowds to contend with and beat the heat.
#2 - Save money and eat before you go. You can still enjoy a treat while you're there without having to spring for a full meal.
#3 – Enjoy the shows. Get a program so you can plan out the shows
you want to watch and see when they're happening. Then spend the day and
watch lots of shows. Watch out for sunburn - I forgot to bring sunscreen,
and I got torched.
Location:
The Scarborough Renaissance Festival is located at 2511 FM66, Waxahachie, TX 75167.
Visit the Scarborough Renaissance Festival Website.
Admissions:
One-Day Ticket Regular One-Day Admission
(good for any day of the festival)
Adult: $21.99
Child: $8.50
Be sure to look through our Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas photographs
Dallas Texas / Fort Worth Texas Travel Photographs
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