Review: 2015 Ohio Renaissance Festival

As with most people with a desire to travel and get out and do things, there are quite a few bucket list items we have always wanted to do with our kids. While we are not into participating in cosplay, we find it fascinating to people watch. The costumes, the dedication, the vernacular. The whole scene is just fascinating. That is why we have a big desire to attend a major Comic-Con event, like in San Diego. In addition, we always wanted to see what it was like to visit a Renaissance Festival for similar reasons.

So we were very, very excited when we recently got invited to attend the Ohio Renaissance Festival in Waynesville, OH. The event takes place weekends from September 5th through October 25th, 2015. This also happened to correspond perfectly with Kings Island Haunt, making it a perfect pairing for a weekend trip.

The first thing one notices when arriving to the Ohio Renaissance Festival property is that this is not a temporary facility under the guise of a less than authentic experience. The property is solely used for this annual event. Upon entering through the gates of the castle, one instantly is immersed in the environment, fully feeling like they have entered a theme park. The buildings are period and not only are the employees dressed in medieval clothing, but so are the majority of the guests.

We happen to visit during their OktoBEERfest event at the beginning of October. Despite a horrible forecast for the weekend, we ventured to make the trip anyways, and were lucky we did. It was a misty rain for the majority of the day of our visit and the temperatures were in the 50s, meaning we all had to bundle up for the weather.

One one makes it into the grounds, there are probably a hundred vendors selling all sorts of wears from weapons (kids and adult versions), clothing, period pieces one would expect to purchase during the time, and food.

As one walks through the grounds, there are stages set up throughout the property. Barkers will let one know when the next show begins, as they work to fill the stands. There are some unique shows from the art of sword fighting to a Mud Show.

As one could guess, the cold temperatures made for some entertaining commentary from the Mud Show, as they jumped into the pit.

It really a wonderful event, made all the more better because the grounds were specifically only for the festival. All the booths, which are built and made by each of the vendors, made one feel like they stepped back in time.

The food, oh the food! Since the weather was cooler, we decided on choosing the bread bowl stand, where they will fill your bowl with chili, mac & cheese, chicken pot pie, or potato soup. We went with the three prior, and can not say enough how good they all were. Everything tasted homemade, was served nice and warm, and went excellent with the bread bowls.

Upon leaving the Ohio Renaissance Festival, there is one thing we all said to each other…boy was that fun! The event more than exceeded our expectations! Our boys loved it, as there was plenty for them to see and do, including purchasing their own kids wooden swords and shields.

For more information, visit the Ohio Renaissance Festival website. Tickets are $21.95 (adult) and $9.95 (child); however, tickets are discounted when purchasing online. Plus, save $4 per ticket through the US Family Guides website.

We were provided tickets to visit the Ohio Renaissance Festival, but all opinions are those of the author.

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