My Lords and Ladies, Get Ye to the Texas Renaissance Festival!
by Paris Permenter & John Bigley, Editors, Lovetripper.com

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For seven autumn weekends, this Texas-sized celebration transports visitors back to the days of King Henry VIII. Here you can step back into a fantasy world where the king and 500 subjects process through the streets at noon, where jesters and jugglers provide a colorful entertainment at every turn, where craftsmen rekindle ancient skills, and where Anne Boleyn once again loses her head for you-know-who.

Located near Houston between Plantersville and Magnolia, the Texas Renaissance Festival is the largest Renaissance Festival in the country. Over its seven-weekend run, the event draws 325,000 visitors. The fairgrounds are transformed into a medieval world with 300 permanent structures all constructed in the true Tudor style.

Don’t be shy about arriving at the festival bedecked in medieval regalia. Many guests blend right in, so much so that craftsmen and actors are identified with leather badges.

Budget an entire day for the festival (and a whole weekend if you intend to enjoy several shows). Just covering the entire pine-shaded grounds takes time, and, in true Renaissance style, you don’t want to rush a la 21st century.

One way to kick back to a slower time is the King's Feast, a two-hour event that combines a six-course meal with rollicking and sometimes bawdy entertainment. Between courses, guests (each sporting a red or blue hat, some with multiple points) enjoy entertainment by Merlin the Magician, bellydancers, a tightrope walker, and musicians. Those who don’t partake in the feast will find plenty of good food throughout the park, from turkey legs to shrimp kabobs, washed down with red wine or a mug of ale. And for wine-loving couples, there's also the King's Wine Tasting for a chance to enjoy eight premium wines.

Authentic arts and crafts fill the booths throughout the festival. Look for glassblowers, jewelry makers, leather workers, candlemakers, potters, and more. Over 300 arts and crafts shops are positioned throughout the grounds.

Equally authentic are the shows, scheduled throughout the day at stages across the park. Mud wrestlers. Jousters. Chariot races. Magic shows. Twenty one stages entertain visitors with over 200 performances every day.

Getting There:

Festival grounds are located between Plantersville and Magnolia on FM 1774, northwest of Houston. From Houston, take I-45 north, turn left on 105, turn left on FM 1774 at Plantersville and drive six miles to the grounds. Parking is free as is camping.

Bridal Bits:

If you’ve had visions of a wedding Romeo and Juliet style, here’s your chance. Fantasy wedding packages are available for any weekend. While at the festival, we witnessed a beautiful wedding ceremony held in the center of the festival grounds. Following a procession of costumed actors representing friars, Anne Boleyn, and ladies-in-waiting, the bride arrived in a horse-drawn coach. Her arrival at the ivy-covered wedding bough was heralded by the sound of trumpets. Guests sat on simple benches in the wedding bough and following an exchange of vows performed by a costumed minister, the party enjoyed a feast of medieval foods. [Click here for more on getting married at the Texas Renaissance Festival.]

For More Information:

Call (800) 458-3435 for general information and ticket prices or see www.texrenfest.

Wedding photo courtesy Texas Renaissance Festival