The ORF Blog

September 6, 2023

A (Very) Brief History of Belly Dancing With a history that goes back thousands of years, belly dancing has seen a surge in popularity as a means of self-expression, body confidence, and entertainment. Its origins are traced to rural folk dancing in ancient Egypt (around 3100 BC), where these enticing shimmies and free-flowing movements were […]

August 23, 2023

For many Renaissance Festival enthusiasts, one of the first things to do every season is pick up a commemorative mug. Across the nation, these clay, stamped mugs have become synonymous with Ren Faires. But how does one come into existence? They are, after all, not an invention of the mass market, but instead a unique […]

August 16, 2023

Each season the Ohio Renaissance Festival searches far and wide to bring our guests untold merriment and adventure. Along with a myriad of musicians, singers, acrobats, and performers, our faire proudly brings out specialty entertainers like Birds of Prey, Cincinnati Barbarians, and the jousters of Combatant’s Keep. This year, we add an all-new experience to […]

August 9, 2023

As the Ohio Renaissance Festival draws new visitors from all over, we continue to explore deeper into the world of history and fantasy created for our guests. Each year brings fresh possibilities, encouraging the imagination of our hard-working staff members. We listen to your suggestions and ideas about how to make our festival even better, […]

August 2, 2023

The Story of Mirth and Whimsy Once upon a time in the 16th century, in a quiet and peaceful monastery tucked away in the hills of England, there lived a monk named Brother Ignatius. He was a hardworking man, but even the most devoted of souls can grow bored of the same routine day after […]

July 26, 2023

Each day at the Ohio Renaissance Festival offers a wide array of magic and wonder for the whole family to enjoy. It’s no wonder that we see guests from all over the place coming to experience the village of Willy-Nilly. With so much to see and do, it can be difficult to narrow down the […]

July 12, 2023

With the hottest summer on record only about half over, many of us are wondering how this is going to affect our favorite faires and festivals. September & October temperatures are expected to flirt between the low 80s and high 70s, but we all know how unpredictable the weather can be! However, with a little […]

June 21, 2023

Celtic Fest is, for so many of us, our first real opportunity to reach out and reconnect with one another. Despite the road work, this year brought forth an impressive array of just about everything you could ask for in a festival. Our guests enjoyed their favorites along with some new attractions that delighted the […]

June 14, 2023

If you were lucky enough to find yourself at the 1572 Roadhouse BBQ last Saturday then you were able to be part of a special experience. We’ve all been to the bbq before and seen people who brought their pups along for a bit of sun and a discreetly offered bit of pulled pork under […]

May 24, 2023

The history of the divergent Celtic people is interwoven with their folklore and legends, going back to a time long before Christian arrived and began to transcribe their tales. It can be difficult to speak briefly on this subject, as many of these tales are epics equal to that of the Mesopotamian Gilgamesh or Greek […]