Did you know that there are over 200 Renaissance or medieval faires in the US? You can go all the way up to Three Baron’s Renaissance Faire in Alaska, or take a boat to Hawaii’s own Hanoka’a Renaissance Festival. You can visit the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire in California or take a drive through the corn right back to our very own Ohio Renaissance Festival. Each faire has its own special magic, a draw that keeps people returning year after year to explore the grounds and have a fantastic experience.
We asked our visitors ‘What sets ORF apart?’. What is it we do that makes visiting ORF a much-look-forward-to experience all year long? And boy did we get answers!
Part of the Village
Because ORFans believe in spreading magic to other faire goers by being cheerful, friendly, and helpful because we love the faire.
– Rebecca Astorino
A big part of what helps the Ohio Ren Faire stand out is the way in which it makes guests feel welcome. It doesn’t matter if you’re a die-hard Rennie with a room full of garb or you’ve never even heard of a ren faire until the moment you walked in the gate. Everyone here, from the cast to the vendors, wants you to feel like a part of our village.
It comes as no surprise that a lot of effort goes into creating such an open atmosphere. Our stellar cast goes through improv training and workshops from veteran performers, teaching them how to interact with patrons to create memorable stories. Groups like the ORFans, the International Wenches Guild, and the Fairy Guild offer communities to get involved in and become more immersed in the festival. Many of our stage acts take the time to come down into the audience to take pictures, chat with fans, and help you feel like you belong here.
I find the community and camaraderie of this particular festival pretty amazing. I’ve lived all over the country and have attended 20+ ren fairies in different states. I personally feel that Texas still has the biggest/most feature-rich Renn faires, while Maryland does the most communal and immersive Renn fest (lots of really great SCA events and activities), but I have made FAR more friends and associates at the Ohio Renn fest than anywhere else. It’s just like, an alternate home this time of year.
– Jeffrey Carter
Variety is the Spice of Life
There is a lot of variety of well….everything at our faire. From performers to food there is a ton of different choices. Something for everybody.
– Sara Alexandria Jandolenko
With over 60 shows and over 160 daily performances, it’s no wonder most people plan to visit more than once. Music acts such as Celtic Mayhem and Father, Son, & Friends, Hexxan, and Pirates’ Creed are well known by festival enthusiasts. If you want to laugh your bloomers off, try Cirque Lapin, Friar Finngan, and Moonie the Magnificent. There are the daring acrobatics of Circa Brava, the PB&J Circus, Kamikaze Fireflies, and the Wheel of Death! We have full armored jousts, clashing barbarians, court dances, and belly dancers alike. Every turn of the lane brings forth a new spectacle for you to enjoy.
And you, our own visitors, add to this tapestry every weekend. Much like a comicon, many of our guests come in full garb (renaissance attire) or cosplay to show off their creative skills for the crowd. Don’t feel limited by the time period or historical accuracy. We have orcs, furries, space marines, superheroes, Mandalorians, DND OC’s and multi-cultural garb! No matter how you show your creativity and enthusiasm, you are letting us know that you want to play along, making you an important part of the village.
The music performances available at the Ohio Renaissance Festival are amazing. I struggle every day trying to choose who I will watch that day and often times have to take turns with different shows each day because there simply isn’t enough time to fit it all in! What a problem to have: too many talented artists to choose from!
– Samantha Kreider
A World Apart
When I walk through the gates somehow the real world is left in the parking lot and I feel lighter. I am transported into another world and can be whatever or whomever you want. It is a real break from the stress of reality for a few hours and I look forward to it all year.
It’s wonderful to see people be gracious and supportive of each other and get to know people they might not have taken the opportunity to meet in the real world.
– Julia Maiolo
There are reasons most permanent faires are built away from the hubbub of the city. For one, it’s harder to get that ‘Ye Olde’ feeling if you can hear car horns blaring. For another, it provides our guests with the choice to disconnect during their visit. Sure, we want you to take photos, post pics, and share with everybody how much fun you had! But as always, the goal is to be more entertaining, more engaging, and more downright fun than anything that could be happening outside those gates.
Ren faires are playgrounds. An all-ages recess with permission to be as whimsical and imaginative as you care to be. Make new friends just by saying hello to someone. Play dress-up as you build your garb collection. Have a foam sword battle and die dramatically in the grass. Go Wench Collecting and win a mediocre prize. Stop and have lunch under the shade of a tree. Watch a glassblower create colorful art before your eyes. Kiss your beloved by the dragon fountain. Get your face painted.
Make your visit worth every second simply by choosing to have an adventure.
For me personally, it’s that I can switch between attending and working and not feel like the experience is broken! I got to work their yuletide event last year, and even now that I know some of the cast It doesn’t break the illusion because they’re just that good!
– Fynn Hatton
The Ohio Renaissance Festival has so much to do and see, no wonder it takes 9 weekends to host it all. Every season brings new acts and entertainment to the grounds and new visitors to the village. Have you been to the Ohio Renaissance Festival this season? Show us your pics and tell us all about your adventure by tagging #orf2025