Guide to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival

flower crowns at renaissance festival

Looking for a new way to spend a fall weekend in Kansas City? Bring your family to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival for a magical time! Be sure to plan your visit around the theme weekends and kid-specific activities.

Family friendly highlights

The Kansas City Renaissance Festival is family friendly! Don’t miss some of these special highlights.

The Enchanted Forest

Venture into the shaded garden that has been transformed and filled with fairies, pixies, nymphs, and other magical creatures that now call the forest their home.

Mermaid Cove

Watch as mermaids dive, flip, and twirl majestically in the water.

Grand March Parade

Watch the Royal Court and other Festival Entertainers joyously greet all festivalgoers in this daily parade at 12:30 p.m.

Jousting

Watch live armored jousting at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. every day on the joust track.

Maypole

Maypole dancing is a form of folk dance from Germany, England and Sweden. Come relive the traditional ribbon dance celebrating the seasons.

Meet the Royals Court

Relive history and meet the king and queen, along with their attendants, at the festival.

Renaissance Festival theme weekends

Sept. 3-5: Swashbucklers & Sirens, pirates, mermaids & seafaring fun
Sept. 10-11: Highland Fling, Scottish weekend + Highland Games
Sept. 17-18: Wine, Chocolate & Romance, Wedding of the Century weekend
Sept. 24-25: Shamrocks & Shenanigans, Irish weekend
Oct. 1-2: Heroes & Villains, Cosplay & superheroes
Oct. 8-10: Barkbarian Brew Fest, pet weekend
Oct. 15-16: Haunted Huzzah! Halloween comes early!

Mom tips

  • Breastfeeding: There is a private nursing area in the Children’s Realm.
  • Outside food is not permitted except for very small children with specific needs.
  • A lost and found is available at the will call area.
  • You can bring your dog, but it needs to be registered.

Admission, hours and tickets

Festival hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sept. 5 and Oct. 10. In addition to our classic activities, the festival will have exciting new additions. The Captain’s Rum Raid will give guests a chance to sample fine new spirits, and Henry’s Happy Hour will close out the day with craft beer and cigars in the new and improved White Stag Inn.

Tickets may be purchased at the box office or online. Pick up coupons at City Market promotions every Saturday, or visit select Casey’s, Minsky’s, Half Price Books and Culver’s locations.

Location of the Kansas City Renaissance Festival

The Kansas City Renaissance Festival is located 15 minutes and 500 years west of downtown Kansas City. The main (King’s Gate) entrance is on 130th Street, between State Avenue and KS Highway 7. The Queen’s Gate entrance is at 126th Street and State Avenue.

Sarah McGinnity
Sarah grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (Go Cats!), she moved to Minnesota where she met her husband, Shea. Realizing how much she hated snow in May, she convinced him to move to Kansas City in 2010. Together they have lived in Midtown, Waldo, the Plaza, and now Overland Park. Sarah is mom to 10-year-old, Henry, 7-year-old Clark and 5-year-old Lucy. She has her master’s in urban administration and is passionate about making Kansas City a more equitable and supportive community. In between the crazy, she likes to drink coffee, run, hike, travel as much as possible, and experience all things Kansas City!