Roaming Numeral

For the uninitiated, a Renaissance Faire is an outdoor festival that aims to recreate a fantastical version of the English Renaissance- though some faires branch out into other locations or time periods. Most Faires will have a cast of characters wandering the festival and interacting with guests in character, and even most of the vendors will join in on the fun!

It’s not all about realism, however! It’s very common to visitors to dress up in ensembles ranging from jeans and a t-shirt to Star Wars costumes. It’s all about having a good time.

Located in Tuxedo New York, just an hour away from Manhattan, the New York Renaissance Faire is the perfect day trip from New York City and it was frequented throughout much of my childhood. Although visits tapered off as I got older, I still thought of it fondly.

This year, I decided to return for the first time in nearly a decade.

In the intervening years, the festival came under new ownership. Judging by their website, these owners also manage several other faires throughout the country.

Most of the reviews I’ve seen online were decidedly negative, but given I was really only hoping to watch a joust with a bit of a buzz, I figured I’d give it a try anyway. It seems pretty hard to mess that up.

And I was right! Overall, I had an excellent time- the jousts were wildly entertaining and I had a blast shopping at all the different merchant stalls. I caught a few of the acrobatics shows and even the tail end of the falconry display.

Despite reviews mourning their lack, the fairies were back and seemed to have a whole stage area just for their interactions. In previous years, they were in a much more central location along a well traveled pathway- so I think they might have just been missed by those reviewers.

I saw a few of the performers roaming around and interacting with guests, but I didn’t seek any of them out myself.

Check the weekly schedule for a list of events- there’s always a performance going on somewhere. If none of those performances appeal to you, check out any of the interactive activities. Archery is always popular, but plate smashing seemed to be extra fun this year. There are also a few demonstrations that are performed throughout the day- from glassblowing to blacksmithing, there’s something for everyone.

I also spotted a few of the Pub Crawls which all seemed be having a phenomenal time- maybe I’ll give that a try next year!

I got to the faire just after opening and remained until the parade to the exit after the Final Revels- a jaunty sing a long with all of the cast members and most of the remaining guests- and even then regretted not visiting on an additional day to check out more of the entertainment and activities.

THE GOOD

Buildings

The New York Renaissance Faire is one of the limited number of Renaissance Faires that has permanent structures that stay up year round. This allows for a greater atmosphere of authenticity and immersion, plus it’s a blast to explore the little village and manicured lake.

Less permanent, but still fun is the Viking Village, which I actually don’t remember from my childhood visits, possibly because it’s a little tucked away from the main activity.

This village aims to show an authentic version of what life was like for historical Vikings, and it’s a fun little historical and cultural centre.

Shopping

Okay, don’t quote me on this, but I think that the shopping here is superior to many other Renaissance Faires. I was searching for a nice corset throughout my visit to both the New York and the Pennsylvania Faire, and New York had far more options at a greater variety of prices than I saw in Pennsylvania- plus multiple armor and jewelry shops. (Drinks on the other hand were a different story).

Food

With over 20 different vendors and a dozen beverage stalls, you’ll never be hungry or thirsty! It can be pretty expensive, though, so feel free to bring your own packed lunch in.

Joust

The crown jewel of the Renaissance Faire is always the joust! This joust is run by a group called The Jousters, who create their own storyline throughout the day with charismatic actors playing each knight. You can pay extra for VIP seating, but watching the joust is otherwise free! You’ll get assigned a knight to cheer for based on the side that you’re watching from, and you’d better cheer your heart out at your knight does their best to knock their competitors off their horse!

I did have a bit of a hard time following the storyline of this joust, though. All of the actors do wear microphones, but the speakers were a little fuzzy. While I got the general idea of what was happening, I did miss a lot of the nuance, which was disappointing- I’ll just have to sit closer next time.

I will say I was very impressed to notice that every single horse was ridden without a bit- just a hint at their exceptional care and horsemanship for their equine partners.

Culture

While this faire was pretty crowded, I noticed that nearly everyone was dressed up at least a little bit so I didn’t even mind! It was cute that everyone was so excited to be here that they put time and effort into themed outfits!

The merchants were super friendly and engaging and always had time to help me try on different outfits (and to tie me in and out of different corsets, which is not the fastest process in the world).

I even made a friend while corset shopping- I think we ended up selling each other on more items than the merchants did!

Most Renaissance Faires are pretty queer friendly by default, but I did also notice quite a more few Pride flags, pins, and merch than I have at other faires.

While mead in general is a popular drink of choice at every Renaissance Faire I’ve been to, I found the New York Renaissance Faire, specifically, to be very into a type of mixed drink called a Bee-sting. Similar to a Snakebite (half lager half cider), a Bee Sting is half cider and half mead! I was recommended this drink multiple times throughout the day from merchants and fellow guests alike. When in Rome- or the Renaissance- right?

Toilets

Contrary to popular belief, there are actually regular toilets at this faire! They’re a little out of the way, but so worth it compared to the grouping of port-a-potties near the entrance- don’t even bother with those.

THE BAD

The Price

One of the main complaints that came with the new management was the cost of the tickets- and I agree. At $48 (plus tax!), the New York Renaissance Faire is one of the most expensive I’ve ever been to, and I don’t feel that they have enough amenities to justify their pricing compared to other Renaissance Faires.

Even the beers will run you a shocking $15 per plastic cup. As someone used to NYC pricing, it can be difficult to phase me when it comes to up-charging, but they sure do manage it here. I ended up ordering a Voodoo Ranger IPA which I don’t even necessarily like but was the best bang for your buck on the menu.

Merchant pricing did seem to run similarly if not identically to the shops I explored in Pennsylvania, so at least there’s that!

Parking

I’ve seen nothing but complaints about the parking system at this Faire. On one hand, I feel that it’s justified- $20 for preferred parking is absurd, especially in addition to their exorbitant ticket pricing. What is less often mentioned, however, is that there is still free parking. They don’t label this option particularly well in the hopes of you paying their premium pricing. I overshot this parking lot on my visit and ended up having to turn around in their paid parking lot. For future reference- you’re looking for the first parking lot that is available when you arrive from the South. I believe it is labeled LOT 3.

Now, this lot was about a quarter full and rapidly filling up at the time of my arrival 40 minutes after opening, so I’d be curious to know what they do if and when they reach capacity but as it stands- the early bird gets the free parking.

It’s not very close parking- you’ll have to walk through the woods and through the preferred parking lot for about 10 minutes to reach the gates, but frankly, I’ve never not parked in this lot, even prior to this new management, so I can’t complain. For those who can’t or prefer not to make this walk, a while school buss shuttles guests to the gate every 20 minutes or so (but it’s faster to walk).

Repetition

This is, perhaps, an unfair thing to complain about, but one of the reasons that I’d stopped visiting this Faire is that it can feel pretty repetitive year after year. The merchants and food are typically the same annually, and once you make it to all of the shows, those don’t change too much either!

There is something to be said about the comfort of knowing exactly what to expect, but I’m definitely not as compelled to visit year after year.

Crowds

The crowds were…a lot. As I mentioned earlier, 90% of the other guests were dressed up and their excitement to be there went a long way to balance out my dislike of crowds, but I still had a hard time finding seats for certain events or even just to get off my feet. One of the merchants mentioned that this was actually a significantly smaller crowd than usual due to the fact that it is an election year- I guess I’ll have to compare to next year. I have seen the admission tickets sell out in the past, but if the event gets as crowded as implied, I imagine that the max capacity could do with a slight decrease!

Final Verdict

GO! If you’re wondering if you’d like the Renaissance Faire, the answer is yes! There’s no shortage of things to do and see, and despite my complaints about the pricing, I did get a full day’s worth of entertainment. If you go into a Renaissance Faire looking for a good time, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find one.