If you are a fan of theater, music, and stunts, this is the festival for you! Nestled in the town of Sterling, NY, The Renaissance Festival operates weekends July 6th - August 18th 2024. Sterling is only about 1 hour from Rochester and the festival is an excellent day trip for families.
Upon entering the festival gates, you and your family are transported to 1585 and the village of Warwick, England. Inside, the villagers are preparing a festive day in celebration for a visit from Queen Elizabeth. The fairgrounds are breathtaking. The storefronts, colorful tents, and shaded trees provide the perfect setting to make you feel like you have stepped back in time. Costumed performers, musicians, and festival goers also make for excellent people watching. The festival grounds are open at 10am with a short parade of costumed performers, cannon, musicians, and revelry! Closing time is at 7pm daily.
The festival is centered around a series of stages and shows. Our family began our day by checking out the festival program to see which shows interested us most. The festival does a nice job of giving descriptions of each show. I also appreciated that they note which shows are more appropriate for an older audience. We checked out Sky King Falconry and were amazed by highly trained birds of prey.
Our next stop was Clan Tynker Circus. We were captivated by sword swallowing, fire eating, juggling and so many more death defying tricks. Cirqa Brava enthralled us with their aerial acrobatics. The highlight of any trip to the festival is the Joust and Tournament of Arms. The crowd goes wild while cheering for their knight as he attempts to gain fame and favor of the Queen.
In between shows, we were able to listen to musicians, check out shops, and grab some snacks. The festival offers a wide range of food that would appeal to any palate. Wandering treats including soft pretzels, pickles, and beef jerky are also available to tempt your taste buds. Giant turkey legs are a popular festival treat. Unique games like ax throwing, archery, and man powered “carnival rides” were also a hit with my family. New this year was a “kid powered” slushie machine with color changing cups.
This was popular with all the kids.
Only two weekends are left to join in the festivities in 2024. August 10-11 is Fantasy, Fairies and the Future Weekend and August 17-18 is the Grand Finale Weekend. Tickets are available online at www.sterlingfestival.com or at the gate.
Tips For Attending the Festival
1. Remember, outside food and drink are not allowed inside the festival grounds. Many visitors prefer to bring coolers and chairs to enjoy a picnic lunch near their cars in addition to the typical festival food. Re Entry is allowed to the grounds with a hand stamp.
2. Many vendors accept credit cards, but it is a good idea to bring some cash as well. There are several $3-$5 games, as well as walk around vendors that only accept cash. ATMs are available on site.
3. Dressing up can be a fun family activity. We thrifted our costumes and had a great time. As weather can be unpredictable, we had a change of clothes to keep in the car just in case our costumes became uncomfortable. Costumes can be purchased or rented on site as well.
4. Internet access/cell service can be spotty in some areas. You may want to consider printing your tickets as a few patrons had some difficulty pulling them up on their phones.
For More Information
Sterling Renaissance Festival
15385 Farden Road
Sterling, New York 13156
1-800-879-4446
https://www.sterlingfestival.com/
Open Saturdays and Sundays ONLY during festival dates
