The Bristol Renaissance Faire is only open on specific weekends during the summer and fall.
In 2011 the show starts Saturday, July 9th and runs only on Saturdays, Sundays & Labor Day, from July 9th through September 5th, 2011. The show is not open on any weekday except Labor Day, which is the final show day of the year.
The show hours are 10am through 7pm.
Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day July 9 - September 5, 2011
Off I-94 at IL/WI border 10am - 7pm
847-395-7773
Visit: www.renfair.com/bristol/
Events:
| Jane the Phoole's Mad Tea Tyme! - July 30, 2011. Join Jane the Phoole and a company of zany Phoole Friends and Steep Yourself in Culture, Calamity and Chaos as you chomp sweet treats, guzzle caffeine, play games, sing songs, and get up to all manner of hijinks together! | |||
| Plein Aire Painting Demonstration and Auction - July 30 and 31, 2011. Watch renowned artists work on Saturday, painting the excitement of the faire. Then have the opportunity to purchase the works of art on Sunday. | |||
| Fourth Annual Marketplace Weekend - August 6 and 7, 2011. Redeem your receipts for Faire tickets! | |||
| Twelfth Annual Scouts Weekend - August 13 and 14, 2011. | |||
| Pirate Weekend - August 13 and 14, 2011. Featuring a Pirate Pub Crawl led by a few special guest hosts, the weekend promises to be filled with all cries of "Shiver Me Tudors!" that you can handle. Details are being finalized for this piratical event. Check back soon! | |||
| Rainbow Days - Celebrating a Weekend of Diversity in Culture - August 20 and 21, 2011. | |||
| Steampunk Invasion - August 27 and 28, 2011. Details are being finalized for this adjust-your-chronometer event. Check back soon! | |||
The "Fantasy Facial Hair" Contest - Sunday August 28, 2011 ONLY.
You are not too lazy to shave. You are preparing for Bristol's manliest competition to date. Bristol invites men (and ladies!) everywhere to join us for our first-ever fantasy facial hair competition to win prizes, the adoration of the women and the envy of the men.
How to Enter:
It is FREE to enter the competition. Sign up at the Guest Relations Gazebo for the category of your choice. Then, come to the Lord Mayor's Forum stage at 4pm. Entrants will be invited on stage by category. Each entrant will have a brief moment to take center stage and showcase their "hair". A winner will be chosen from each category by our panel of judges. Once each category winner is selected, those 6 champions will be invited back on stage for our judges to pick a "Best in Show" winner. All 6 champions will receive a prize worthy of their dedication to the contest.
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We had a blast at the Bristol Renaissance Faire yesterday. I've been to many Ren Fairs before, but never as a parent. That sort of trip is a different experince for kids for sure. My kids loved it!! My plan was to enter at 10:30AM, stay for the 5PM Knighting Ceremony and leave. I tried to leave twice, but the girls kept pleading to stay longer just to watch the street entertainment, so we stayed until the very end at 7PM when the Queen said goodnight and the fairies yawned and went to sleep. Here are a few of my tips as a mom w/ 5 & 7 yr old daughters:
ReplyDelete1) Head for the Kids' Kingdom. It's tucked in at the back half of the Faire, so we got distracted a lot on the way. But once there, you'll find a quieter nook with costumed Ren Faire folk who are happy to play with your kids and fully engage with their imaginations. The stage humor is all age appropriate there. A pirate ship is great for climbing (but watch out for tiny tots...not super safe for 2 and under). Imagine fully costumed adult playmates who never get tired of hearing your stories and will theatrically help your child's story ideas come to life!
2) Bring plenty cash, but set a limit. Food vendors and rides don't accept credit. It's really easy to burn through $100 if you're not paying attention, so tell your kids they can choose a certain number of rides or snacks and stick to that. ATMs are available, but leaving my cash card behind helped me stick to a budget. Rides are $3-6 and food is usually between $4-8.
3) Pack lunch in your car if you want to save $ on food and not run around to the different vendors. Each food (turkey leg, corn on the cob, chicken on a stick, etc) has its own line which makes juggling plates difficult with kids. Ice cream is $4.50 and that line is never short! You can't bring food/drink inside, though, so you'd have to take a break and go back to the parking lot.
4) Take in the free live entertainment...especially the impromptu antics of the fairies. Their beautiful body paints and costumes are amazing when they're chasing each other through crowds or just hanging out in trees. The bubble fairy was my girls' favorite. She perches on balconies and walls gracefully blowing big bubbles using only her hands and a bowl of soap solution.
5) Meet the Princess. It's not like meeting a Disney princess who signs an autograph while her handlers usher you along. "Princess Grania of Sweden" sits on the grass with little ones and gently engages whoever is there in quiet and fanciful conversation. It's more like a real princess holding court rather than an autograph session. She talked for about 30 min to a group of 6 girls about fairies they had seen and and the colors of rose petals in her lap.
6) Go to the Knighting Ceremony. At 5PM at the Kids Kingdom stage, the children gather to receive knightships or ladyships from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. But first, kids are instructed on the requirements of the Court: Honesty, Respect, and Discipline. Respect means respect for others, respect for your things (dresses, toys, etc) and even respect for yourself (cakes are fine, but not so many if you respect your body!). They learn how to address Her Majesty and are dubbed knight or lady with a real sword. But if a child shows the least bit of wariness about the weapon, the queen puts it away and bestows the title with her hands or a hug. Plus, if your child has brought their own sword, the queen will use thing PLUS extract from them a promise that the sword will only be used to defend and protect. How 'bout that!
One last note. Upon returning to our car, we discovered a completely flat tire! And on top of that, my cell phone was dead from all the picture taking I'd done. The staff was completely gracious and took care of us. They'll even change your tire for no charge although I opted for AAA to do it. The girls never stopped having fun even then!
ccyl