Theme Weekends 2024
Theme Weekends add an extra layer of fun for our guests. Every weekend celebrates the joy and spirit of the Renaissance, and on the following weekends, we infuse an exciting twist.
Steampunk Weekend
July 13 & 14, 2024
Gather your gadgets, gears, and goggles, and join us in your finest time-traveling attire! No matter which century you portray, join us to celebrate a leap back (or forward) in time!
Best Hand-Made Steampunk Costume Contest: To enter, sign up at the Guest Services Gazebo by 1:45 p.m. Saturday or Sunday then join your fellow contestants at the Castle Keepe Stage at 2:00 p.m. to show off your finery for the judges. The winners will receive tickets to return to the Faire!
Pop-Up Absinthe Bar: Enjoy two Absinthe bars this weekend, one near the Lord Mayor’s Forum and one at the Queen’s Indulgence Pub. And, if you’re feeling extra adventurous, order a ‘Flaming Absinthe’ cocktail at the “It’s 5 O’Clock” pub located near the Castle Keep Stage! As Oscar Wilde famously said, “A glass of absinthe is as poetical as anything in the world. What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset?”
Marketplace Weekend
July 20 & 21, 2024
Spend $500 or more in the Faire’s Village Marketplace this weekend and receive two tickets to return to the Faire any Saturday or Sunday through August 25, 2024. Simply bring your paper receipts to the Guest Services Booth inside the front gate before 7 p.m. to redeem this offer. All paper receipts must be for purchases made on the same day, either July 20 or 21. The complimentary tickets must be claimed on the date of your visit, July 20 or 21. Please note that this offer excludes purchases of admission, food, beverages, rides, games, and the Renaissance Collection Souvenir Shop on July 20 or 21. Limit 2 complimentary tickets per shopper.
Cottagecore Weekend
July 27 & 28, 2024
Don your best woodland attire and frolic at the Faire this weekend! We’ll provide a map for a self-guided ‘Cozy Crawl’ showing the locations of Village Artisans creating beautiful hand-made items that you can take home to your own cozy cottage.
All Day – Cozy Crawl: Pick up the ‘Cozy Crawl’ map at the Guest Services Gazebo detailing all the stops you’ll want to make on your memorable journey throughout the village.
10:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. – Cottagecore Maypole Dance: Welcome the summer in style! Dance experience is not required. Laughter and good vibes are guaranteed. Join us at Maypole Commons at one or both of these scheduled times.
All Day – Find the Fantastikals: The Fantastikals bring magic, wonder, and surprise to our village. Frequently found in Shakespeare’s Meadow or flitting throughout the Faire, find our enchanted Fantastikals for wholesome fairy fun.
NEW! Toadstool Time: Calling all friends of toadstools! Engage with our cousins in the streets of Bristol who will seek you out and tell you where and when you can find our secret toadstool meetup.
6:20 p.m. – Fairy Frolic Drum Jam: Dance, spin, and frolic your cares away! We’ll close out your magical day between the Fountainside Music Stage and the Lord Mayor’s Forum. Our talented musicians will set your spirits soaring. Come, dance with us!
Pirate Weekend
August 3 & 4, 2024
Welcome, pirates of all ages, to the annual celebration at Bristol! Dust off your finest attire and show up with your best manners for a civilized dive into our take on Pirate culture!
NEW! The Pirate .05k: Swagger through our all-new pirate “obstacle” course and receive an exclusive finisher’s medal and a free drink. Space is limited, registration information is coming soon.
NEW! Pirate Trivia: Prove you know the difference between port and starboard at our Pirate Trivia challenge. Winners receive the second-best pirate booty – bragging rights! Check the stage schedule for location and time.
NEW! Sailor Knots: Can you knot? Can you not knot? Join our experts and we can turn the can not knots into can knots! Check the stage schedule for location and time.
RennCon™
August 10 & 11, 2024
RennCon™ is a celebration of cosplay! Whether you draw your inspiration from the sci-fi scene, anime, comics, television, fairy tales, or anywhere else… we invite you to mingle with our 16th-century townsfolk at the biggest costume party in Bristol.
Cosplay Maypole Dance: Join the cosplay tribe for the biggest cross-genre extravaganza you’ve ever seen! How would your favorite villain dance around the Maypole? Find out at 10:30 a.m. at the Maypole Commons!
Trivia Challenge: Our trivia mistress created all-new all-original trivia questions for this year’s RennCon™. Winners receive the ultimate fandom currency – bragging rights! Check the stage schedule for locations and times.
This year’s trivia topics are Labyrinth, Percy Jackson, and Lord of the Rings.
The Bristol Renaissance Faire’s legendary Pub Crawl is back! Join the loud and lusty Pub Crawl Crew who guide you along the village streets to several fine taverns and public houses joking and singing all the way. Try not to spill as you jiggle and giggle at the most bodacious songs, jokes, stories, and riddles the shire has to offer. It’s the most fun to be had this side of 1599!
Travel with your bartender for immediate service, and choose from more than 14 beers on tap or a delicious mead as you go. We also offer gluten-free cider. FOUR alcoholic drinks are included in the Pub Crawl – one at each pub. Just $65 per ticket, the Pub Crawl runs four times each Saturday: 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m., and three times each Sunday: 12:00 p.m., 1:30, and 2:30 p.m. Most of the tickets for each crawl are available online, and a few are available for purchase on the day of the crawl (at Guest Services) on a first-come basis.
Pub Crawl tickets purchased online must be redeemed at Guest Services between 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. to receive your wristband. You MUST check-in at least 30 minutes before your scheduled Pub Crawl to receive your wristband. No wristband means no Pub Crawl. If you are late, you will not receive all 4 drinks. No refunds.
You may only Crawl once per day!
The Pub Crawl sells out quickly and does not include admission to The Bristol Renaissance Faire. You will need an admission ticket and a Pub Crawl ticket if you wish to drink with us.
Must be 21 to participate (IDs will be checked for everyone). Children are not permitted on the Pub Crawl (including children in strollers). Please drink responsibly, we like return customers!
Faire Reviews
Most excellent hilarity and general merriment was had by all. I highly recommend the Pub Crawl! – Lynette P
I wanted to offer my biggest, most heartfelt thank you to the Bristol Staff for a truly magical weekend. My friends and I were very impressed with the genuine talent of each and every actor and performance. I also wanted to extend a personal thank you to Uncle Jack, who was welcoming and loving to my friends and me. His extra attention and care made him fun to talk to, and my friends and I found ourselves seeking him out throughout the day to have conversations with him again. Love you, Uncle Jack! We look forward to joining you in the Pub Crawl soon. An additional thank you/apology to the handsome gentleman portraying William Shakespeare. We loved your genuineness and authenticity, (as well as your patience with the cherry thief, and I am only slightly apologetic but very thankful for the wonderful laughs and memories that followed).
For someone who has never been to a Renaissance Faire before, I have been delighted and enthused with my trip to Bristol. I wish I could write more expressing my happiness because of my trip. Please know that you all are the reason people believe in magic, and the joy you have bringing imagination to life is outstanding. Please keep up the amazing work! I will be visiting again. With love, Emma
