Leave the modern world at the gates, and step into an amazing display of performances, art, food, and family fun at Bristol Renaissance Faire. Bristol Renaissance Faire is a 30-acre site with 16 stages that offer entertainment all day long. In addition to the shows, there are street entertainers, a joust, a variety of artisan shops, amazing food options, music, rides, and games. Make sure to get there early so you don’t miss the opening of the gates! Bristol Renaissance Faire is a summer staple every year. I went this past weekend during marketplace weekend and saw a variety of shows, strolled through different shops and as always, ate some amazing food.
Did you know? Bristol Renaissance Faire is set on a summer day in 1574 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth visited the English city of Bristol.
The Food
The Bristol Renaissance Faire has food and drink options to appeal to everyone. They also have a variety of gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian options. The food is one of my favorite things at the faire. I have my go-to’s that I get every year and I always like to try something new every year. With so many different things to try, these are my top three must get food items!
The Mushrooms from Mushroom Manor
You can order a variety of sizes here, including a ½ gallon to take home. The mushrooms are simmered in a savory garlic butter sauce and served with a piece of bread for dipping. This is always the first thing I get at the faire. The garlic butter sauce and the mushrooms are the perfect pairing.
Cheese Fritters from Lion’s Head
Down a little ways from Mushroom Manor are the perfectly fried cheese fritters. These are a great vegetarian option! The cheese fritters are made with Monterey jack cheese that is freshly shredded and combined with herbs & spices. They are lightly sizzled in pure vegetable oil and served with two different dipping sauces. The outside is crispy while the inside is full of ooey gooey melted cheese. The cheese fritters are my number one favorite thing to get at the faire. They are so good that I crave them all winter long.
Vegetable Tempura
The tempura stand has a couple different options - shrimp tempura, onion strings, golden grilled pineapple, ice cream crepes, and vegetable tempura! In past years I have tried the shrimp tempura, the ice cream crepe (which are one of my favorite desserts at the faire) and I have not been disappointed. The vegetable tempura is now one of the things that I always get. They have a variety of options, and sizes. You can also add some shrimp into the vegetable tempura. If you are headed to the faire with a group of people, get the bigger portion of the vegetable tempura. It is an absolutely huge order at a great price! This year I opted for the smaller portion because I wanted to try a couple other things. You get a mix of veggies that include broccoli, mushrooms, onions, carrots, zucchini, and potatoes. The batter is light and they lightly fry it in vegetable oil. This year I went with the sriracha dipping sauce and the Asian pepper sauce. Both sauces paired well with the lightly battered veggies.
Gelato
I don’t remember a time that I have been at the Bristol Renaissance Faire and it was not hot outside. The perfect treat to cool off is a scoop of gelato. This year I got a scoop of the cookies and cream gelato but they have a lot of other flavor options, including coconut and tiramisu. This was the perfect treat to cool off with and end my day at the faire. Consider getting affogato by adding a shot of espresso for a pick me up!
The Entertainment
The Bristol Renaissance Faire offers a variety of entertainment for the whole family. Make sure to pick up a show schedule at the gates when you first come in, or check out their schedule on the website for that weekend before you go. Many performers have multiple performances during the day so if there are conflicting shows you can normally catch another one later.
Lynx the Sword Swallower
I saw Lynx at The Bristol Renaissance Faire last year, and I was really excited to find out that he would be back all season this year. Lynx has been to multiple Renaissance faires all around the country. He not only brings the amazing act of sword swallowing to his shows, but he also brings the comedy. There isn’t a dull moment when you are watching one of his shows. Certain shows do fill up quickly, so if you want to be up close make sure to get to each show a little early.
Cirque Du Sewer
This is my third year watching this performance and it’s one that I won't miss (this is also my son’s favorite show). A great mix of acrobatics, cats, rats, and comedy! You’ll get to see rats go through obstacle courses, dancing with cats, and some acrobatics from the performer. Cirque Du Sewer has been on America’s Got Talent and the cats are all rescue cats! Catch Cirque Du Sewer through August 9.
The Joust
Any Renaissance Faire is not complete without a joust! The joust has three different shows throughout the day. Each show is a continuation of the previous, so you’ll have to catch all three to see how the joust ends! If you can’t make all three, that's okay - each show is very entertaining. The Joust is a family friendly show where you can all cheer on the noble knights!
The Shopping
The Bristol Renaissance Faire offers over 125 talented artisans who display and sell their unique handcrafted wares. They have everything from glassblowing and leatherworking to pottery. The marketplace is a great place to grab a flower crown to wear throughout the day, or some traditional renaissance garb. You can find books, bird whistles, toys for the kids and even a shop that offers cat toys! I love strolling through the shops and seeing all the beautiful handmade items.
The Theme Weekends
The Bristol Renaissance Faire has several upcoming theme weekends through the end of the season.
August 1-2: Summerween
August 8-9: Romantasy Weekend
August 15-16: Pirate Weekend
August 22-23: RennCon™ Weekend
September 5,6,7: Cottagecore Weekend
Some Tips
Make sure to bring cash with you when you come to the faire. You’ll need cash for tips and for all food and drink vendors! Most shops will take a credit card, but each merchant creates their own policy. If you forget, don’t worry - they do have ATM’s on site.
Bristol offers several different parking options. If you want closer parking, they have a preferred parking lot near the front gate for $20 (cash only). There is a general lot with an entrance off the frontage road for $10. They also offer VIP parking, but that is limited to 300 cars per day and has to be pre-purchased from their website.
Make sure to swing by Menards to grab discounted tickets! They offer discounted admission tickets for both adult and child admission!
Bristol Renaissance Faire will be open every Saturday and Sunday and Labor Day Monday through September 7. Make sure to add the Bristol Renaissance Faire to your weekend plans before the season ends!
Enjoy your visit back in time!
12550 120th Avenue
Kenosha, WI 53142
(847) 395-7773
