Bay Area Renaissance Festival 2019: What You Need To Know

TAMPA, FL -- Step back 400 years in the past and explore the world of knights, minstrels and damsels in distress at the annual Bay Area Renaissance Festival, opening Feb. 16 at the Museum of Science & Industry, 11315 N. 46th St., Tampa.

Running each weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through March 29, the event features themed weekends, a recreated 16th-century marketplace with more than 100 artisans, 12 stages of minstrel, marionette, magic, court jester and dance shows as well as full armor jousting competitions, a live mermaid cove, roaming musicians and traditional and modern-day treats and savory eats.

Themed weekends include:

Feb. 16-17 - Highland Fling with Highland games, dancers and a men in kilts contest.

Feb. 23-24 - Wine, Romance and Song with a chocolate festival, fencing competition and wedding wars.

March 2-3 - Pirates and Pets Festival with wiener dog races and a pet costume contest.

March 9-10 - Barbarian Brew Festival with an archery competition and a beard contest.

March 16-17 - Shamrocks and Shenanigans with Tampa's largest free St. Patty's Day party and Irish heavy games.

March 23-24 - High Seas Adventure with a pirate costume contest, Knights on Bikes, a tattoo competition and deaf awareness.

March 29 - Festival Friday with a masked ball and ladies shopping day. Students are invited to explore the festival and active members of the military, veterans and first-responders will receive free admission.

March 30-31 - Wonders of the World featuring a belly dance competition, steampunk invasion and time traveler's party.

In the marketplace, fair-goers can explore vendors of artistic calligraphy, leather works. alchemy and wizard potions, wassail horns, costumes, karneval masques. replica jewelry, forged iron work, crowns, silver works, armor, weapons, Renaissance instruments and more.

Advance tickets are $18.95 for adults and children over 13 and $10.95 for children age 5 to 12. Click here.

Tickets at the gate are $21.95 and $13.95. Students and seniors pay $17.95 at the gate.

There will be a blood and food drive during the first three weekends of the festival. Those who donate blood will receive a free ticket and those who donate four cans of food will receive a bogo voucher.

A season pass is $89.95 for adults and $53.95 for children.

Fair-goers are invited to attend special events for an additional charge.

The Renaissance Pub Crawl is $35 per person and includes a collectible mug, a drink at each of three pubs and a collectible stamped leather pub crawl passport.

Henry's Happy Hour is $20 per person and includes a sampling of ales and hors d'oeuvres.

Renaissance Romance is $70 per couple and includes admission for two, a personal servant for one hour, keepsake champagne flutes, a bottle of champagne and gourmet hors d'oeuvres.

Pig 'N' Swig is $25 per person and include four craft beers paired with gourmet bacon.

The Royal Masquerade Ball is $85 per person. It takes place on the festival grounds Friday, March 29 starting at 6 p.m.

Royal High Tea is $20 per person. Princesses will have a chance to sip tea and enjoy delicacies with Queen Katherine Parr while enjoying entertainment. The fee includes a keepsake pin.

For more information, click here.

Images via Renaissance Festival

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