Medieval Festival In Fort Tryon Canceled For 2nd Year In A Row

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — In a bit of unfortunate news for Upper Manhattan, knights, jesters, farmers, wizards, and other characters will again not return to Fort Tryon Park in 2021 for the annual Medieval Festival.

Organizers recently announced the event will be canceled for the second year in a row due to COVID-19 related issues.

The festival was scheduled for Oct. 3, 2021, but the city and Parks Department are still not issuing permits for large gatherings due to the pandemic, according to organizers.

The Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon will now take place in 2022 on Oct. 2.

Before 2020, the Medieval Festival had happened every year in Upper Manhattan since 1983. In recent years, the festival has brought in more than 65,000 artists and visitors annually from around the country to Washington Heights.

The festival is produced in partnership with the New York City Parks Department and is held in the area surrounding the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.

During the festival, the Upper Manhattan park is transformed into a medieval market town decorated with banners and flags and has performers and festival-goers dressed in medieval costumes. Visitors stride their way through music, dance, magic, jugglers, and jesters, with the festival concluding in a jousting competition between four knights on horseback.

The Medieval Festival is also a major fundraiser for the Washington Heights + Inwood Development Corporation.

You can find out more about the Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon on its website.