The Ohio Renaissance Festival opens its 2026 season on September 5, running weekends and Labor Day through November 1 at Renaissance Park in Waynesville. The festival, which first opened in 1990, spans nine themed weekends this fall, each built around a different corner of its Elizabethan village concept, from pirates to Vikings to superheroes.
The grounds sit off Ohio 73 in Warren County, just off I-71 and I-75, putting the festival within reach of families across both the Cincinnati and Dayton metro areas. Gates are open 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on every festival day.
2026 Themed Weekends
Each weekend layers a specific theme on top of the festival’s regular lineup of shows, food and shopping. The 2026 schedule:
- Homecoming Weekend: September 5-7 (includes Labor Day)
- Fantasy Weekend: September 12-13, with ASL interpreters available
- Pirates Weekend: September 19-20
- Highland Weekend: September 26-27
- Viking Weekend: October 3-4
- Time Travelers Weekend: October 10-11, a costume weekend open to movie, TV, comic and sci-fi characters
- Romance Weekend: October 17-18, which includes a free group vow renewal ceremony at St. Peter’s Chapel
- Myths & Monsters Weekend: October 24-25
- Heroes and Villains Weekend: October 31-November 1, when children 12 and under get in free and military and first responders receive a $3 discount at the ticket booth
Getting In: Tickets and Pricing
Tickets are date-specific and priced by month. Online, adult admission runs $33 plus fees for the September 5-7 and September 13 dates, $36 plus fees for the remaining September weekends, and $39 plus fees for every October date. Buying at the ticket booth instead of online costs more, generally $3 more per ticket depending on the date.
Child tickets (ages 5 to 12) are $10 plus fees online for any weekend through October 24, with no cap on how many can be sold, and children 12 and under get in free on Heroes and Villains Weekend. A 2026 Child Season Pass, good for one child under 13 on every festival day, is $35 plus fees. Kids under 5 get in free.
Families who want to stretch a visit further can look at the Later Day Reveler Pass, $85 plus fees for unlimited entry after 2 p.m. on any festival day, or the Resting Squire Day Pass, an add-on with a shaded seating area, private restroom and drink service that runs $15 to $20 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 12 depending on the month. As of this writing, the Adult Season Pass and Any Day Adult Ticket are both listed as sold out for 2026.
Tickets must be printed at home or pulled up on a phone. Parking is free for all visitors.
What’s in the Village
The festival’s own numbers give a sense of scale: 67 shows across 22 stages, adding up to 169 performances a day, plus 215 artisan shoppes selling handmade goods. Food options run toward festival standards like turkey legs, burgers and pulled pork, along with beer, mead and cider from a rotating list of Ohio breweries and meaderies. USA Today’s 10Best readers poll named it the top Renaissance festival in the country for 2026, according to the festival’s website.
Southwest Ohio families looking for other outings this fall can also check things to do in Cincinnati and Dayton with kids for more regional options.
A Few Rules Worth Knowing
- No pets are allowed on festival grounds.
- No outside food or beverage may be brought in.
- Any weapons brought as part of a costume must remain tied in a sheath at all times.
- The festival runs rain or shine. Refunds are issued only if the event is forced to close entirely, not for rain alone.
- Seniors who show ID at the Information Booth get one free beverage.
Plan Your Visit
Where: 10542 Ohio 73, Waynesville, OH 45068
When: Weekends and Labor Day, September 5 through November 1, 2026, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Admission: Adults $33 to $39 plus fees; children ages 5-12 $10 plus fees; children under 5 free
Tickets and schedule: renfestival.com/tickets
More information: renfestival.com
