If you’re like most people from Atlanta, around early April you start hearing the exciting trumpets announcing an annual festival South of Atlanta.  I’m of course talking about The 2018 Georgia Renaissance Festival.

Much like Yours Truly, the Georgia Renaissance Festival has graced Atlanta for a solid 33 years.  Being a card carrying Nerd, I’ve been frequenting the Land of Lords and Ladies since High School.  I even wore a beautiful bracelet/ring piece of jewelry to prom to accompany the Medieval-inspired dress that I *made*… yes made.  Basically, I’ve been going for an embarrassingly long time, and I’m here to help you make the most out of the 2018 GA Ren Fest.

2018 Georgia Renaissance Festival FAQ:

• • What activities does the Renaissance Festival have?
  • I’m not “a nerd”… will I still have fun?
  • Do I have to dress up?
  • Any Georgia Renaissance coupons available?
  • Is it always the same?
  • Best time to go?
  • How much money should I bring?

What activities does the Georgia Renaissance Festival have?

There’s plenty to do besides get a sunburn! You can find a neat interactive map here.

Shows

There are a myriad of shows available for different interests and age groups.  Here’s a list of all the shows available, and you can even filter by family friendly, New for 2018, and adults only.  

I always check out Barely Balanced first. Mostly because they are the closest stage to the entrance…. But they’ve also been a Georgia Renaissance Festival staple for as long as I can remember.  Happily, they update their jokes every year!  They do some pretty impressive feats for Small, Medium, and Large people, but be warned… even though this is listed as “Family Friendly” there are definitely some innuendos that will ~hopefully~ go over small children’s heads like the flaming machetes go over theirs.

I’m not sure it counts as a “show” per se, but the Pirate Auction is not to be missed.  Make sure you swing by the giant pirate ship by the  jousting arena earlier in the day because they give out tickets for a raffle! I have yet to win anything, but that’s just because I’m unlucky.  

At 4 pm, the pirates come out and walk the plank to bring guests free stuff and pretty amazing deals.  They auction off amazing weapon replicas for much cheaper than you could get in their shop.  There’s also a game called “Trust The Pirate” and trust me… whatever they offer you… take it.  It’s a mystery item for a known price, and it is ALWAYS a good deal. It’s definitely worth sticking around for.

I don’t think it’s new this year, but it was new to me because I’d never seen it before.  It happened on… the Mud Stage. So you can guess that there was a lot of mud.  I’d been trying to get seats close to the front in order to get good pictures, but the bleachers were suspiciously covered in mud.  The premise was that we were a Jury to decide which brother “won.”  It was pretty entertaining actually, and there’s just something hilarious about grown men playing in mud.  Don’t worry though.  They’ll alert you when it’s time to scoot back if you don’t want mud on you.

Also new this year is the WHEEL OF DEATH!  My boyfriend, who’d never been to the Georgia Renaissance Festival before, came with me, and he said he really enjoyed this show (and some others!) because they interact so much with the audience.

via GIPHY

There were just so many different shows! You have to check out the list! If you’re having trouble ~juggling~ the different options, they have a cool feature that will make an itinerary for you! You just click what you’re interested in, and it’ll sort you out!  Check that feature out here!

Games and Rides  

Interspersed throughout the whole festival are tons of games and rides.  There’s really something for everyone.  Whether you’re interested in games of skill, strength, or if you’re a little kid… there’s a game or “ride” that you can be successful with.

Not to brag (whatever, I’m totally bragging), but I won the Robin Hood Archery contest when I was 11.  I know. You had no idea I was such a big deal.  So I was super pumped to shoot a bow and arrow again!  The arrows have definitely seen better days and most were missing their vanes (the fake feathers), but it was such a short distance, that I guess it didn’t really matter too much. Ok, I missed my first shot PRETTY massively, but I still landed a bull’s eye and got a feather for my cap 😀

Besides the jousting that you can watch the professionals do, there’s also a “Flying Griffin” that you can ride on and try your own hand at jousting!  I did it a few years ago, so even adults are allowed!

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They have a new attraction from last year called Ghosts of the Abyss.  It took the place of my go-to “Get Away from the heat” ride.  I used to go into that ride because it was dark and noticeably cooler because of fans.  I decided to check this new ride out (not only because I was interested but also to see if the temperature would be cooler).  

It was cool both literally and figuratively!  I actually screamed out loud a few times… I’m an adult :S  

Themed Shops (Shoppes?)

I love the games, rides, and shows, but honestly… my favorite part of the GA Ren Fest is the variety of Artisans.  There are demonstrations were you can see ~in action~ how they create things!  There are shops galore of items to buy (some are period true, some are pretty anachronistic but still fun, and some are only mildly related <I’m looking at you, fairies>!)

The larger stores will take credit cards, but some places are small and only take cash.  Make sure you bring some cash!  There’s an extensive list of vendors here.

Food and Drinks (Drynks?)

You would die if you ate and drank everything available. There is just too much variety.  They are of course famous for the massive Turkey Legs.  I’d say my biggest regret was not trying the Macaroni and Cheese on a stick.  I usually get the shrimp and chips, which has always been on point. I wish there were 6 shrimp instead of 5, but not bad for $6.  The drinks range from about $3 for waters/sodas and $5.50 and up for alcoholic drinks (some include decorative cups/mugs to keep!).

I’m not “a nerd”… will I still have fun?

Absolutely!  I managed to drag my non-nerd boyfriend down for his first foray to the fest, and he had a great time!  I caught him cracking up at the different shows, smiling at the joust, and cheering loudly for the performers.  I was very interested to see how someone would enjoy the fest if they weren’t as into it as I was, and I’m happy to report that he did enjoy it! He said his favorite part was that the shows were interactive with the audience.

Do I have to dress up?

You don’t have to, but they do encourage it. You’ll see people who work there dressed up in period legit clothes, but you’ll also see visitors dressed up as a variety of things: fairies, vikings, pirates, belly dancers, and truly random outfits.  Not to judge, I guess they just wanted an excuse to dress up weird… I wasn’t sure how a rainbow unicorn in a crop top is Renaissance, but ::shrug:: To each their own!  

If you’re keen on dressing up but not committed to buying anything (they have tons of shops all around the fest that let you try on and purchase corsets/waist trainers/ blouses/skirts), there is also a place at the entrance called the Belrose that lets you rent a costume! They come in a variety of sizes, colors, and expenses.

Prices range from about $25 to $70 (I believe that was the most I saw).  It depends if you want a wench or a noblewoman outfit! They also have clothes for children and men, and they rent wagons for the kids.  

In case you were worried, they launder the clothes between uses, so you won’t be wearing someone else’s sweat!  I decided that this was the year that I was going to rent one!  It was a lot of fun, and I’m definitely doing it next year.  It was surprisingly less hot than I anticipated!

Are there Renaissance Festival Coupons?

There are a few ways to get some Renaissance Festival discount tickets! Regular Adult ticket price is $24 at the gate. You can:

• Buy a Groupon for $17!
• Buy online ~ $20
• Buy them at Sam’s Club at a discount
• Go to Opening Weekend and get BOGO (Buy one get one free!)
• Buy a package!

The package is a great deal. It’s about $74 for 2 tickets to enter, 2 drinks, 2 meals, 2 games or rides, 2 $10 off costume rental coupons, and 2 entrances to Ghosts of the Abyss.  That’s about $37 a person for $55 a person worth of stuff.

Is it always the same?

Every year, definitely not, and even every weekend, I’d say no as well!  They also have different theme weekends.

• April 14 and 15 ~ Opening Weekend!
• April 21 and 22 ~ Kids are free!
• April 28 and 29 ~ Pets (hopefully in costume!) allowed and College Discount!
• May 5 and 6 ~  Maytoberfest! German themed!
• May 12 and 13 ~ Highland Weekend!  The Scots and Irish abound!
• May 12 ~ Educator’s Day! Teachers are free and other tickets are massively discounted!  
• May 14 ~ Mother’s Day.  First 100 Mothers get a flower! And cookie wars!
• May 19-20 ~ Pirate’s Weekend!  Costume Contest and trivia contests!
• May 20  ~ ASL interpreters at some shows!
• May 27 ~ Girl Scout Day.  Girl Scouts wearing their vests get a Ren Fest patch!
• May 26, 27, and 28 ~ 3 day weekend! And on Memorial Day, Military members get in free, and four family members get in for $8 each.
• June 2-3 ~ Romance Weekend! Mass renewal of vows! You must register by 1 pm.

Best time to go?

Well, it’s only open a few weekends in the year, but I recommend getting there early in the morning before the heat starts or  later in the afternoon.  If you come later, make sure you’re there before 3:30, so you can get some tickets and see the Pirate auction.  Check out the schedule to see what shows there are so you don’t miss out!

How much money should I bring?

Most places take cash only unless you buy something expensive from a shop.  If you buy the package of 4 or you’re not into souvenirs, you probably don’t need much cash.  

Here’s an estimate of costs though:

• Water/sodas ~ $3
• Beer ~ $6
• Games ~ $2-5
• Food ~ $6 and up
• Souvenirs ~ They vary too much.  Cheap to very expensive!