The Georgia Renaissance Festival is celebrating their 37^th Anniversary Season this year when they open the gates to the Village of Newcastle on Saturday, April 9.

Founded in 1986, the Georgia Renaissance Festival began on 65 acres just to the east of I-85 in Fairburn, drawing a crowd of about 32,000. Fast forward to 2022, and the Festival now lives on 120 acres one mile to the west of its original location and attracts over 120,000 visitors over eight weekends every spring.

What is a Renaissance Festival? It is part circus, craft show, music festival, theme park, and the best selection of unique food you'll ever find in one place - all wrapped in a 32-acre recreation of a 16^th-century English village!

Comedians, jugglers, circus-style acts and musicians perform non-stop all day on 10 stages and in the lanes. Don't miss the Royal Joust, held three times daily in the arena where brave knights challenge one another atop mighty steeds in a series of challenges that will determine who is the "King's Champion!"

Food at the Georgia RenFest is always a unique experience. A wide variety of gourmet delights greet you as you travel from one food vendor to the next. Whether you choose a chicken sandwich, a steak on a stake, a succulent meat pie, Greek gyro, Scotch egg, or a pork chop on a stick, you won't leave hungry! The most popular entrée is the giant roast turkey legge! Weighing in at a pound and a half, enjoying one of these monster legges is an event! And if you love hot dogs (and who doesn't?) the King's Weinie reigns supreme! It is a half-pound premium hot dog crowned with chili and cheese on a bun.

Looking for a thrill? Try one of the many human-powered rides. The Carasello ride is the Renaissance version of a carousel, and is popular with younger children. The Crow's Nest, in contrast, is a bouncing, spinning ride that is not for the weak of heart! From slides to swings, there are rides to fit any level of excitement you may be looking for.

The Georgia RenFest features a 32-acre Artisan's Marketplace where you can find leather workers, glassblowers, potters, swordsmiths, and many other skilled artists demonstrating their crafts. Festival goers will find extraordinary hand-made items including jewelry, housewares, sculpture, and artwork as well as period clothing and garb, perfect for the re-enactor or cosplayer. Boots, hats, swords, corsets, skirts, leather accessories, a wooden mug or drinking horn, and hundreds of unique and one-of-a-kind clothing designs can readily be found in the Village of Newcastle. And no trip to the Festival is complete without a flower hair garland, a set of fairy wings, or a wooden sword!

For those looking for a more "adult" experience, the Pirate Pub Crawl is a ramble to all three of the Festival pubs, hosted by a rollicking band of pirates. Games, jokes, music, and a different beer at each pub are provided, along with a souvenir mug. The Pub Crawl happens twice each Festival day.

The health and safety of our guests is our top priority. We have been working closely with our city and county health officials to identify Covid protocols and procedures that will allow us to open in the safest manner possible for our guests and participants. Please visit our website at www.garenfest.com for the latest updates on safety requirements and procedures.

The Georgia Renaissance Festival brings whimsy and magic to life every weekend, beginning April 9 and ending May 30, 2022 - Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day Monday from 10:30am to 6pm. Open rain or shine, and parking is always free. Visitors traveling south from Atlanta on I-85 can take Exit 61 and turn right - the Renaissance Festival entrance is approx. 1.5 miles on the right!