Having skipped its 2020 season due to the pandemic, Scarborough Renaissance Festival is back for 2021 in celebration of its 40th season. Opening day is Saturday, and the season runs the next eight weekends on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Memorial Day (Mon, May 31).
Photo courtesy SR Festival.
The Scarborough Academy of Performing Arts — the festival’s performance troupe — has created new characters and refined long-time favorites to bring the recreated 16th-century Village of Scarborough to life. Along with annual favorites like full-combat armored jousting, the Birds of Prey exhibitions, the Mermaid Lagoon, and knighting ceremonies, SRF 2021 features new shows with acrobats, comedians, multi-instrumentalists, magicians, Scottish bagpipe and drums, a dancing weasel, and a sword swallower. (Wait, did you say “dancing weasel”? Indeed, I did.)
There is also a new Parakeet Aviary this season.
Photo courtesy SR Festival
New shops feature apparel, art — wood-carved, wood-burned, and cast concrete — chocolates, CBD edibles, chain mail, bamboo fly-rods, jewelry, maps and scrolls, sculpted fairies, shells and gourds, salts and teas, and swords available for purchase.
You will also discover exquisite one-of-a-kind treasures at the hundreds of Scarborough shops, and there are dozens of authentic artisan demonstrations. There are also renaissance rides, games of skill, and so much more.
Each successive weekend (Sat-Sun) has a different theme: Artisans’ Showcase Apr 17-18; Royal Ale Festival Weekend Apr 24-25; Live the Fantasy & Spring Celebration May 1-2; Celebrating Chivalry Weekend May 8-9; Celtic Weekend May 15-16; Legends of the Seas May 22-23; and The Last Huzzah May 29-31.
Located in Waxahachie, Scarborough Renaissance Festival is just 30 minutes south of downtown Fort Worth on FM 66 off I-35E. Admission is $37 for adults and $17 for children ages 5-12. Children age 4 and under are always admitted free. Tickets are available at SRFestival.com. Discounted tickets can be purchased at North Texas area Albertson’s and Tom Thumb stores.
