Taking Kids to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival

Updated: April 2023

The Scarborough Renaissance Festival is a short jaunt down I-35, just outside Waxahachie. It runs every weekend from early April through Memorial Day. My family makes a trip to the festival every year, and I thought I’d share this Texas treasure with you!

The Basics

This Dallas-area Ren Faire is based on the year 1533, during the reign of England’s King Henry VIII. Each day at noon, Lords and Ladies parade through the faire grounds, and you can get a glimpse of King Henry VIII and his queen.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in period-themed costumes, but don’t feel like you have to. We attended during opening weekend and dressed in our normal street clothes. But your little ones would have so much fun getting dressed up as princesses and knights. Don’t be afraid to embrace the cosplay! I’ve seen pirates, barbarians, knights, princes, mermaids, and fairies there.

The 35-acre village boasts dozens of shops, carrying everything from wooden swords and miniature catapults (that shoot marshmallows) to hand-crafted leather armor and fine jewelry.

And the food — it may be the best part. You’ll find traditional fair food (like funnel cakes, turkey legs, and sausage-on-a-stick) along with cultural treats, like Italian ice and schnitzel.

For the Kids

There are lots of games for kids to enjoy along with fun rides like a pony-led carousel and swinging pirate ship. There is also a petting zoo, which my son loved! They had ponies, cows, rabbits, chickens, sheep, llamas and even two turtles for the kids to pet. We spent well over an hour in the petting zoo, our son loved it so much.

Performers and shows grace the stage at different times throughout the day. Fire jugglers, comedians, and acrobats will entertain your family. There’s even a birds of prey show and a jousting tournament.

Be sure to check out the Theme Weekends to see if there’s one coming up your little one would enjoy! Does your child love The Little Mermaid? The Legends of the Sea weekend features the Mermaid Lagoon, where you can see several mermaids in person!

Have you ever been to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival? Share tips or must-see attractions in the comments!