Texas Ren Faire preps to open Oct. 3

TODD MISSION – The Texas Renaissance Festival is just over 30 days from opening the gates for the 46th season of the largest Renaissance festival in the nation.

The outdoor, open-air festival is nestled on 60 acres in the Piney Woods of Todd Mission, Texas, with an additional 220-acre campground at The Fields of New Market located adjacent to the festival grounds. TRF management has worked closely with county and local government and health agencies.

Following Open Texas and CDC guidelines, the festival has published Safety Guidelines that will be followed by TRF staff, vendors, participants and patrons throughout the season. Highlights of the safety guidelines include:

• Opening at 50 percent capacity to provide patrons ample space for social distancing.

• Nightly decontamination of the festival area and increased cleaning of high touch areas during each festival day.

• Festival parking spaced accordingly for social distancing.

• More than 200 hand sanitizing stations placed throughout the festival grounds and campground.

• TRF and its patrons will be expected to comply with the Governor’s Executive Order 29 and its exceptions regarding face coverings

• Face masks will be required of all TRF staff, vendors, and participants with temperatures checked and logged before each shift.

• Shop owners will be following 50 percent capacity limitations, social distancing guidelines, sanitizing protocols, and some may require patrons to wear masks while in their shops.

• Path entertainment and shows have been creatively adapted to social distancing guidelines while maintaining its immersive experience.

In anticipation of capacity limitations during the 2020 season, ALL tickets are DATE SPECIFIC and must be purchased in advance of arriving at the festival.

The only tickets being sold on site are military, first responder, student, and senior discount tickets, as they require an ID to receive the discount.

The Cherokeean Herald newspaper will be giving away TRF tickets in the upcoming weeks. Keep reading the paper and watching the Cherokeean’s website and Facebook page for details on how to win tickets.

In addition to purchasing date specific tickets online at texrenfest.com and Groupon, as of Sept. 1, discount date specific tickets will be available at H-E-B store business centers.

Tickets received in 2019 for Vendor Appreciation will be honored as Any Day tickets. Children 12 and under are admitted every Sunday for free.

Highlighting the 46th season of the festival will be the opening of the new expansion area that will feature a Pirate Ship Museum, Tower Slide, Royal Bourbon and Rum tastings, new vendors Crimson Chain Leather and local Houston artists Bug in the Box, the return of the Washing Well Wenches to the Forest Gazebo and the Airy Botter and the Sorcery School Headmaster’s Office Escape Room.

The Texas Renaissance Festival will welcome Pyro Juggler Thomas Wood and Accordionist Amanda Kitchens to the Cloister in the Green along with The Dublin Harpers. The popular Full Armored Combat will move to the Joust arena to provide even better views of the action, and you can fly on the new DaVinci’s Flying Machines ride in the Dove Meadow area.

In addition to guest vendors throughout the festival, making its debut this season will be the multi-story Wyrmwood Public House featuring entertainment and absinthe and tequila tastings, and Kackle King Booth 625F offering delectable delights such as drunken chicken and drunken pork.

Along with the daily costume contest, a face mask contest will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Forest Gazebo in the new Enchanted Forest expansion that will be judged on the weekend’s theme and creativity.

The Texas Renaissance Festival is the nation’s largest Renaissance event. Each year over 450,000 patrons enter through the gates of the festival into a 16th Century European Village where performers immerse you in the enchantment of the village that feature 21 stages of music and stage acts, 400 shoppes, artisans, and a world tour for the taste buds that of course include turkey legs! The Texas Renaissance Festival is located one hour north of Houston. Dates are Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 3-Nov. 29.