Virginia Renaissance Faire

fun for everybody, i bought tea was great

Reviewed on Facebook

I was very impressed by the VA Renaissance Faire.. I drove 3.5 hours from NC to attend and it didn’t disappoint! All the workers were very friendly and played their characters well! The food was amazing and I highly recommend the curry chicken. I love Carolina Renaissance Festival but I’m proud to say that I have a new tradition in VA to look forward to! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I went the last day of the Faire for the 2018 season. I have been to Renaissance Faires in MD, PA and NY. My 1st time in VA. It was a little smaller that the others, but the cast was great! They interacted with the visitors so much more that the other ones I've attended. I had my mom in her wheelchair and it had to be at least 12 staffers ask about her chariot and her servents. It was a great experience. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

My family and I ventured to the Faire for the first time this year and wow. Even my 6 year old son was enjoying it. Quite honestly, the customer service by all involved was great, the food was tasty, and the entertainment tremendous! Seeing my children with their eyes twinkling was so special, I am truly excited to take them again next year! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Went to the fair yesterday for the first time. I am glad we arrived early because of the heat in the mid 90's we could only stay about an hour and a half. The vendors and the shows we saw were awesome and if it wasn't for the heat we would have stayed longer. The cast was great and some truly fabulous costumes. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I'm somewhat biased, because I was on cast for the first three seasons of this incarnation. In the years since, I do my best to make it down to Lake Anna Winery at least once per season. They still let me bring my toys and play, when I do.

VARF has its vendors, and its food, and drink. It's got stage shows, and of course jousting. Where it diverges from a lot of other Faires, is in its emphasis on actual history. There are living-history demonstrations all around the site, and the plot every year is based in large part on stuff that actually happened during Elizabeth's reign. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Luv it! Too bad it's only a lil over a month long! Plz come and support our local Renn Faire! You won't be disappointed.

Reviewed on Yelp

2018 Renaissance Faire What a fun weekend! This is my second year going back to the Renaissance faire. The first year i went, i didnt't dress up. However, i still had a blast!  The staff all approached us and made sure we had a great time! The town folks taught us how to dance and we witnessed the court of love! This year i got myself and costume and I feel that i am part of the faire.  It was so much fun!  Spoony is definitely so fun to play with.  This time she had a little assistant with a smaller spoon!  They made it so fun! And not to mention, the food there is great!  Turkey leg and wine :) You can walk around the whole festival with the bottle of wine from Lake Anna Winery because the festival is on their property! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

One of my most fond memories is the Virginia Ren faire. The day we went, it was so hot, it was a blessing to be able to walk through the woods and cool off and see vendors tucked away in the shade of the tall trees. My kids enjoyed the animals. I enjoyed the sights, the goods, the food, and the ale... I remember my son playing Peek a boo around a tree with " one of the village women" I recognized her in another friends post, and shared the picture I took of her and my son. I met the Bard that year too. I watch him play and listen to him sing his stories. I watched the Lord's and Ladies waltz about the grounds, watched the Royal Court parade about the event. I have made many friends and acquaintances at this event. Love it. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Huzzah! One of my favorite Ren Faires in Virginia. Lots of activities and costumed actors and events to participate in. Great food (Raptor sized turkey legs), awesome entertainment,  fabulous wine and mead, unique merchandise, and friendly shopkeepers.  You will not be disappointed because there is plenty to do for all ages. Games, archery, axe and knives throwing, a dunk tank, and roaming minstrels. Ready to find and plenty of free parking. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Disclaimer: I have in the past volunteered for this faire , so take that into account. That being said, this is a wonderful family friendly Renaissance Faire. I personally know and have experienced the intense preparation and commitment that all of the folks who bring this faire to you go through. Their commitment to bringing you inclusive, professional, interactive experience is beyond compare! This faire is an all volunteer cast that truly loves to perform and interact with visitors. The pub serves a great selection of ales and mead. Wine is also available. The vendors have some wonderful renny wares for those of you building your garb. The food has definitely gotten better with regard to selection. Live jousting and battle demonstrations are fun to see as well. The entertainment is wonderful and family friendly. The kiddies have plenty to do and you can literally spend all day following them from activity to activity. They can even be knighted by the Queen herself!    I see many comparisons with the larger faires, please remember they are not trying to be like any other faires. They are trying to bring you a unique and inclusive faire that gives you memories for years to come. Do not be surprised if you find yourself in the midst of an on going presentation or bit, or maybe even the primary focus! Or maybe even being brought into some of the authentic period correct dancing with the nobles or townsfolk! It is a great time! I am looking forward to be a patron this year! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Starting to get ready for 2017 and I remembered I forgot to review 2016! It was my first time at the VA faire. I went after the two weeks of heavy rain, and it still rained a little so attendance was a little down but. ... 100% different than the MD faire, but not in a bad way. Much smaller, less permanent structures, but in its own way, just as awesome, if not better.Mead - The mead selection was great, local and craft mead, a real treat. way better bar than MD.Food - all was good except for the stupid ones that should be DENIED since they don't dress up, fit the theme, or even attempt to hide that its a trailer...cough Hawaiian shaved ice... cough...( simple fix? just call it "Ye ole shaved ice" or some crap like that)... The promoter should have rules!!! All venders should dress up!!!Less people, means less lines, more intimate, for sure a plus!there is NO restriction on bringing real swords to complete the costume! huge plus!Games - way way better! Actual real axes for the axe throw to name just one.Overall a blast, I will be going at least once a year as long as I can. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

A small yet up and coming faire. Mostly made of non-permanent period tents. In the wooded area are some permanent structures. The vendors are similar to those found at other fairs, most of them even being the very same vendors at the PA faire and MD faire. Games, such as archery and axe throwing are available too. The actors were all very committed and inclusive giving the entire faire a very welcoming and intimate feel. They were also very family friendly and a great place to take the kids. All in all it's a great faire for its size and the shows and vendors were great, besides a very select few. Hope to see this fair grow -went May 2016 More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I've been wanting to go to this for over 10 years, and it's right in my backyard, so I've really been missing out! It was one of the most fun days I've had locally in forever. All of the characters were highly entertaining and engaging. There were so many fun activities like knife throwing, ax throwing and dart blowing (just to name a very select few). The shows and demonstrations were all very entertaining and informative. I felt like I had taken a step backward in time. The turkey leg was amazing! I highly recommend it whether you live locally, are visiting the area, or just make the trip especially to go to the faire. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Second time here.  Definitely has grown since I was there last.  They now have some permanent structures along with tents.  Not at big and good as Maryland fair, but very nice. I am sure given time it well be just as nice and big.  Will definitely go back next year.  Lots of entertainment and some nice venders to buy stuff.  My 6 year old thought today was great too! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I love this fair. didn't realize they had a yelp page. we've been going to this festival for years. seriously, i wish it were a bit closer to DC, but driving onto a winery (which has a decent white called lakeside white) and then coming upon a tented renaissance festival is interesting and fun. They have had some growing pains over the years, but the cast and management are mostly is largely volunteers and you can tell they do this for fun and for the love it. my only complaint is that they have a few vendors who aren't period - but again, that's a growing pain. maybe one day they can find new property and graduate from tents to buildings and that won't be an issue. i'll admit, i do like ren faires - travel to all the regional festivals - and though i live closer to MDRf and it's more established, the spirit and atmosphere of varf has captured me. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My first time at a Renaissance Faire and I didn't know what to expect. It was an hour ish away from NoVa area. Traffic wasn't bad as the fair starts at 10am and we left around 10am to get there around 11am. It was located in a farm and parking was a bit confusing since we parked on the farm. It rained the day before and day off, so it was a little muddy. They have a few good vendors, from selling items to Hawaiian shaved ice ( it was good). Some good performanaces and of course fun activities, but pay a little extra for that (axes throwing, knives throwing, etc.)Overall it was a good first time experience with many things to do. Oh the beautiful horses that I wanted to see it performs but the weather didn't permit to do so. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I won't claim to be a connoisseur of Renaissance Faires by a long shot [I've still never been to Scarborough, and I think that's mandatory, really], but I've been to a number and therefore have certain opinions. VARF, bless 'em, will never be the VARF of my childhood... but I'm not eight years old any longer, so I'm reasonably certain that nothing will, including faires that might arguably be considerably more impressive. As it remains the tent-fair that so many name it, I will not claim it's in that realm, but the thing has grown an impressive amount in recent years and is by now, I think, the biggest bang for your buck in a several state radius [especially if you're starting from Virginia and have a long way to drive to others]. The admission fee is half [or less] what larger places demand, and the experience is arguably a lot more intimate, easier since the fair itself [while accommodated well by the pleasantly spacious grounds of the Lake Anna Winery] is considerably less massive and maze-like.The vendors improve every year, which is an element of fun that the larger faires can no longer claim, as most of them don't change a whole lot. The actors have been a delight from the first, and never seem to lose their enthusiasm, even in... less than ideal weather, shall we say. The fair is especially good for energetic little monst- er, children, who get swept up in character interaction and reenactment of ship-boarding and military shenanigans quite readily, so while they'll still get tired, they won't be bored while you wander in circles and drink cider.I enjoy VARF every time I go back and am always delighted to see what new things they've come up with. definitely worth return trips, and probably actually worth a season pass, since they're so inexpensive. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Definitely a smallish faire but for the price it's got a lot of value included. Lots of shows, medieval reenactors, demonstrations, and lovely craft wine and beer. Grows more every year and has a more intimate feel than huge fairs. I wouldn't travel from great distances for it, but if you're anywhere near the area, it's great. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

There are two types of Renaissance Festivals, the permanent (or semi-permanent) faire like The Maryland Renaissance Festival with buildings and streets, etc. . .  The other type is the tent faire in which the buildings are mostly tents and small stages as in the case of the Virginia Renaissance Faire.If you want to spend $30 to enter, and a major portion of you pocket cash on food and beer, then the big, permanent faires are for you.  If you want a one-on-one experience with castmembers and casual shopping at only $10 to enter, the tent type of faire is for you. . .  and me.Comparing one type of festival with the other isn't fair at all.  The Virginia Renaissance Faire is one of the best "tent" faires I've ever been to. . . . and I've been to a lot of them.  I publish a little online magazine called Faire Magazine (kimballpubs.com), so I have to visit a LOT of both types of faires.As this small faire continues to grow, so does the quality of entertainment, food, and general atmosphere.  Every year it doubles in the enjoyment factor overall and for the price of less than 3 gallons of gas, you can spend the day with Queen Elizabeth and the village of Staffordshire.Huzzahhh! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This is, as others have said, primarily a tent faire.  It's more intimate and smaller than other, more established faires, and I love it for that reason.  My son loves finding new friends to play with in the well-kitted-out Childrens' play area, and 'sword fighting' and running all over the grounds.The grounds are very spacious, enough to allow the kids to roam a bit without disturbing the grownups.  The vendors and attractions have improved DRAMATICALLY in the last few years, the standouts this year being the chain maille vendors, pottery, and the massage therapist.  The food is better and wider-ranging than one would expect -- try the crepes, or strawberries-on-a-stick!The main difference I've found at VARF is the interaction.  With the more intimate venue, the royal court and town players have time to chat a bit more than at other faires -- and the Queen is always charmingly gracious.  You're liable to get pulled into The Queen's Progression, or a Maypole dance, or an impromptu bit of street theatre; it's a great deal of fun!Our family adores music, and the music here is excellent.  The house band, Scales and Crosstones, is high-spirited, melodious, and enthralling, and the majority of the other musicians are equally wonderful.  There are stages of varying sizes, from intimate nooks in the woods to the larger Pub Stage, and there's usually at least one strolling troubador entertaining people waiting for food.There's archery (a favorite of my husband's), axe-throwing, living history, the ringing call for any and all available powder-monkeys, gorgeous things to eat and drink and buy (since it's on the grounds of Lake Anna Winery, you can wander the faire with your wine bottle -- the wine bottle holsters are on sale at a tent near the front), or try some of the delicious beers and cider from the Barleycorn Tavern, whose proprieter, John Barleycorn, will enthrall you with the history and measures of beer, when he's not belting out nautical chanteys.Our family has been going to this faire for several years now, and where once it was a half-day experience for us, last year we bought (and thoroughly used) our first-ever Season Passes.  We repeated the experience this year, and still wish that we had more time to spend there.  It's not the biggest faire, it's not the shiniest faire, it's growing still, but it's a tremendous amount of fun if you allow yourself to fall under its spell. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Found this on VirginiaIsForLovers.org, looking for something to do. It was me, my best friend, & her twin brother. We are 21+ age. We like to do new things so we were very open minded to going to a renaissance fair for the first time. We didn't have much of an idea to expect anything,  but we all enjoyed it! It's a lot of different activities for all age groups, a lot of vedors, there was even a carribean vendor selling jamaican food. I love me some jamaican food, so this was a plus!  Parking was free and the majority of the vendors took debit or credit cards. IF YOU PLAN ON DRINKING, BRING CASH!!!! We made the mistake not to and we're only able to sample. Overall I took lots of pictures and bought one of those belly dancing thingies you wear on your hips for $10. Will be definitely going back and next time taking my whole family! People that work there were all very nice! I gave them 4 stars only because I would have like a little more specifics on everything they had to offer with a little description instead of a map with symbols. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The VA Ren Faire is great for families and is geared more towards the education of young children.  As you enter there is a stop where you can pick up a "Quest"  It's like a scavenger hunt to do all the activities like see a show, try on armor, learn how to great others, get knighted and others. My children are 6 and 3 and just the perfect age!  It's small enough that you can do it in a few hours, the shows are just the right length for their brief attention span.  When we walked in we learned how to hold a pike and then got to join in the procession behind the Queen walking through the shire.  We learned about the costuming of the times and got to try on different hats and jerkins and such.  There's a small kids area with bubbles and time period toys to play with.  There was a lady that came down and helped the kids make origami pigs and then helped the kids to perform the story of the 3 little pigs.  Many of the shops also have fun things designed for the kids.  The potter had "Dragon Teeth" if you were kind enough to great her when you walk in.  When you are finished with your Quest you get a little paper crown and a few Huzzahs.  When you get knighted, all of the kids get to go and it is quite organized so it doesn't last too long.  When you are done you get a beautiful certificate with your child's name hand written on it.  My kids really loved the time they have here and it's really an affordable thing to do as a family.There are not as many shops as some of the more established faires and most of the shows are geared towards children so if you do not have kids, you may want to wait for the fall and go the MD Faire.  Also, make sure you get cash BEFORE arriving as this year there was not an ATM and last year the lines at the ATM lasted FOREVER!  I am excited to see what this festival will become as they continue to grow. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We went to opening day today, not expecting much, based on yelp reviews. We just moved to Richmond, and we're used to the Ga ren faire and the Pa ren faire (both huge faires). We were very pleasantly surprised. It took us almost the entire day to make it all the way around the field and see/do everything. The activities were fun and educational. The circus was so good. The entertainers were top notch. The nobles were lovely and accommodating and the story tellers did a great job getting my shy kids up and acting. The vendors were varied and the prices were MUCH more reasonable than at other fairs. I had some original (not from a book) henna done for $15. The atmosphere is lively, however the actors are not insulting, but rather focus on education. I can't even go into detail about how much we learned, today. We left with bellies full of food, even though we are a family of Celiacs (allergic to gluten) there was even a bakery vendor with gf baked goods. And they were delicious! The ONLY complaint I have is that the archery competition was scheduled at the same time as the joust, so we had to miss the archery competition. (Also they had a Lady jouster, which for my daughter was an amazing thing!) My kids were asking to go back next weekend before we were even halfway home. They want to make costumes and go all out for next year. The VOLUNTEERS that work this faire are all top notch and it was an honor to get to talk to them and learn some of the fascinating things they have learned how to do. We will be going next year, without a doubt. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wow! what an improvement! Went in 2010 and it was so hot and so poorly attended, with so little to see, we pretty much wrote them off. Then some performers we love from other faires, first NeidFyre, a gifted fiddle-momma, and now this year Circus Stella, graced the grounds with their gifts and we had to go see them.While this is not as built up as the PA or MD faires, I think it is still worth the trip. Instead of a village like Maryland and almost a town like Pennsylvania, this faire has more of a merchants cross roads feel with tented vendors and few permanent structures aside from the winery. Baltic Smith has some lovely reproduction silver and bronze brooches, the summer wine is lovely, and so was everyone we met. They did a really wonderful job of interacting with the patrons in the lanes, including the children, and creating lovely spaces in the shade. The vendors I spoke with cared about the history and the quality of their wares. While I have experienced much better, I can still say "Yay, I'm a fan!" More...

Reviewed on Yelp

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a large faire! It's just a small area faire. Please don't compare it to larger faires. It's NOT meant to be that! As someone who comes from Maryland Renaissance faire to attend the VA faire (MD is one of the biggest in the country) I feel my review is more reliable than most of what is here.With that in mind-- it's easily worth a day out for a family (just not multiple days unless you love faire culture!)There are decent shows that have gotten better and better over recent years, but nothing like what you'll find at a large faire. Still, the actors are well versed and very engaging. Some of the acts are fantastic in terms of their acrobatics, and "tricks" (fire eating, balance tricks, etc) and the comedic value is corny, but still fun.There aren't many vendors (about 40), but the wares are often good and affordable compared to the more expensive faires. This is great for those building true faire costumes for future visits. They also have *visiting* vendors (such as Amber, Forever Amber-- an AMAZING Jewelry store from the bigggg PA Faire) which sells real Amber, artist etched inverted cameos of a quality worth paying $200 for, and more! So keep an eye out for those weekends!Many activities are set up to help children learn (such as the Maypole, the pirate ship deck, and more!) There are also sweet little Alpacas in the back, and games such as the Axe Throw, and Archery (and even competitions!)The jousting isn't as big as other faires, but it's still worth a watch for the kids... And it's still fun! It's not synchronized like Medieval Times or anything silly. It's also educational. They also have talented musicians. There are TONS of presentations on everything about the Renfaire, and plenty to learn for little ones. These presentations go all day! :)Despite it being smaller, there's a great many who attend this faire. All are in costume, so the environment is fantastic. I attend more for the people than anything else.Also, it's at a winery! Who is complaining? ;)PROS:- Good food selections, even for those with dietary issues- Good alcohol selections- Great wine- Lots to do (but only for a day or so)- FANTASTIC price ($7-8 to get in for the day).- Great staff.- Decent shows, nothing compared to large faires but this is NOT a large faire!- Lots of informative, learning events for kids- Games for kidsCONS:- Small, more for a day out than multiple days like large faires- Mid summer, VERY hot outside with little relief even in tented and shaded areas. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I love this faire!  It's a wonderful complement to the big commercial faires in the area with its friendly cast that goes out of their way to interact with everyone rather than keeping themselves separate from visitors.  The entertainers are truly fun to watch and listen to and there's never a feeling of anyone just 'going through the motions' -- I think they enjoy being there as much as the rest of us do!  It's nearly a three-hour drive for me (one way) and it's been more than worth it every time.  I've gone to faires big and small all over the country and this one is by far my favorite. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

VARF is fun, but people who expect it to be like a multi-million dollar festival should alter their expectations.  Appreciate it for what it is, not for what you want to compare it to.  If you have suggestions, contact the owners! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I was at the opening weekend and it was the best ever. This really is a different kind fair. My kids and I were there the entire day and they never once got bored or asked to leave. That's a first.

Reviewed on Yelp

I went to the faire in both 2009 and 2010 on Memorial Day Weekend.  I absolutely love that this faire supports the military and offers an entire weekend dedicated to military.  I also went to the more famous and much larger Maryland faire in both 2009 and 2010.  For me, the Virginia Faire was much more enjoyable.  First admission to the Virginia faire is very reasonable.  I have always felt like the Maryland faire is overpriced.  Although the Virginia faire is smaller, most of what makes the Maryland faire seem so large is that many stores and concession stands are repeated throughout the faire.  Another great thing about the Virginia faire is that you actually get to interact with the cast members.  They actively have conversations with you and educate you throughout the day.  They are eager to tell you about their "personal lives" and answer questions.  At the Virginia faire I felt like I was walking into Renaissance Europe and I loved learning about actual people who lived during that time period.  At the Maryland faire, it is very difficult to interact with any of the cast members.  I am a bit shy, so I'm not going to fight through a crowd of people to force an interaction and to be honest I rarely saw any cast members unless they were on stage.  Although the stage productions at the Maryland faire are great, I spent the majority of my time at that faire wandering around in circles, being stuck in crowds, or spending extra money to see cool things.  The lack of crowds at the Virginia faire is what makes it truly enjoyable.  You can easily shop without being shoved, can readily find a seat to watch shows, and enjoy a drink or two at a very reasonable price.  The area dedicated to the kids is nice and shady with plenty of free activities for the kids to participate in.  Although I do not have kids, I loved watching the puppet show and the kids get knighted.  They all seemed to have a great time and my friends with kids were happy that the kids activities were included in the admission price.  I wish this faire had more options for food.  The lines for food are long and the options are not what you would normally expect at a faire.  My husband did get a turkey leg and I got a funnel cake, but I think the faire would be better if it offered the food choices that most people expect at a faire.  In this respect, the Maryland faire is better with a wide range of food options from grilled corn, to turkey legs, to fried cheesecake, and everything in between.  If you go to a faire for the food, the Va faire is not the faire for you.  Because the Va faire takes place in the late spring/summer, it is very hot.  There are a lot of tents in an open field and there is a definite lack of shade when waiting for food or dining on your food.  However, my friends and I were able to find a picnic table in a shady area and enjoyed sharing a few bottles of Lake Anna Wine.  Another perk of the Va faire is that there are free wine tastings during the faire and you can purchase bottles of wine to share with your friends.  We always stop at the winery on our way out of the faire to enjoy the air conditioning and sample their other wines.  Overall, if you are looking for a faire that is educational and has a lot of interaction, the Virginia faire is the faire for you.  However, if you want a faire with elephants, large crowds, and endless food options, the Maryland faire is where you should go.  For me, a resident of Alexandria Va, the distance to both faires is about the same and I will choose to go to the Virginia faire in the future. More...

Reviewed on Yelp