The 40th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival is coming back to the Atlanta area — so mark your calendars and get ready for some fun!
This year, The Georgia Renaissance Festival will run on Saturdays and Sundays (and Memorial Day) from April 12 through June 1, 2025, with each weekend bringing a different theme — and plenty of turkey legs.
My family attends this awesome event every year, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store this year. Here are 11 reasons you and your crew are going to want to visit the best Renaissance Festival Atlanta has to offer.

11 Best Reasons to Visit the Georgia Renaissance Festival near Atlanta
We love the Georgia Renaissance Festival! It’s filled with good food, entertainment, shows, a joust, lots of fabulous costumes, and so much more.
Located in Fairburn, GA, the Georgia Renaissance Festival is one of the best in the United States! This year, the festival will be held on Saturdays and Sundays from April 12 through June 1, along with Memorial Day. Hours are from 10:30am until 6pm.
If you’ve never been…you’ve just got to go. It’s really, truly a fun experience, with so much to see and do. Here are 11 reasons we love visiting each year.
1. Amazing Costumes.
You’re encouraged to dress the part…in your Renaissance regalia. No outfit? No problem! You can purchase fabulous costumes on site for all ages. You can even rent them right outside the gate.
We saw many families that looked like they stepped right out of 17th century England. Others wore modern clothes with special touches like fairy wings, headdresses, or wooden swords.
Even if you don’t want to dress yourselves up, a visit to the festival is worth every penny just for the people watching.
2. Special Themed Weekends
Each weekend you’ll find a special theme! If one of the special weekends speak to you, it just adds another layer of fun for guests. From pets to pirates, every weekend will bring a fun new theme. Here’s what you can expect in 2025…
- Opening Weekend (April 12 & 13): Viking and Barbarian Weekend
- April 19 & 20: Pet Friendly Weekend
- April 26 & 27: Highland Fling Weekend
- May 3 & 4: Time Traveler/Cosplay Weekend
- May 10 & 11: Romance Weekend
- May 17 & 18: Wizarding Weekend
- May 24-26: Pirate Invasion Weekend
- May 31 & June 1: Flights of Fantasy Weekend
3. Creative Shows
Next to seeing everyone dressed in costume, the entertainment shows are my favorite. My oldest even told me days after our visit, that Barely Balanced was his favorite show.
From acrobats to hypnotists, and death-defying acts to birds of prey shows, there is something for everyone. The entertainment lineup for 2025 has not yet been released, but check their website for updates. Here’s some of the awesome acts that have appeared in the past…
- Cast in Bronze Carillon: 4 tons of bronze bells fill the Festival with their majestic sound!
- Zoltan the Adequate: See feats of bizarre geek magic and stunts of sheer stupidity!
- Tuey: He will have you laughing, gasping and applauding as you watch a display of skill that is awe inspiring and a perfect blend of family friendly comedy, jaw dropping skills, and danger.
- Boom Boom Shake: With middle eastern roots and a modern vibe, Boom Boom Shake blends rock, world, surf and jam genres together to create a signature sound.
- Judas & Magnolia: This husband and wife team will amaze and astound you with their fearless escapes and illusions!
- Charry Garcia – One Man Band: Charry Garcia is a magician when it comes to creating beautiful music on a various array of instruments – all by himself!
- The Reelin’ Rogues: From the hills and the seas come The Reelin’ Rogues, a bardic band of rebels committed to upholding the monuments of the Celts through song.
- The Puppies of Penzance: This brisk, energetic act takes audiences on a jolly trip on a pirate ship manned by pups.
And there is so much more! A free juggling school, meeting Mother and Father Goose, learn to be a pirate, and Barely Balanced will be back too. Be sure to pick up a schedule and plan your day accordingly – there is much to see and some entertainers don’t repeat shows. Also, plan to bring a tip for these special entertainers, to ensure they are able to come back each year.
4. Kids 5 and Under are FREE
Bring your littlest knights and princesses for FREE access during the run of RenFest. And there is plenty for them to do at the Georgia Renaissance Festival. You’ll find a themed playground, a reptile farm, sweet farm animals, and more.
Your medieval minions that are ages 6-12 are about half-price.
5. Free Playground Area
In order to make it a complete day of fun at the festival, the kids are going to need a break. No worries! Next to the food court you’ll find a super playground with swings, slides, picnic tables and more.
Kudos to the setup team for placing this feature in the shade. Split rail fencing on three sides makes it easy to keep an eye on the kids, while you take in a Steak-on-a-Stick or enjoy a Mead from the bar.
6. Jousting
The jousting is my family’s favorite part! It’s so fun, and the whole thing really feels like you’re part of a medieval community event.
My kids love seeing the knights on their horses, completing tasks and fighting for the princess. There is quite a lot of seating here, and it’s free with your entrance fee. For an upcharge, you can reserve seating near the Queen for an unobstructed view of the joust.
7. Ships, Barrels, and More

Kids will love the “rides!” Go for a ride in a swinging ship, take a turn in a barrel, or get lost in an old-fashioned maze. The rides are unique, unlike any you’ll find anywhere else…and most of them are man-powered, which is a feat on its own!
You’ll find rides like the Corkscrew Slide, Sink the Sirens, Barrel O’Bedlam, Jacob’s Ladder, Test of Strength, Robin Hood’s Archery, and Spartan Spears. They’ve also added Camel Rides to their lineup as well.
The rides are an extra cost — ranging between $2-$5.
Tip: You’re going to want to bring cash — most vendors and activities only accept cash. There are ATMs on site, but the lines can get long.
8. Mac and Cheese on a Stick
You’ve probably heard about the festival’s gigantic turkey leg, but there is a world of additional food to be sampled as well. Try Mac n Cheese on a stick, steak on a stick, meatballs on a stick….you get the idea.
Our boys especially loved the pretzels, beef jerky, and chicken pot pie.
9. Artisans Galore
There are so many gorgeous artisans to watch in the demonstration area. The Artisans Market features 150 different artisans with all sorts of goodies. I guarantee you’ll find something you just have to have. (My kids always go for the wooden swords!)
We love the Coin Mint, where he demos Leonardo Da Vinci’s Drop Hammer Forge (the first industrial machine). There is also spinning, weaving, glass blowing, and more. Some people have hand-carved sculptures and made their own bows and arrows.
10. Pub Crawl
Ok, you don’t want to do this one with the kids…but it’s great for a daytime date.
Every Festival Day at 12:30pm, 1:15pm, 3:00pm, and again at 3:45pm, their resident cut-purses and scallywags host a rowdy and bawdy voyage to each of Newcastle’s drinking establishments.
During the Pub Crawl, you’ll meet at the Brewer’s Pub where you’ll get a souvenir tankard to hold yer grog, enjoy some fine beer-drinking entertainment, make your way to the Drunk Monk Pub (and a secret stage just for you), and finally make port at the Tavern on the Hill.
Along the way you’ll be served a beer at each pub, be forced to listen to bad jokes, puns and/or riddles, hear some great music, and play a few bawdy drinking games while maintaining your sea legs!
Pub Crawl tickets are $40 each, but there are only 30 for each crawl, so get them as soon as they go on sale. The Pub Crawl tickets do not include admission to the festival…so this is an added charge. Ages 21+ only!
11. Included Activities
Kids can learn to juggle from a master a Juggling School. Visit the Reptile Farm and interact with various reptiles, like lizards, snakes and a tortoise.
Kiddos will especially love the Kids Kingdom playground, where they can climb, swing, and slide on a fantastical playset. And of course, there’s all the shows, the joust, and the artisan demos happening too. All of these fun events are included with the price of your admission.
Georgia Renaissance Festival Final Details
With all of these great things to do, see, experience, and eat — how will you figure out what to do?
The Georgia Renaissance Festival has gathered up experiences to fit every type of visiting group — whether you’re coming with friends, bringing the kids, coming as a couple, or are interested in cosplay — they’ve got great itineraries and ideas for you.
Now, what about tickets?
You can buy tickets online or at the gate — but they’re cheaper if you buy them online. Adult tickets are $29.95 online or $31.41 at the gate. Tickets for kids ages 6-12 are $16.95 online or $18.41 at the gate. As we mentioned earlier, kids ages 5 and under are FREE.
Now, if you buy your tickets online in advance, make sure you either print them out at home or screenshot them — there is extremely limited cell service at the festival, and the chances of you being able to call up your tickets is slim.
The other thing I want to mention is parking. Parking is free and included…but: You need to plan ahead. There is only one entrance/exit to the dirt parking lot and it takes time. Expect to encounter long parking lot lines on busy days and times. I’ve found Sundays to be a little less crowded than Saturdays in the past, and getting there early is key — for both parking reasons and temperature reasons.
The Georgia Renaissance Festival takes place outside and is a rain or shine event. It’s mostly shaded, but sunscreen is a must. Wear comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing and shoes.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR RENFEST
MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR GEORGIA VISIT
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