Sterling Renaissance Festival is an annual medieval fair held in Sterling, New York, on the shore of Lake Ontario, For seven weekends in July and August, thousands of attendees can enjoy music, comedy, a vibrant marketplace with artisans and merchants, and interactive theatre performances. Mingle with gypsies, pirates, washer-wenches, bagpipers, illusionists, jugglers, sword-swallowers, fortune-tellers, and chivalrous knights!
The festival takes place in the fictional village of Warwick, not far from London. Step back into 1585 and meet Queen Elizabeth and her court, as well as historical figures, like Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake. The main highlights of the festival include full-contact jousting, displays of archery, and Highland games. Visitors can also ride the knights' war-horses for a small fee. In addition, stage shows, featuring the Wyldewood Players, acrobats, acting troupes, comedians, and sword-swallowers, traditionally gather large crowds.
Guests can try their skills in archery, axe-throwing, and fun games like "Tomato Justice," when someone gets hit with ripe tomatoes, the Ladder of Truth, and the Pillow Fyte. Arts and crafts fair features vendors with costumes, leather goods, and period footwear, as well as jewelry woodworking, pottery jewelry, toys, and musical instruments. Food vendors offer delicious treats, from turkey legs to sandwiches, meat pies, and shish-kabobs.
