The Arizona Renaissance Festival brings alive a world of wonder—a magical world of princes and princess, fairies, pirates, and other colorful characters from past. It's among the most entertaining events in Arizona, particularly if you are traveling with kids or simply happy to have the chance to dress up.

Arizona Renaissance Festival Facts

The festival unfolds in a 30-acre village filled with artisans, shops, pubs, and castles. At one of the most charming events and holidays in Arizona, you'll have the chance to enjoy twelve stages of live performances, including dances, sword demonstrations, and comedy delight audiences of all ages. The Arizona Renaissance Faire 2011 continues the tradition of this fanciful event.

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The daylong festival also is a celebration of fine food. Guests can sit at the king's table and dine on a feast fit for royalty. The unforgettable meal includes five courses, a souvenir goblet, and a full schedule of entertainment. If you'd like a quicker meal, especially if you need to catch the jousting tournament, there are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat and get it to go.

Tickets to the Arizona Renaissance Faire

The festival takes place on Saturdays and Sundays in between mid-February and early April, as well as the Monday of Presidents' Day weekend. Visitors over the age of five will need tickets. Kids ages 6 to 12 get to enjoy the Arizona Renaissance Festival for half price. Parking is free, and season tickets are available.

Directions to the Arizona Renaissance Festival

The fairgrounds are located at 12601 East Highway 60 in the town of Apache Junction, south of Phoenix and north of Tucson. If you're coming from Phoenix and its suburbs, you can take Highway 60, also called the Superstition Highway, from Interstate 10. Head east through Tempe and Mesa until Apache Junction. You'll pass the Gold Canyon Golf Resort before you find the parking grounds.

From Tucson, you can save a lot of time by taking Highway 79, which intersects with U.S. 60 seven miles to the west of the Festival Village. Once you arrive, a free shuttle will take you from the parking lot to the Arizona Renaissance Faire.

Lodging near the Arizona Renaissance Faire

If you're planning on making a weekend out of a visit to the Arizona Renaissance Faire 2011, you will have many choices about where to stay. Apache Junction is home to several campgrounds and RV parks. If camping is not your scene, you'll be delighted to know there are bed and breakfast inns and Arizona hotels for all budgets close to the fairgrounds.

The Best Western Apache Junction is located located close to the fairgrounds, just minutes away from all of the wonder. As one of the most scenic Arizona hotels, the Best Western offers excellent views of the Superstition Mountains and easy access to the scenic Apache Trail, an outdoor recreation path that heads to the nearby community of Globe. The hotel also has an outdoor swimming pool with a whirlpool, and guests are treated to a deluxe breakfast and a newspaper every morning.