Ren Faire, Medieval Festival, LARP, or Something Else?
Plenty of events have castles, costumes and swords. They aren't all the same thing. Here's how to tell them apart, and what each one is like to go to.
At a glance
| Event | You mostly | Costume | Typical length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renaissance faire | Wander, watch shows, shop | Optional, very common | 1 to 3 days, some run every weekend for weeks |
| Medieval festival | Watch combat, visit camps, shop | Optional, very common | 1 to 3 days |
| Historical reenactment | Watch and ask questions | Only the reenactors | A day or a weekend |
| SCA event | Take part as a member | Expected | A day to a week |
| LARP | Play a character in the story | Required | An afternoon to a week |
| HEMA or armoured combat | Compete or watch fights | Protective gear or armour | A day or a weekend |
| Highland games | Watch athletics, pipes and dancing | Kilts, optional | A day or a weekend |
| Viking, pirate or fairy festival | Watch, shop, dress up | Optional, very common | A day or a weekend |
Renaissance faire
Set loosely in the 1500s, usually with a Tudor or Elizabethan feel. A ren faire is built like a village you walk through, with stages, roaming performers, artisan stalls, food, and a joust or combat show. History is loose. The point is the atmosphere, and lots of visitors come in costume.
Most Canadian faires run one to three days a year. The biggest faires in the United States run every weekend for a couple of months.
Medieval festival
Close to a ren faire, but set earlier, anywhere from the Vikings to the 1400s. Expect more armoured combat, encampments, and craft demonstrations like blacksmithing and archery. In Quebec the medieval festival is the main tradition, and many are in French.
Historical reenactment
Groups recreate one time and place as accurately as they can, down to the clothing, tools, food and battles. Visitors watch and ask questions rather than join in. You'll often find reenactors at historic sites and forts, sometimes as part of a faire.
SCA events
The Society for Creative Anachronism is a members' organization that recreates life before 1600: armoured combat, archery, crafts, feasts, and a kingdom structure with titles. Events are run by members for members. Some welcome the public, but they aren't put on as a show.
LARP
Live action role-play. The players are the event. Everyone has a character and takes part in the story, with rules for combat and magic, and there's no audience. Games range from an afternoon in a park to a week in a permanent village. If you want to play rather than watch, this is it.
HEMA and armoured combat
HEMA, historical European martial arts, uses real techniques from old fencing manuals, fought with steel or synthetic swords and protective gear. Buhurt is full-contact armoured fighting, often team against team. Both show up at faires as demonstrations or tournaments, and both run their own competitions.
Highland games and Celtic festivals
Scottish and Irish heritage events: the caber toss and other heavy events, pipe bands, dancing and clan tents. Kilts are everywhere, but it's a cultural gathering, not a fantasy village.
Viking, pirate and fairy festivals
Themed festivals built around one idea. Viking festivals have longships, camps and combat. Pirate festivals lean on ship tours, cannon fire and sea shanties, and are often seaside town events. Fairy festivals are wings, flower crowns and woodland crafts, aimed at families with young kids.
Christmas markets, conventions and dinner shows
Medieval and Dickens Christmas markets are winter shopping events with costumed characters, usually indoors. Fan conventions share the costumes and some of the vendors, but they're indoor events built around panels, guests and shopping. Medieval dinner shows pair a scripted joust with a set meal. Each is fun, and none is a faire.
What's on Renfaire.ca
Our calendar and price pages list Renaissance faires and medieval festivals. We leave out Highland games, LARP-only events, and festivals built only around pirates, Vikings or fairies. If a faire mixes themes but is a Renaissance or medieval faire at heart, it's in.
New to all of this? Start with what a ren faire is.