I love Renaissance Faires, to the point where I’ve gone on two different road trips to attend Renaissance Faires in different parts of the country. As a result, I have now attended 12 different Renaissance Faires! With so many now under my belt, I guess I should rank them, and describe in detail which ones are worth attending (hint: pretty much all of them, but usually only if you happen to be in the area).

If it’s not on this list, it’s only because I’ve never been there. I have future plans to attend the other major Ren Faires in the country!

Finally on day 9, I have what is probably my favorite Ren Faire in New England.

E-Tier: If you happen to live close by

#12. Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire (Ansonia, CT)
#11. Vermont Renaissance Faire (Essex, VT)

D-Tier: Worth a bit of a drive

#10. New Hampshire Renaissance Faire (NHRF; Fremont, NH)
#9. Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire (EORF; Phillipston, MA)
#8. Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire (RHMF; Harwinton, CT)

C-Tier: Standouts

7. King Richard’s Faire (KRF; Carver, MA)
6. Maine Renaissance Faire (MERF; Acton, ME)

B-Tier: Strongly recommend

#5. Northern California Renaissance Faire (NCRF; Hollister, CA)

4. Connecticut Renaissance Faire

Lebanon, CT
Last attended: October 2025
Website: https://ctfaire.com/

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire may not be a legend like the later ones on this list, but man, do I love it.

Let’s get the cons out of the way first. Food and drink, fine. Beer lines are way too long. Food can be pretty good, and they have a Polish sausage booth.

The vendors may not be the very best I’ve ever seen, but they are certainly great. They have some artisans I’ve mentioned before like Just In Tyme Boots, and Mother of Dragons Cave of Creatures. But some standouts more unique to this location (at least in New England) include Holzbecher wooden mugs (but I’m biased, because I love wooden mugs); Crafts Unleased (by far the most artistic 3D-printing vendor I’ve ever seeen, as opposed to the usual slop); and Crimson Chain Leatherworks. Overall, fewer artisans than a large Faire, but real good stuff.

The joust is very good. Not one of the best, but there is a great arena with plenty of seating. It’s also in a central location, so it’s easy to find.

The site is above-average. Not a permanent site, but it’s more colorful and medieval-looking than a lot of other Faires on this list, making it feel more like a medieval market. And the few buildings typically look wooden and old-fashioned. There are also a couple of medieval-style reenactment groups that set up authentic-looking tents with nice decoration, and those parts definitely feel immersive, even if they’re a bit small. The layout has lots of steep parts that makes walking around feel more like a journey as you step into different parts, but this also makes it less handicap accessible.

But what ranks this one so high is the fantastic performers. There’s great performers I’ve seen at other Faires on this list, like Adamo Ignis (whom I once stood on while she laid on a bed-of-nails, which was nerve-racking, but awesome), the Knights of Gore, The Crimson Pirates (who performed perhaps the best rendition of “New York Girls” I’ve ever heard), and The Rowdy Bardlings (who will guide you through the five types of Irish music with excellence). But there are some performers that aren’t at any other New England Faires, who can be absolutely mind-blowing, like Circus Stella (who, even without the dog show, had some of the best stunts I’ve seen), Zoltan the Adequate (a fantastic combination of slight-of-hand and real stunts that can make you cringe at times in the best possible way), and Pippsy Pinwheel Sideshow (whose stunts are awesome, disgusting, and hilarious). They even snagged Ses Carny, whom I’ve been a fan of for over 15 years; his show isn’t quite as good as it used to be (I mean, those stunts do a toll on your body), but he’s still a fantastic knife thrower and excellent performer, and I will not miss a chance to see him. There’s so many great performers, I can barely fit them into a single day! They are seriously so good, I had to fight myself from from making a whole essay where I just stan about these guys for 10,000 words (those short summaries do not do justice on how great they are). But I also don’t want to spoil their shows, since while they are certainly rewatchable, there is something special in seeing their stunts for the first time.

They also have some incredible after-hours events, like Queen’s Knight, which includes Babes in Bodices and a Men in Kilts Competition (which I won in 2025). And they’re the only Faire I’ve ever seen with a fire joust! (The jousting itself wasn’t that great, but the fire made it awesome.) The CTRF is run by the same folks as RHMF, which also has after-hours events; there is clear passion and love in what they do, providing such amazing extra events at no extra charge.

While there may not be as many stand-out artisans as other Ren Faires, they are still great, and the performer list is absolutely top-notch, wrapped up in a solid location. So, out of all the Ren Faires I’ve been to, I consider the Connecticut Renaissance Faire the best in New England.

The remaining Renaissance Faires on this list are ones I went on road trips to attend!