This review can also be found on Reddit.

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!

For day 4, we have a Faire that’s maybe a bit lesser known, but it still certainly counts. Though this may be controversial ahead of the NHRF…

For day 4, we have a Faire that’s maybe a bit lesser known, but it still certainly counts. Though this may be controversial ahead of the NHRF…

E-Tier: If you happen to live close by

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

D-Tier: Worth a bit of a drive

#10. New Hampshire Renaissance Faire (NHRF; Fremont, NH)

9. Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire

Phillipston, MA
Last attended: May 2025
Website: https://www.enchantedorchardrenfaire.com/

Full review here.

This is the most commercial and most expensive of the lower-end of this list, since it’s run by Red Apple Farm, which isn’t a Ren Faire-focused organization. Being for-profit isn’t a bad thing per se, but the atmosphere did feel, I dunno, less focused? Less about the Ren Faire and more about doing Ren Faire stuff on an apple farm. This could be good or bad, and your mileage may vary.

But because it’s run by Red Apple Farm, this gives the EORF a few fun, unique traits. The most obvious one is the food and drink: There are some delicious ciders for sale, as well as some great ice cream and apple cider dounts. So, this is a bit upper-tier when it comes to food.

The apple farm really makes this part of the experience! Sure, you get the same white tents you see at a lot of Ren Faires, but here you’re surrounded by a small forest, with even budding apple trees inside the grounds. And there’s a donkey outside! This natural feeling really helps with the immersion. And while there are lots of buildings, they have a more rustic look to them that doesn’t distract too much. It gives this Faire a different feel than others, which may or may not be better, but it makes it more unique, which is nice.

There’s a joust, and it’s…decent. Plus it’s standing room only, and you can only see it on one side of the field, as opposed to surrounding the field like most jousts. (I mean, it’s hard to judge, because it’s not like I could ever do that, but I can’t help but compare to other jousts I’ve seen.)

For the performers, they’re more unique than other Ren Faires in the area, but not necessarily better. But I’d never seen Dr. JR’s Wondershow before, and he was absolutely delightful. And he let take home the nail he hammered up his nose! I hope he does more events in New England so I can see him again (I’m carefully following his Facebook page for news).

The artisans didn’t stand out too much, usually being more hobbyists than professionals (some professionals, but not a notable amount). But they were still certainly talented, and I enjoyed viewing their wares. And there was a bit more uniqueness compared to other Ren Faires in the area, with more of the vendors being ones I don’t usually see at other Faires. (They’re not currently listed on their website, so I couldn’t remind myself specifically what was there.)

There are two big cons. One, the price. Most of the Faires on this list are less than $20 per person, but this one is $27 for early bird, and I think like $35 for standard tickets. Understandable when this is a more profit-based organization that doesn’t rely on volunteers, but something to keep in mind.

But my biggest issue is the performer stages. Michael OJ is such a great performer, but he was stuck either in a small barn where people were more occupied queueing for food than giving him the attention he deserves, or on a stage with not nearly enough seating. Michael OJ needs large, open seating so everyone can see how awesome he is! (Seriously, check him out if you ever get a chance.)

I’m making this ahead of the NHRF for its unique atmosphere that makes it stand out from other Ren Faires (as opposed to the NHRF, which can feel like a smaller-scale version of later entries on this list), and the fact that they serve alcohol. But it’s close, and these could easily be switched depending on personal preferences.

I hope future events give better respect to their performers, giving them the stages they deserve. For now, its uniqueness isn’t enough to bring it ahead of other, more traditional Ren Faires I’ll discuss in the upcoming days (despite that delicious maple ice cream with an apple cider donut). I consider EORF a great time, and I’ll definitely return, though at number 9, still in the bottom third.

E-Tier: If you happen to live close by

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

D-Tier: Worth a bit of a drive

#10. New Hampshire Renaissance Faire (NHRF; Fremont, NH)

9. Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire

Phillipston, MA
Last attended: May 2025
Website: https://www.enchantedorchardrenfaire.com/

Full review here.

This is the most commercial and most expensive of the lower-end of this list, since it’s run by Red Apple Farm, which isn’t a Ren Faire-focused organization. Being for-profit isn’t a bad thing per se, but the atmosphere did feel, I dunno, less focused? Less about the Ren Faire and more about doing Ren Faire stuff on an apple farm. This could be good or bad, and your mileage may vary.

But because it’s run by Red Apple Farm, this gives the EORF a few fun, unique traits. The most obvious one is the food and drink: There are some delicious ciders for sale, as well as some great ice cream and apple cider dounts. So, this is a bit upper-tier when it comes to food.

The apple farm really makes this part of the experience! Sure, you get the same white tents you see at a lot of Ren Faires, but here you’re surrounded by a small forest, with even budding apple trees inside the grounds. And there’s a donkey outside! This natural feeling really helps with the immersion. And while there are lots of buildings, they have a more rustic look to them that doesn’t distract too much. It gives this Faire a different feel than others, which may or may not be better, but it makes it more unique, which is nice.

There’s a joust, and it’s…decent. Plus it’s standing room only, and you can only see it on one side of the field, as opposed to surrounding the field like most jousts. (I mean, it’s hard to judge, because it’s not like I could ever do that, but I can’t help but compare to other jousts I’ve seen.)

For the performers, they’re more unique than other Ren Faires in the area, but not necessarily better. But I’d never seen Dr. JR’s Wondershow before, and he was absolutely delightful. And he let take home the nail he hammered up his nose! I hope he does more events in New England so I can see him again (I’m carefully following his Facebook page for news).

The artisans didn’t stand out too much, usually being more hobbyists than professionals (some professionals, but not a notable amount). But they were still certainly talented, and I enjoyed viewing their wares. And there was a bit more uniqueness compared to other Ren Faires in the area, with more of the vendors being ones I don’t usually see at other Faires. (They’re not currently listed on their website, so I couldn’t remind myself specifically what was there.)

There are two big cons. One, the price. Most of the Faires on this list are less than $20 per person, but this one is $27 for early bird, and I think like $35 for standard tickets. Understandable when this is a more profit-based organization that doesn’t rely on volunteers, but something to keep in mind.

But my biggest issue is the performer stages. Michael OJ is such a great performer, but he was stuck either in a small barn where people were more occupied queueing for food than giving him the attention he deserves, or on a stage with not nearly enough seating. Michael OJ needs large, open seating so everyone can see how awesome he is! (Seriously, check him out if you ever get a chance.)

I’m making this ahead of the NHRF for its unique atmosphere that makes it stand out from other Ren Faires (as opposed to the NHRF, which can feel like a smaller-scale version of later entries on this list), and the fact that they serve alcohol. But it’s close, and these could easily be switched depending on personal preferences.

I hope future events give better respect to their performers, giving them the stages they deserve. For now, its uniqueness isn’t enough to bring it ahead of other, more traditional Ren Faires I’ll discuss in the upcoming days (despite that delicious maple ice cream with an apple cider donut). I consider EORF a great time, and I’ll definitely return, though at number 9, still in the bottom third.