FAQs
We’ve collected all your FAQs here on this page to quickly answer your most pressing questions! Please use the following links to jump to your most relevant section.
Tickets, Dates, Hours / Food / Costumes & Weapons / Misc. & Policies
Our mission is to provide a safe, clean, and inviting experience for family entertainment. To ensure all of our guests enjoy their time at the Bristol Renaissance Faire, we require every visitor to comply with our CODE OF CONDUCT.
COVID-19 INFORMATION
Please note that we have made a few changes at the Faire by incorporating guidelines received from the CDC and appropriate governmental and local agencies. Our goal is to keep you, our valued guests, our participants, entertainers, and staff safe.
Some images that are shown throughout this website, our social media channels, and other promotional materials do not represent current operational guidelines or health and safety measures.
2023 Entrance Requirements:
1. Unvaccinated individuals, including children, are encouraged to wear a mask where social distancing is not possible (lines, show seating, etc.). Masks are not required.
2. Some experiences may be modified to reduce physical contact.
3. For the protection of everyone, we encourage you to take advantage of the COVID-19 vaccination offered free of charge through your local Health Department, and various pharmacies in your area.
4. Please be mindful of keeping your social distance around other guests.
5. If you have flu-like symptoms such as a cough or fever, we encourage you to stay home.
An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable.
By visiting the Bristol Renaissance Faire, a Renaissance Entertainment Productions event, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.
Our Faire is 30 acres of pure fun! 16 stages offer a variety of entertainment all day long. In addition, we dazzle you with a fully armored joust, the Queen and her glittering Court, amazing arts and crafts, delicious food, fine spirits, music, dance, rides and games, and entertainers in the streets all day long. Join us for a day of play!
We are open Saturdays, Sundays, and Labor Day Monday, July 8 through September 4, 2023, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Ticket prices are $40.00 for Adults. $15.00 for Children (ages 5-12). Children 4 and under are always free. For more information on ticket prices, click here.
Admission includes all entertainment across our 16 stages and performance areas, the jousts, the ongoing spectacle of hundreds of performers in the street, music, dances, and interactive experiences.
Yes! Members of the military with valid IDs and seniors age 62+ receive $2.00 off any regularly priced Box Office ticket. Cannot be combined with other coupons or offers. Not valid for online tickets.
Do not worry! ShowClix has recorded your transaction and you will get your tickets. Please contact their customer care team by phone or email. support@showclix.com or 1.888.850.8718
Customer Care is available Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST
For weekend assistance please visit http://showclix.force.com/support/
FRAUD AND TICKET SCAM ALERT: We have received recent reports of ticket fraud and scams. Please know that the Bristol Renaissance Faire cannot guarantee the validity of tickets purchased through any entity other than RenFair.com, ShowClix, or our off-premise ticket seller, Menards. To avoid problems with counterfeit, stolen, void, or inflated tickets, purchase them directly and only from the Bristol Renaissance Faire website, in person at our venue box office, or at participating Menards locations.
Any sort of ticket scalping is strictly prohibited by the Bristol Renaissance Faire.
As always, the only way you can be 100% sure your tickets are real and will get you in is to buy them from our sources. Together we can fight fraud.
You can give tickets as gifts! The ticket purchaser’s name appears on the ticket simply as a security feature. We will not be checking the name printed on the ticket at the gate unless there is a barcode error. Happy gifting!
Yes. Ticket types have a valid date range. Please review the valid dates before purchasing. Tickets cannot be exchanged for different dates. Tickets cannot be transferred between years.
The Box Office accepts credit cards to purchase admission tickets. All food and drink merchants are still cash only. There are ATMs on-site for your convenience ($4.00 transaction fee). Most merchants in our Marketplace accept credit cards, but each merchant creates their own policy.
Bristol offers a preferred parking lot near the front gate for $10 (cash only) and a general parking lot to the far north side of the faire (entrance off the frontage road only) for $5. Both lots are mowed grass fields. There is ADA-accessible parking available in the $10 preferred parking lot. General parking is first-come first-served.
VIP Parking is available for pre-purchase on our website and is limited to 150 vehicles each day but guarantees you a space near the front gate. VIP Parking is $20. Click Here to buy VIP Parking.
While Bristol does not currently have a bicycle rack, there is a roped off area used for motorcycle parking near the front gate. You may secure your bicycle to the posts there. There is no charge to secure a bicycle.
Yes, we have a motorcycle area in our preferred parking lot ($10 per vehicle). Please note that this area is grass. We encourage you to bring a flat rest (such as a piece of wood) if you use a kickstand.
We offer a variety of fresh, delicious food for our guests to enjoy at concession stands throughout our Faire; however, we understand that guests may need to bring outside food and drink into our Faire for medical reasons. Please note the following guidelines for bringing food and drink into our park:
Acceptable items:
- One water bottle per guest (any size).
- Any food required for medical purposes and medically–indicated nutritional supplements
- Any food required for special dietary needs
- Baby food/baby formula
Prohibited items:
- Picnic lunches
- Food that requires heating or refrigeration
- Alcohol and glass containers (excluding baby food jars)
- Coolers
Yes. A complete menu can be found here:
renfair.com/bristol/the-faire/food/
Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten-Free offerings are marked on our website.
No, comfortable clothes are recommended. Many of our guests come in costume and feel that the whole experience is more fun when dressed to play.
We do not have any costume rental shops in Bristol. We hope to offer rentals again in the future.
Full-face covering masks (such as with fursuits) are welcome, but we must ask that you remove the mask before you reach the entrance gate as we take your ticket. Once you are inside the Faire you may put your costume mask back on.
Note: This applies only to costume masks. Medical masks do not need to be removed.
Yes. Due to safety & insurance requirements, all guests are required to wear shoes at all times. Tennis shoes, boots, sandals, flip-flops, etc are all permitted. Bare feet are never appropriate.
We receive this question quite a bit. On one hand, were kilts worn in 1574? Yes. Are most modern kilt patterns period appropriate? No. But even though Bristol recreates an English village, our guests should feel free to come however you are most comfortable. In years past we’ve had guests arrive in everything from Roman legionnaire garb through Lord of the Rings. We welcome anyone who is willing to get into the spirit of things and play for a day.
We want all guests to have a great time while being as safe as possible.
Our primary rule is all weapons should be sheathed and peace-tied.
- Realistic-looking weapons cannot be carried “in hand” and must be peace-tied to your person. Exposed sharpened steel is never permitted. Metal blades must be zip-tied into their sheath and to your belt or baldric. At no point should a bladed weapon ever be drawn from your side/back.
- Foam/LARP/Plastic weapons do not need to be sheathed where sheaths do not exist for their dimensions.
- Replica/Toy firearms must have their orange tip on the end of the barrel, and the trigger must be zip-tied in the ‘fired’ position.
- Wooden walking sticks are permitted, but they must not contain anything sharp. If a wooden staff has a sharp end (even if it is sheathed) then it falls under our weapon policy, and it must be peace-tied to your person. It is no longer considered a mobility device.
- You may bring a bow and arrows however, the bow must be unstrung or strung with yarn or some other cord that cannot hold tension. All arrows must be untipped and peace-tied into their quiver.
Our service team will check all weapons at the gate and offer assistance if needed.
Yes. You may bring your bow if it is unstrung, or strung with yarn (or some other line that cannot hold tension). Arrows must be untipped and cable-tied together and secured to the quiver. Our service team at the entrance gate will assist you if you do not know how to peace tie your weapon.
Yes! Wooden walking sticks are permitted, but they must not contain anything sharp. If a wooden staff has a sharp end (even if it is sheathed) then it falls under our weapon policy, and it must be peace-tied to your person. It is no longer considered a mobility device.
No. Due to an unfortunate number of people who have brought instruments and attempted to busk in our streets, you may not bring in any instrument except for a drum for our drum jam.
No. The Bristol Renaissance Faire is a “special event” by Wisconsin law. We do not permit any person to bring any type of concealed weapon or firearm on our property. Below is the relevant state law passage:
It is unlawful for any person to enter or remain at a special event if the organizers of the special event have notified the actor not to remain at the special event while carrying a firearm or with that type of firearm. The provision does not apply if the firearm is in a vehicle driven or parked in the parking facility, to any part of the special event grounds or building that is used as a parking facility. The law defines special event as an event that is open to the public, is for a duration of not more than three weeks, and either has designated entrances to and from the event that are locked when the event is closed or requires an admission. Wis. Stat. § 943.13(1m)(c)3.
No pets are allowed at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Service animals that meet federal ADA guidelines are permitted. Emotional support animals do not enjoy the same rights. The ADA does not require that all animals be accommodated at all times. The ADA guidelines stipulate that the dog must be leashed or under strict verbal command, and under the owner’s control at all times. We ask that you do not leave animals on the park perimeter or inside your vehicle. In such cases, the appropriate authorities will be notified. Even if the dog is a service animal, we are not obliged to accommodate the animal if these guidelines are not met.
https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Please do not request to bring your service dog who is currently “in training”. With the best of intentions, a service dog in training is just that, in training. You risk harmful advancement and potential anxiety development having a dog in a very dusty and busy environment competing with thousands of feet moving right next to them. Please wait until they are fully vetted to provide the service which will help you.
As of the 2023 season, we do not offer weddings or private parties.
For your convenience, we have the following on the faire grounds:
ATMs
Restrooms
Accessible Restrooms
Wheelchairs for rent (Manual-only. No electric chairs.)
Water Fountains
First Aid (located next to the Globe Stage)
Lost & Found (located at the Guest Services Gazebo)
Baby Changing Tables & Nursing Room (next to the Castle Keep stage)
Yes, with the understanding that we are an outdoor event. We are under the trees with rough terrain. You may encounter hills and roots. It is best to have a strong friend available to help you push your chair if yours is not motorized. The Faire also has a small selection of wheelchairs that are offered for a daily rental of $15.00. There is a deposit of $50.00 which is recredited to you when returning the wheelchair in good condition.
We do not have any motorized chairs or scooters.
The Faire has a small selection of manual wheelchairs that are offered for a daily rental of $15.00. There is a deposit of $50.00 which is recredited to you when returning the wheelchair in good condition.
Yes. Strollers and wagons of all sizes are welcome at the Faire.
Yes. Backpacks are permitted. Please know that all bags are searched at the gate by our security team for your safety.
The Bristol Renaissance Faire has designated smoking areas. These areas are noted on the map you can pick up at Guest Services and are located near the Three Sheets Pub, The Town Square Public House, Tuscany Tavern, and the Joust Tavern. All smoking, including vapes, is permitted only at these locations. Thank you kindly.
Yes. We spray two times each week to control the mosquito population. All spraying takes place between Monday – Thursday.
Please do not. Bristol partners with numerous charities and advertisers each and every year. To distribute other materials on site is in violation of our no-soliciting rule. Further, distributing products (especially those intended as edibles) without a waiver on-site is in violation of Wisconsin state law and contrary to the application process that each member of our Marketplace undergoes to continue to offer quality artisan goods at Bristol.
Drones are not permitted at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. We use black powder for our musket and cannon demonstrations. Please do not fly over the Faire for the safety of your drone.
Yes, you can ask for a hand stamp from the greeters at the front gate.
The Faire is open rain or shine. No refunds or rain checks are offered. Almost all entertainment acts will continue in rain or shine. Many performers have unique shows they only perform in the rain!
Yes! Our waste collection is managed by Advanced Disposal who sorts all refuse and recycles all recyclable materials at their processing center. There are no separate collection bins at the Faire for recycling because Advanced Disposal does all the sorting for us!
