Entertainment of the Shire
The entertainment at the New York Renaissance Faire spans 17 different performance areas and all the streets in between! You’ll find daredevil acrobats, soulful musicians, side-splitting comedians, three full-contact jousts, and hundreds of performers who bring the city to life!
ENTERTAINMENT STAGE SCHEDULE
The Entertainment Stage Schedule will be posted the Wednesday evening before each weekend.
Although unusual, scheduled acts may change due to weather, illness, or Her Majesty’s whim.
Click Here for the Sixth Weekend Stage Schedule – Sept 30 & Oct 1, 2023
Aaron Bonk (all season)
Aaron Bonk is a 3-time International Performance Champion, 5-time Guinness World Record-setting whip artist, and unique entertainer with a twisted sense of humor who risks his life to make you laugh. You may have seen his TV appearances on Steve Harvey’s Talk Show, Game of Talents, and America’s Got Talent! With stupefying acts of juggling, whip cracking, danger, and craziness, he amuses and amazes the whole family with his Seriously Ridiculous stunt show spectacular.
Arsene Dupin Magikhana Show (Aug 26 – Oct 1)
Arsene Dupin, internationally renowned Artiste of Mime, Magic, Comedy & Juggling, delights audiences worldwide. His amazing illusions and ingenious comedy win the hearts and inspire the laughter of the audience within moments!
Bad Idea Entertainment (Aug 26 – Sept 24)
Douglas Stafford is the bad idea that you were warned about. His unique take on what it means to be an entertainer combines circus, sideshow, magic, and poor life choices.
Based out of Philadelphia PA, Douglas is the second-place winner of the 2019 Ren Faire Awards and Editor’s Choice for the Rochester Fringe Festival.
Blackenshear the Curious (Sept 16 – Oct 8)
Comedy and amazing magic are what you can expect at a Blackenshear show! Entertaining and engaging for audiences of all ages, this seasoned performer and consummate entertainer will win you over with his award-winning comedy act!
NEW – Boom Boom Shake: World Class Music and Bellydance (Aug 26 & 27)
With middle eastern roots and a modern vibe, Boom Boom Shake brings together a unique show that is fun and entertaining. World percussion beats, guitar and violin melodies, and belly dancers weave together an experience that is great for the whole family! Bring your dancing shoes, because you won’t be able to resist the groove!
Charry (all season)
Playing a wide mix of musical styles, Charry evokes the primitive, magical spirit of the Andes with his many indigenous folk instruments, including charango, birimbao, cuatro, pan pipes, percussion, and more!
Cirque du Sewer (all season)
You may recognize the trained rats, cats, and acro-human of Cirque du Sewer from their national and international tv appearances, including a standing ovation and multiple rounds on America’s Got Talent. But watching them live at a renaissance faire is even more thrilling because we can’t edit out when cats are jerks! Melissa combines her skills with the talents of her rescue animals, creating complicated obstacle courses for the rats, dancing with cats, and balancing upside down on a half-inch slack rope.
Combat Chess (all season)
The greatest warriors in Sterling Shire cross blades and trade blows, all for Her Majesty’s entertainment – and yours – in these rollicking contests of strategy and skill!
Presented by the NYRF Fight Guild. Don’t miss these epic battles on the Chessboard, twice daily!
The Court of Queen Elizabeth (all season)
Our beloved Sovereign, Elizabeth, has arrived in the Shire seeking romance, music, and adventure! Delight in theater, song, and banter as Her Majesty presides over the celebrations of the day. Our young guests are invited to participate in the Children’s Knighting Ceremony, held every Faire day.
Ded Bob (Aug 26 – Sept 24)
“Dedly” Humor! Bob and his faithful dummy Sluj use unsuspecting audience members to assist in Mischievous & Outrageous Comedy! The hardest-working cadaver in show business is back with all matters bawdy and profane. Corpse comedy and audience interaction at their finest!
Eddie Jeff Cahill (Aug 26 – Sept 24)
Performing at the Wildlife Revealed Falconry Stage, Eddie Jeff brings dignity and pride to the ancient craft of the traveling singer-poet-storyteller.
The Fairies (all season)
The marvelous Fairies bring magic and wonder to Sterling Shire! The Faerie Queen and her Seelie Court reign in the deep woods of the Enchanted Forest, where their magic delights the hearts of children and adults alike.
The Flaming Ginger (all season)
Jon Norton, The Flaming Ginger, performs a fast and fun family-friendly fire danger comedy show. From juggling fire to seven-foot unicycles and nonstop jokes along the way, you’ll laugh, cheer, and come back for more!
The Four Swords (all season)
The Four Swords have history, physics, slapstick, and comedy! Watch four expert martial artists use four life times of training and experience to make fools out of themselves!
The Freestylers of Piping (Sept 23 & 24)
Inspired by the progressive rock bands and jazz musicians of the 60s and 70s. The Freestylers of Piping, consisting of long-time Renaissance faire performers David Duncan, and Michael Huebner along with Armando Wood, aim to create music that reflects these influences with the use of The Great Highland Bagpipe, Percussion, and Bass.
Gi Shiata (Sept 16 – Oct 8)
Sleight-of-hand artist Bret Blackshear creates interactive mysteries with cards, rings, coins, thimbles, and rope.
House Band (all season)
From opening to closing the NYRF House Band is the heartbeat of the shire and provides musical accompaniment to Maypole and Court Dances, martial brass and drumming for the Chess matches and the Joust, and magical musical moments throughout the faire day.
Iron Hill Vagabonds (all season)
Iron Hill Vagabonds is an acoustic music duo performing a mix of traditional and original instrumental pieces and songs including Celtic fiddle tunes, traditional American, English, and Irish songs from many eras, Renaissance Faire, Celtic, Folk, and Bluegrass standards, as well as original songs and instrumental compositions.
Brothers Ehrich and Mark Gauvin have been singing and playing music, together and separately, for all of their lives. Iron Hill Vagabonds is the realization of their shared vision, bringing together their diverse influences and talents into a new form to bring to a wider audience.
Jamila Lotus (Sept 2 – Sept 24)
The Jamila Lotus Dance Carnivale performs fast-paced, original choreography and feats of balance and daring, featuring the live music of their dynamic Band of Eternal Souls!
Jeffrey Jene (all season)
Jeffrey Jene has been entertaining audiences for over 25 years with a dazzling blend of comedy, audience participation, and super-skilled sleight of hand and illusion. Visit with Jeffrey in his realm of magic and experience the impossible!
Jeremiah Wiggins (Sept 9 – Sept 24)
Magician, storyteller, and human ambassador to the faerie realm. While Jeremiah seems to be a human fantasy jukebox, his true agenda is educating folk in the needs of the little people and getting himself elected again. He is recognizable by his very large mushroom, the soapbox upon which he stands. If you don’t believe in faeries before you have met Wiggins, you most likely will after!
Jim Mackenzie (Sept 30 – Oct 8)
Jim has been keeping vaudeville alive since 1985 and continues to add new original routines to the act. He learned to juggle at a young age from his dad. He picked up sword swallowing and other skills along the way, taught himself violin, and put it all into a comedy show that has become a favorite with audiences around the country. Experience in-the-moment comedy and amazing original feats!
The Jousters (all season)
The Jousters have an entertainingly fresh take on a very old sport. These knights are excited to bring their fully-armored, hard-hitting, and wholly unique style of jousting to the Faire. Combined with bold attitudes and fierce competition, this is a true sport. Every lance break and shield shatter achieved is done in an authentic quest for victory!
Kathleen Finnegan, Harpist (all season)
Kathleen brings the music of the past alive with the magic of the Irish harp. In ancient tradition, music had the power to bring joy, sorrow, and peace, all of which Kathleen delights to share. Experience the beloved music of the Celtic, ancient, and classical traditions, some familiar and some that are new again.
NEW – The King of Crochet (Sept. 23 – Oct. 8)
The King of Crochet uses literal yarn to spin figurative yarns in classic fables and fairy tales with a comedic twist. The “king” (with a plethora of handmade props) invites you to face the dragon or other new stories from the House of Yarn – because a castle was too expensive to make. The whole family will laugh, cry, and never want to leave!
The Langer’s Ball (Sept 9 – Oct 8)
The Langer’s Ball is a two-piece Irish Folk-punk band that has been writing, touring, and performing for well over a decade. Playing their own brand of traditional drinking songs and original material, their sound is harder-hitting and bigger than you’d expect it ever could be. With a thumping beat and a flurry of notes and harmonies, you’ll dash to refill your drink and cheer for more.
The Legend of Robin Hood (all season)
Heroes, like swords, are forged in fire. The villainous Sheriff of Nottingham and his Guards rule the highways and byways of the Shire with an iron fist. Are you prepared to help Robin Hood, his beloved Maid Marian, and the Merry Band of Outlaws put an end to the Sheriff’s tyranny once and for all? Follow the adventures of Robin Hood throughout the Faire day!
NEW! London Broil (Aug 26 – Sept 24)
Comedy and Juggling, together at last! The London Broil Show has been delighting audiences around the country for decades with their signature blend of improv comedy and team precision juggling.
Lynx the Sword Swallower (Sept 9 – Oct 8)
The Lynx the Sword Swallower show is a unique blend of magic, sword swallowing, and comedy. From death-defying feats of amazement to bewildering moments that just can’t be explained, this performance is sure to thrill you. Don’t miss out and be part of the fun!
Mythic Madness (Sept. 23 – Oct. 8)
Minerva, the powerful sorceress, is here to demonstrate her mastery of the arts martial and magical. She is accompanied by an unwilling assistant: Mythos, her human-bound fae familiar. Together, they present a hilarious swords and sorcery show- which definitely doesn’t fund a plot to take over the world- that is fun for humans of all ages and magical creatures of every persuasion. Watch this disastrous duo unleash their weapons of wood, steel, and magic upon each other in a fight for power and vengeance.
Nyr Jorvik Vikings (all season)
As a living history Scandinavian encampment, the Nyr Jorvik Vikings teach through the ancient art of storytelling and demonstration. Within the encampment, villagers can be observed cooking over an open flame, and woodworking with iron age tools – including a coal-fired kiln and a foot-powered lathe – spinning, weaving yarn, and more.
The Revelers of the Shire (all season)
The Revelers fill our streets with the colorful sights and bustling sounds of 16th-century life! Whether they are dancing around the Maypole, singing a fine old tune, or just striking up a friendly conversation, they are sure to delight you on your adventure in our Shire!
The Royal Pipers (all season)
This group, composed of the popular pipers Larry Cole, Christa Patton, and Peter Walker, perform pavannes and other precious pieces for your particular pleasure!
Shakespeare in the Shire (all season)
A delightful romp through the works of William Shakespeare, brought to life each day! Witness some of the Bard’s best-known scenes, monologues, and sonnets creatively performed by characters of the Shire. Each weekend is a unique show, so come back and see it again and again!
NEW! Ship Shape (Sept 30 & Oct 1)
Ahoy there! We are Ship Shape, a music and comedy group newly ashore and here to entertain any landlubber looking for a laugh! We specialize in sea shanties, tight harmonies, and nautical (sometimes naughty!) humor. Join Frankie, Swiss, and Mack for a shipload of fun!
Sky Kings Falconry (all season)
Sky Kings Falconry presents an awe-inspiring, free-flying falconry and birds of prey demonstration that takes place ABOVE the audience! Feel the gust of wind rustle your hair as hawks, owls, falcons, and vultures take flight from stage to perch in this 5000-year-old “Sport of Kings.” Sky Kings is brought to you by Wildlife Revealed, a 501-c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the education and preservation of our planet’s wildlife.
Stahr Power Presents: Tiny Girl, Big Show! (all season)
Step right up and see the NEW one-woman circus extravaganza that’s wowing audiences across the shire! With charm and sparkle to spare, this award-winning, pint-sized powerhouse packs a punch. Stahr twists her body into ridiculous positions, then adds a whip, a unicycle, fire, juggling, and a bow and arrow held between her (pedicured) toes. Don’t miss Stahr Power’s crazy combination of skills that will leave you laughing on the edge of your seat!
Supernova the Strongwoman (all season)
Trained by Cirque du Soleil coaches, Supernova the Strongwoman amazes audiences with insane feats of strength, daredevil acrobatics, and the wanton destruction of perfectly good steel! The whole family can join this cyclone of comedy and demolition!
Tenacious D&D (Aug 26 – Sept 24)
Randal Piper plays the streets and stages with some of his intergalactically renowned critical hits. Come out for the tunes, stay for a ‘Riggle Do’ or two, and leave with some Bardic Inspiration!
Two Bard Party (Sept 30 – Oct 8)
It’s Full Frontal Nerdity! The two roving bards Randal and Rowan have journeyed far to bring you songs of fantasy, comedy, and adventure! With original music of all kinds, from the thrilling to the downright ridiculous, Two Bard Party (#wisdomisourdumpstat) provides your recommended daily dose of Bardic Inspiration.
The Washing Well Wenches (all season)
The Washing Well Wenches take up residence in the Shire of Sterling to earn a living by cleaning laundry…or by marrying a wealthy man. This naughty and tempestuous twosome will win your hearts with a rollicking, laugh-filled, one-of-a-kind show!
