HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Texas Renaissance Festival is proud to have been named the number one Best Cultural Festival in the nation by USA Today and 10Best. Celebrating its 40th year, the Texas Renaissance Festival is the largest event of its kind in the United States, taking place over eight exciting individually themed weekends from Saturday, October 10 through November 29, 2015.
The USA Today “Best Cultural Festivals” list is comprised of 10 cultural events, selected based on travel-worthiness, chance to broaden horizons, and ability to introduce people to try new things and connect with others from around the world.
“When people step through the Royal Gates into the Texas Renaissance Festival, they are transported, not only to another time, but to another world,” says Terre Albert, general manager. “We are very excited to be a premier destination event for so many people and families across the country. We want to thank all of our fans for their votes and invite everyone to see us again this fall for another unforgettable season.”
The Texas Renaissance Festival opened in 1974 with just three stages and 15 acres of what was once an old strip-mining site. The festival’s founder, George Coulam, built the festival from humble beginnings with a handful of vendors showcasing their wares on blankets under the trees, a small group of performers offering improv-style entertainment and a dedicated group of patrons who wanted to spend the afternoon in another world. Today, the festival has grown into the largest event of its kind in the nation, spanning nearly 60 acres, featuring eight-themed villages lined with close to 400 unique shoppes and a cast of thousands entertaining patrons from all over the world on more than 25 stages across the festival grounds.
True to its mission, the Texas Renaissance Festival provides an adventure-filled escape back in time where one can delight in the pleasures of a simpler age. Hundreds of thousands of patrons journey through the Royal Gates each season to experience the merriment and magic of the New Market Village by interacting with jugglers, minstrels and fortunetellers while exploring the variety of hand-crafted works of pottery, sculpted metal, woodcarvings, jewelry and other unique treasures found throughout the realm. Magical gardens, festive games, hands-on demonstrations and colorful costumed characters enhance the atmosphere, reflective of the period which inspired its inception. In addition, hundreds of pines and other native trees and landscaping have been carefully designed and planted around the grounds and beside shoppes, which also stay true to the architectural styles of the Renaissance period, from their turrets to their deeply pitched roofs. Entertainers, shopkeepers and staff are dressed in 16th century attire and speak the tongue of lords, ladies, paupers and wenches, all of which create a truly authentic atmosphere.
Each year, Texas Renaissance management works to make the festival more spectacular. Highlights of the festival’s development over the years include the creation of an extravagant masquerade ball, a king’s feast, visitor camping grounds and several outdoor wedding chapels (the festival hosts more than 30 wedding events each year from traditional and modern weddings to themed wedding events and receptions as well as vow renewals, anniversary events and more). This year, the festival will take place over eight exciting weekends from Saturday, October 10 through November 29, 2015. Themed weekends include Oktoberfest, 1001 Dreams, Pirate Adventure, All Hallows Eve, Roman Bacchanal, Barbarian Invasion, Highland Fling, and Celtic Christmas. Tickets can be purchased online at www.texrenfest.com.
About Texas Renaissance Festival
The Texas Renaissance Festival is the nation’s largest and most acclaimed Renaissance-themed event. Established in 1974, the event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to its 55-acre festival in Todd Mission, Texas. The interactive event features live entertainment, food, fun and professional actors who stay true to character for eight themed weekends from October 10 through November 29. For more information, please visit www.texrenfest.com or follow us on Twitter @texrenfest or like us on Facebook/texrenfest.