Franklin Renaissance Faire 2026

Franklin Renaissance Faire 2026 will take place September 12–13 at Odell Park in Franklin, New Hampshire. The community Renaissance festival combines historical sword demonstrations, magic, living history, music, interactive activities, artisan merchants and family entertainment, with an extended Saturday program continuing into the evening.

The event falls in one of the busiest periods of the autumn faire calendar, and visitors can find additional celebrations in Renaissance Faires and Medieval Festivals in September 2026.

⚔️ Renaissance Entertainment at Odell Park

Franklin Renaissance Faire brings performers, craftspeople and historical groups together for a two-day gathering designed for both families and dedicated Renaissance faire visitors.

The 2026 entertainment lineup includes sword fighting, historical European martial arts, magic, living-history demonstrations, traditional music and activities that allow younger visitors to participate rather than simply watch.

Announced performers and groups include:

Phoenix Swords: Live historical European martial arts and fast-paced sword demonstrations.

Dan Burns: Interactive sword-fighting lessons for younger participants, focusing on basic footwork, safe techniques and chivalric conduct.

Mike the Magician: Historical-style sleight-of-hand and illusion performances aimed at family audiences.

Society for Creative Anachronism: A living-history encampment featuring period crafts and elements of medieval and Renaissance court life.

Ian Charmichael: Historic blade techniques and live steel demonstrations.

Richard Parker: Traditional music performed on the hammered dulcimer.

The published daily program also includes an appearance by Amelia at the Arena Grounds.

Visitors interested in similar events throughout the country can explore the wider calendar of Renaissance Faire Events.

🕒 2026 Program and Schedule

The official timetable begins with an opening parade at 9:30 AM, while the published general operating hours list public faire hours beginning at 10:00 AM.

Saturday, September 12

9:30 AM: Opening Parade and Gates Open — Main Tournament Field
11:00 AM: Magical Illusion — Greenwood Stage
1:00 PM: Amelia — Arena Grounds
3:00 PM: Phoenix Swords — Village Green
7:00 PM: Twilight Performance and Public Sing — Tavern Stage
9:00 PM: Festival Gates Close — Main Gates

Sunday, September 13

9:30 AM: Opening Parade and Gates Open — Main Tournament Field
11:00 AM: Magical Illusion — Greenwood Stage
1:00 PM: Amelia — Arena Grounds
3:00 PM: Phoenix Swords — Village Green
5:00 PM: Festival Gates Close — Main Gates

Saturday is the longer of the two festival days, with entertainment extending into the evening rather than ending with the afternoon performances.

🌙 Saturday Evening Revelry

The Saturday program continues until 9:00 PM, offering visitors several additional hours at Odell Park.

The principal evening gathering begins at 7:00 PM at the Tavern Stage, where the published program includes a twilight performance and public sing. The extended hours distinguish Saturday from Sunday, when the faire closes at 5:00 PM.

This evening component allows visitors to remain on the grounds after the main afternoon sword and stage performances and experience a different atmosphere as the festival moves toward its final Saturday activities.

🛡 Living History and Sword Demonstrations

Historical combat is one of the central elements of Franklin Renaissance Faire.

Phoenix Swords presents demonstrations inspired by historical European martial arts, using trained performers to introduce audiences to historic fighting methods and blade work.

Younger visitors can take part in activities led by Dan Burns, whose youth-oriented sword instruction focuses on safe movement, basic combat techniques and ideas associated with chivalry.

Ian Charmichael adds further live steel demonstrations and historical blade techniques, while the Society for Creative Anachronism broadens the historical component through an encampment devoted to period crafts and medieval social culture.

The combination allows visitors to see several different approaches to historical interpretation, ranging from combat demonstrations to hands-on living history.

🎶 Magic and Traditional Music

The program is not limited to combat.

Mike the Magician performs fast-paced illusion and sleight-of-hand routines for younger guests and adults, providing a family-oriented alternative between martial demonstrations.

Traditional music is represented by Richard Parker, whose performances feature the hammered dulcimer. The instrument’s distinctive percussive string sound fits naturally into the tavern and historical-festival setting.

These performers help create a varied program in which visitors can move between combat, music, magic and interactive activities throughout the weekend.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Activities

Franklin Renaissance Faire is organized as a family-focused community event.

Activities promoted for the weekend include:

Field games and races
Traditional yard games
Free DIY crafts
Interactive sword instruction
Magic performances
Historical demonstrations
Living-history activities
Merchant stalls
Food vendors

Costumes are encouraged but not required. Visitors can attend in everyday clothing or wear Renaissance, medieval or fantasy-inspired attire.

🛍 Artisan Marketplace

Craftspeople and merchants form another important part of the event, creating a marketplace alongside the performance and activity areas.

The faire has historically hosted independent vendors selling handcrafted and Renaissance-inspired merchandise. Dan Burns Swords is among the merchants associated with the event and has participated for several seasons.

Visitors can browse the marketplace between performances while also making use of the food and refreshment vendors operating at Odell Park.

🎟 Admission Prices

The published 2026 admission prices are:

Regular admission: $10

Children age 6 and under: Free with the purchase of a regular admission ticket

Family of four: $20

The pricing reflects the event’s community-oriented format and makes it possible for families to spend a full day at the festival without the higher entrance fees common at many large commercial Renaissance fairs.

🌳 Odell Park

Franklin Renaissance Faire is held at Odell Park, one of the city’s established public recreation areas.

The approximately 12-acre park lies close to downtown and provides enough open space for performance areas, merchants, demonstrations and family activities while keeping the festival compact enough to explore on foot.

Odell Park has long been part of Franklin’s civic and recreational landscape and is closely connected with the development of the surrounding downtown district.

📍 About Franklin

Franklin is located in Merrimack County at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers, which meet here to form the Merrimack River.

The area was originally known as Pemigewasset Village. Permanent Anglo-European settlement began during the eighteenth century, and Franklin was later created from portions of Salisbury, Andover, Sanbornton and Northfield. The community took its name from Benjamin Franklin.

Water power from the Winnipesaukee River helped transform the settlement into an industrial center. Paper, pulp and textile mills developed along the waterways, and the arrival of the railroad in 1846 accelerated local manufacturing growth.

Franklin was incorporated as a town in 1828 and became a city in 1895.

The community is also associated with statesman Daniel Webster, who was born in an area that later became part of Franklin. His birthplace is preserved as a New Hampshire state historic site.

The 2020 U.S. Census recorded 8,741 residents, while the Census Bureau estimated the population at approximately 8,839 in 2025.

🚗 How to Get to Franklin

By Car

Driving is the most convenient option for reaching Franklin Renaissance Faire.

Franklin is served by U.S. Route 3 and New Hampshire Route 11, with convenient connections to Interstate 93. Visitors arriving from Manchester, Concord or Massachusetts can travel north on I-93 before continuing toward Franklin and Odell Park.

Travelers arriving from the Lakes Region can approach through Tilton and neighboring communities.

By Bus

Franklin currently has no regular fixed-route public bus service. The Concord–Laconia Connector, which previously stopped in Franklin, was permanently suspended on January 30, 2026.

Intercity bus travelers can reach nearby transportation hubs such as Concord or Tilton with regional operators and then complete the journey by taxi, rideshare or other road transportation.

Mid-State Transit also serves Franklin through specialized reservation-based transportation programs, rather than a conventional tourist-oriented fixed bus route.

By Train

Franklin does not have an active Amtrak passenger station.

New Hampshire’s Amtrak services operate through Dover, Durham and Exeter on the Downeaster, while the Vermonter stops at Claremont. Visitors arriving by train therefore need to continue to Franklin by rental car or other road transportation.

For many long-distance travelers, taking the train to Boston and continuing north by bus or rental car may be more practical.

By Air

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) is the closest major commercial airport, approximately 44 miles by road from Franklin.

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) provides a much larger range of domestic and international services and is approximately 95 miles away, depending on the route.

A rental car is the simplest option for completing the journey from either airport.

📏 Approximate Road Distances from Franklin

Major New Hampshire Cities

Concord: 20 miles
Laconia: 20 miles
Manchester: 40 miles
Rochester: 49 miles
Dover: 55 miles
Nashua: 58 miles

Major U.S. Cities

New York City: approximately 265 miles
Philadelphia: approximately 360 miles
Chicago: approximately 1,050 miles
Houston: approximately 1,850 miles
Phoenix: approximately 2,650 miles
Los Angeles: approximately 3,000 miles

Road distances are approximate and may vary according to the selected route and starting point.

🏛 History of the Franklin Renaissance Faire

The Franklin Renaissance Faire dates back to the middle of the 2010s and has developed as a locally organized event rather than a large commercial festival.

The faire was revived with the leadership of Myla Everett, working alongside volunteers and the Franklin Falls Rotary Club. The renewed event emphasizes affordable admission, family participation and fundraising that benefits the local community.

Franklin’s City Council supported the return of the festival by formally recognizing a recurring Renaissance Faire Weekend following Labor Day. This helped establish the event as an annual part of the community calendar.

The 2026 edition continues that tradition with a larger entertainment program, living history, merchants and evening activities.