King’s Town Renaissance Faire 2026

King’s Town Renaissance Faire 2026 will take place September 12–13 at Fort Henry National Historic Site in Kingston, Ontario, with festival hours from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Full-contact jousting by the Knights of Valour, birds of prey, pirates, comedy, aerial performance, fantasy characters, live entertainment and an artisan marketplace will fill one of Canada’s most important nineteenth-century fortifications for the weekend.

The faire is presented by Faires.ca and Knights of Valour Jousting. Visitors planning more historical events north of the U.S. border can also explore Renaissance and medieval festivals in Canada.

⚔️ Full-Contact Jousting with the Knights of Valour

Jousting forms the centerpiece of King’s Town Renaissance Faire. The Knights of Valour present mounted combat inspired by the tournaments of medieval Europe, with armored riders charging toward one another with lances.

The company specializes in full-contact jousting and provides the main arena spectacle around which much of the festival is built. Horses, armor, weapons and horsemanship combine to recreate the competitive excitement associated with historical tournaments.

The production reflects Faires.ca’s wider goal of bringing the “Sport of Kings” back to modern audiences through live demonstrations rather than purely theatrical representations.

🎭 2026 Entertainment

A broad lineup of performers has been announced for the weekend, covering jousting, comedy, music, pirates, aerial arts, fantasy characters and animal demonstrations.

The confirmed entertainment includes:

• Knights of Valour – full-contact jousting
• Cut and Run
• Men in Tights
• Captain Finn and the Salty Sea Dogs
• The Eyrie – birds of prey
• River Mermaid Brie
• Kai in Wonderland – aerialist
• Sibling Rivalry
• Duo Inferno
• Cherry the Bubble Fairy
• The Duchy of Glengarry
• Chris Devlin
• The Pirates McKenna

The combination of historical entertainment and fantasy means visitors can encounter knights and medieval-inspired performers alongside pirates, mermaids, fairies and other characters.

King’s Town is part of the wider Renaissance Faire calendar featured by Medieval Agenda.

🦅 The Eyrie: Birds of Prey

The Eyrie brings live birds of prey to the faire, adding an educational animal program to the weekend.

Falconry and the keeping of trained raptors have deep historical associations with medieval European society. Demonstrations involving birds of prey therefore complement the jousting and other historical elements while allowing visitors to see these animals at close range.

🏴‍☠️ Pirates and Seafaring Characters

Pirate entertainment is represented by Captain Finn and the Salty Sea Dogs and The Pirates McKenna.

The faire does not restrict itself to a single period of history. Its broader approach incorporates Renaissance and medieval themes together with Vikings, pirates, fantasy, cosplay and other imaginative traditions.

Visitors can therefore expect a more varied atmosphere than a strict historical reenactment event.

🧜 River Mermaid Brie and Fantasy Characters

River Mermaid Brie adds a fantasy dimension to the program, while Cherry the Bubble Fairy brings interactive family entertainment to the grounds.

Fantasy characters are an established part of the Faires.ca format, and guests are welcome to attend in costumes inspired by historical eras or imaginative worlds.

Fairies, wizards, elves, pirates and other characters can comfortably share the grounds with knights and Renaissance-inspired costumes.

🔥 Duo Inferno and Aerial Entertainment

Duo Inferno joins the entertainment program with a performance style built around visual spectacle, while aerialist Kai in Wonderland brings aerial arts to the weekend.

These acts broaden the entertainment beyond traditional music and historical demonstrations, giving the faire a contemporary festival component alongside its medieval and Renaissance themes.

🎵 Comedy, Music and Roaming Performers

Entertainment continues away from the jousting field through comedy, music and interactive performers.

Men in Tights, Cut and Run, Sibling Rivalry, The Duchy of Glengarry and Chris Devlin are among the announced acts.

Performers appear throughout the grounds, so a visit can include both scheduled shows and informal encounters while moving through the marketplace and historic fort.

🛍 Renaissance Marketplace

Dozens of merchants and artisans form an important part of the Faires.ca festival experience.

Items commonly represented at its Renaissance markets include:

• Jewelry
• Leatherwork
• Clothing and costume accessories
• Handmade soap
• Blacksmithing
• Weaving
• Pottery
• Arts and crafts
• Decorative objects
• Fantasy merchandise
• Historical-inspired goods
• Gifts and collectibles

The precise selection depends on the artisans participating in the Kingston edition.

👑 Costumes

Costumes are welcome but not required.

The faire embraces a wide interpretation of historical and fantasy dress, so visitors may attend in:

• Medieval clothing
• Renaissance dress
• Knight armor
• Viking-inspired outfits
• Pirate costumes
• Wizard or elf costumes
• Fairy clothing
• Fantasy cosplay
• Other historical or imaginative outfits

Visitors do not need to match a particular historical year or region.

🗡 Weapons Policy

Costume weapons are permitted under specific safety conditions.

Permitted:

• Sheathed weapons that are securely peace-tied and cannot be drawn

Not permitted:

• Unsheathed weapons
• Sharp-edged weapons
• Live ammunition

Guests wearing weapons as part of a costume should ensure that they comply with the faire’s rules before entering.

🐕 Pets

Well-behaved pets accustomed to crowds are permitted when kept on a leash and under the owner’s control.

Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their animals.

Visitors should consider carefully whether their pet will be comfortable at an event containing large crowds, cheering spectators, horses and live birds of prey.

🌦 Rain or Shine

King’s Town Renaissance Faire operates rain or shine.

September weather in eastern Ontario can vary considerably, so suitable footwear and clothing are recommended. Visitors should prepare for spending much of the day outdoors.

🕒 2026 Festival Hours

Saturday, September 12

10:00 AM: Faire opens
Throughout the day: Jousting, live performers, birds of prey, pirates, aerial entertainment, fantasy characters, merchants and other Renaissance activities
5:00 PM: Faire closes

Sunday, September 13

10:00 AM: Faire opens
Throughout the day: Jousting, live performers, birds of prey, pirates, aerial entertainment, fantasy characters, merchants and other Renaissance activities
5:00 PM: Faire closes

The complete performance timetable is published separately by the organizers as the festival approaches.

The weekend also falls within the broader September 2026 Renaissance faire and medieval festival calendar.

🎟 Admission

Advance tickets are sold online through the official Faires.ca ticketing system and are generally cheaper than purchasing admission at the entrance.

Gate ticket range: approximately CAD $20–$35, depending on the admission category.

The standard entrance fee covers most entertainment and activities inside the faire.

🎟 Buy King’s Town Renaissance Faire tickets online

🅿️ Parking

Parking is available for the faire, with donations appreciated on arrival and proceeds directed toward a local charity.

The organizer advises that much of the event parking area consists of grass fields and dirt surfaces rather than paved lots.

Accessible parking is accommodated as far as conditions and capacity allow.

🏰 Fort Henry National Historic Site

Holding a Renaissance faire inside Fort Henry National Historic Site gives King’s Town an unusually substantial historical setting.

The original Fort Henry was constructed during the War of 1812 to defend the Royal Naval Dockyard and the strategically important waterways around Kingston. That first defensive work was later replaced by the much larger stone fort standing today.

The present complex was built between 1832 and 1837 after completion of the Rideau Canal increased the military importance of Point Henry. Its position protected the entrance to the canal, Kingston Harbour and the naval facilities at Point Frederick.

British troops occupied the fort until 1870, after which Canadian forces used it until 1891.

Following decades of deterioration, Fort Henry underwent a major restoration between 1936 and 1938 and reopened as a living-history museum in August 1938.

Today it is a National Historic Site of Canada and forms part of the Rideau Canal and Kingston Fortifications UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort’s limestone walls, parade square, ramparts and military buildings provide a markedly different environment from the modern fairgrounds normally used for Renaissance festivals.

📍 Kingston, Ontario

Kingston stands at the northeastern end of Lake Ontario, where the lake meets the St. Lawrence and Cataraqui river systems. The city recorded 132,485 residents in the 2021 Canadian Census, while the wider Kingston metropolitan area had a population of 172,546.

The area has a long Indigenous history and was known by names including Katarokwi and Cataraqui before European colonization.

French settlement developed around Fort Frontenac during the seventeenth century. After Britain gained control of the region, a new community grew during the 1780s as Loyalists arrived following the American Revolution.

The settlement was known as King’s Town, in honor of King George III, before the name was shortened to Kingston in 1788. That historical name provides the modern Renaissance faire with its title.

Kingston subsequently became an important military and commercial center because of its position between Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and the Rideau Canal.

From 1841 to 1844, Kingston served as the first capital of the united Province of Canada.

The city is often called the Limestone City because local limestone was extensively used in its nineteenth-century buildings. Its historic architecture, waterfront, military sites and surviving fortifications remain central features of the modern city.

🚗 How to Get to Kingston

By Road

Kingston lies directly beside Ontario Highway 401, making road travel straightforward from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

From Toronto:
Follow Highway 401 east toward Kingston. The journey is approximately 260 km and normally takes around 2.5–3 hours.

From Ottawa:
Travel south toward Highway 401 using Highway 416, then continue west toward Kingston. The journey is approximately 190–200 km.

From Montreal:
Follow Autoroute 20 west, which becomes Highway 401 after entering Ontario. Kingston is approximately 280–290 km from Montreal.

Once in Kingston, follow local signs toward Fort Henry Drive and Point Henry.

The venue is:

Fort Henry National Historic Site
1 Fort Henry Drive
Kingston, ON K7K 5G8

By Train

Kingston has excellent intercity rail connections through VIA Rail.

Kingston Station is a major stop on both the:

• Toronto–Montreal corridor
• Toronto–Ottawa corridor

Approximately 20 VIA Rail trains serve the station on a typical day, providing direct connections with major destinations including:

• Toronto
• Ottawa
• Montreal
• Brockville
• Cornwall
• Belleville

The rail journey between Kingston and Toronto averages approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

Visitors arriving at Kingston Station can continue toward Fort Henry by local transit, taxi or rideshare.

By Bus

Intercity coach services provide direct connections between Kingston and cities including:

• Toronto
• Ottawa
• Montreal
• Mississauga

Megabus/Coach Canada operates multiple daily services through Kingston on the Toronto–Montreal corridor.

Local transportation is provided by Kingston Transit. The city’s 2026 network serves Downtown Kingston, the VIA Rail station, CFB Kingston and the Fort Henry area, allowing visitors arriving without a car to continue toward the historic site.

📏 Approximate Road Distances from Major Ontario Cities

Ottawa: 190 km / 118 mi
Toronto: 260 km / 162 mi
Mississauga: 275 km / 171 mi
Brampton: 285 km / 177 mi
Hamilton: 380 km / 236 mi
London: 480 km / 298 mi

📏 Approximate Road Distances from Major Canadian Cities

Ottawa: 190 km / 118 mi
Toronto: 260 km / 162 mi
Montreal: 280 km / 174 mi
Quebec City: 590 km / 367 mi
Winnipeg: 2,150 km / 1,336 mi
Vancouver: 4,500 km / 2,796 mi

Distances are approximate driving distances and can vary according to route and traffic conditions.

📌 Practical Information

• The faire runs from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on both days.
• The event takes place at Fort Henry National Historic Site.
• Jousting by the Knights of Valour is a principal attraction.
• Costumes are encouraged but optional.
• Peace-tied costume weapons are permitted under the published weapons policy.
• Pets accustomed to crowds may attend on a leash.
• The festival operates rain or shine.
• Visitors are advised to bring both cash and debit or credit cards.
• Advance tickets generally cost less than admission purchased at the gate.
• Parking surfaces may include grass and dirt.
• Most standard entertainment is included with admission.